Changes In Barometric Pressure Research Articles

Critical pregnancy at altitude: A look at Latin America

Critical pregnancy at high altitudes increases morbidity and mortality from 2500 m above sea level. In addition to altitude, there are other influential factors such as social inequalities, cultural, prehospital barriers, and lack the appropriate development of healthcare infrastructure. The most frequent causes of critical pregnancy leading to admission to Intensive Care Units are pregnancy hypertensive disorders (native residents seem to be more protected), hemorrhages and infection/sepsis. In Latin America, there are 32 Intensive Care Units above 2500 m above sea level. Arterial blood gases at altitude are affected by changes in barometric pressure. The analysis of their values provides very useful information for the management of obstetric emergencies at very high altitude, especially respiratory and metabolic pathologies.

Embarazo crítico en la altitud: una mirada en América Latina

Critical pregnancy at high altitudes increases morbidity and mortality from 2,500 meters above sea level. In addition to altitude, there are other influential factors such as social inequalities, cultural, prehospital barriers, and lack the appropriate development of healthcare infrastructure. The most frequent causes of critical pregnancy leading to admission to Intensive Care Units are pregnancy hypertensive disorders (native residents seem to be more protected), hemorrhages and infection/sepsis. In Latin America, there are 32 Intensive Care Units above 2,500 meters above sea level. Arterial blood gases at altitude are affected by changes in barometric pressure. The analysis of their values provides very useful information for the management of obstetric emergencies at very high altitude, especially respiratory and metabolic pathologies.

Climate Change and Stroke: A Topical Narrative Review.

The impacts of accumulating atmospheric greenhouse gases on the earth's climate are now well established. As a result, there have been increases in ambient temperatures and resultant higher frequency and duration of temperature extremes and other extreme weather events, which have been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes. This topical narrative review provides a summary of published evidence on the links between climate change and stroke. There is consistent evidence of associations between stroke incidence and mortality and increasing ambient temperature and air pollution. Associations have also been shown for changes in barometric pressure, wildfires, and desert dust and sandstorms, but current evidence is limited. Flooding and other extreme weather events appear to primarily cause service disruption, but more direct links to stroke may emerge. Synergies between dietary changes that reduce stroke risk and may also reduce carbon footprint are being explored. We also discuss the impact on vulnerable populations, proposed pathophysiologic mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and current research priorities. In conclusion, climate change increasingly impacts the stroke community, warranting elevated attention.

The Relationship of Climate Change to Rhinitis

Evidence is mounting that climate change is having a significant impact on exacerbations of rhinitis. Concomitantly, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis is increasing at an accelerated rate. We herein explore the impact of carbon dioxide, barometric pressure and humidity changes, anthropogenic pollutants, on aeroallergens and rhinitis hypersensitivity. Important immune mechanisms underlying the climate-driven effects on rhinitis are discussed. Also, climate change is shifting ecological zones and seasons, increasing weather extremes, and altering regional atmospheric and environmental conditions. The direct impact of these factors on promoting allergic and nonallergic rhinitis are reviewed.

The dynamics of Rn-222 cyclic flow within the shallow geological subsurface media as a daily temporal variated source for exhalation into the air

Extensive research on the dynamics of radon gas (Rn-222) originating from the radioactive decay of radium (Ra-226) in geological subsurface media, sheds light on its periodic release into the atmosphere. Radon is a product of the uranium-238 decay chain found within rock and soil grains. While only a fraction of the generated radon escapes (emanates) into porous spaces due to nuclear recoil, it serves as the source for subsurface gas flows and for cyclic exhalation into the soil-atmosphere interface.Ongoing study of radon movement in shallow and deep subsoil, and its emergence at the surface, reveals complete semi-diurnal, diurnal, and seasonal gas flow cycles in the subsoil. Complementary emissions occur nocturnally as radon is released into the atmosphere. Moreover, two natural driving forces govern complex semi-diurnal and diurnal flows below and above the surface. Subsurface gas movement in porous media exhibits nonlinear behavior influenced by surface temperature gradients, resulting in downward flow to depths of up to 100 m. This flow exhibits daily periodicity with depth-dependent time delays, correlating with the diurnal surface temperature cycle. Additionally, pore gas transport into and out of open boreholes responds linearly to semi-diurnal barometric pressure changes, known as barometric pumping.Beyond subsurface phenomena, Europe and Australia increasingly employ nocturnal radon measurements to study atmospheric stability and air quality, assuming that variations in local stationary near-surface radon concentrations reflect atmospheric mixing processes. Recognizing mechanisms governing radon's temporal changes within geological subsurface media highlights the need for continuous underground radon monitoring to validate variations in daily radon exhalation to the surface.On the other hand, monitoring radon at considerable depths minimizes climatic contributions and enhances the ability to discern non-periodic pre-seismic radon signals, independent of atmospheric compulsion. This research offers potential insights into seismic precursors and the complex interplay between subsurface geodynamics and atmospheric conditions.

The Seismic Record of Wind in Alaska

ABSTRACT Seismic data contains a continuous record of wind influenced by different factors across the frequency spectrum. To assess the influences of wind on ground motion, we use colocated wind and seismic data from 110 stations in the Alaska component of the EarthScope Transportable Array. We compare seismic probability power spectral densities and wind speed and direction during 2018 to develop a quantitative measure of the seismic sensitivity to wind. We observe a pronounced increase in seismic energy as a function of wind speed for almost all stations. At frequencies below the microseism band, our observations agree with previous authors in finding that sensor emplacement and ground materials are important, and that much of the wind influence likely comes from associated changes in barometric pressure. Wind has the least influence in the microseism band, but that is only because its contribution to noise is much smaller than the ubiquitous microseism background. At frequencies above the microseism band, we find that wind sensitivity is correlated with land cover type, increasing with vegetation height. This sensitivity varies seasonally, which we attribute to snow insulation, the burial of vegetation and objects around the station, and potentially the role of frozen ground. Wind direction also manifests in seismic data, which we attribute to turbulent air on the lee side of station huts coupling with the ground and the seismometer borehole cap. We find some dependence on bedrock type, with a greater seismic response in unconsolidated sediment. These results provide guidance on site selection and construction, and make it possible to forecast seismic network performance under different wind conditions. When we examine the factors at work in a warming climate, we find reason to anticipate increasing seismic noise from wind in the Arctic over the decades to come.

High-altitude characterization of the Hunga pressure wave with cosmic rays by the HAWC observatory

High-energy cosmic rays that hit the Earth can be used to study large-scale atmospheric perturbations. After a first interaction in the upper parts of the atmosphere, cosmic rays produce a shower of particles that sample it down to the detector level. The HAWC (High-Altitude Water Cherenkov) gamma-ray observatory in Central Mexico at 4,100 m elevation detects air shower particles continuously with 300 water Cherenkov detectors with an active area of 12,500 m2. On January 15th, 2022, HAWC detected the passage of the pressure wave created by the explosion of the Hunga volcano in the Tonga islands, 9,000 km away, as an anomaly in the measured rate of shower particles. The HAWC measurements are used to determine the propagation speed of four pressure wave passages, and correlate the variations of the shower particle rates with the barometric pressure changes. The profile of the shower particle rate and atmospheric pressure variations for the first transit of the pressure wave at HAWC is compared to the pressure measurements at the Tonga island, near the volcanic explosion. By using the cosmic-ray propagation in the atmosphere as a probe for the pressure, it is possible to achieve very high time-resolution measurements. Moreover, the high-altitude data from HAWC allows to observe the shape of the pressure anomaly with less perturbations compared to sea level detectors. Given the particular location and the detection method of HAWC, our high-altitude data provides valuable information that contributes to fully characterize this once-in-a-century phenomenon.

Weather and Migraine: Is there a Relationship between Barometric Pressure Change and ED Migraine Visits?

Weather and Migraine: Is there a Relationship between Barometric Pressure Change and ED Migraine Visits?

Small lateral air pressure gradients generated by a large chamber system have a strong effect onCO2transport in soil

AbstractGas transport in soils is usually assumed to be purely diffusive, although several studies have shown that non‐diffusive processes can significantly enhance soil gas transport. These processes include barometric air pressure changes, wind‐induced pressure pumping and static air pressure fields generated by wind interacting with obstacles. The associated pressure gradients in the soil can cause advective gas fluxes that are much larger than diffusive fluxes. However, the contributions of the respective transport processes are difficult to separate. We developed a large chamber system to simulate pressure fields and investigate their influence on soil gas transport. The chamber consists of four subspaces in which pressure is regulated by fans that blow air in or out of the chamber. With this setup, we conducted experiments with oscillating and static pressure fields. CO2concentrations were measured along two soil profiles beneath the chamber. We found a significant relationship between static lateral pressure gradients and the change in the CO2profiles (R2 = 0.53;p‐value <2e‐16). Even small pressure gradients between −1 and 1 Pa relative to ambient pressure resulted in an increase or decrease in CO2concentrations of 8% on average in the upper soil, indicating advective flow of air in the pore space. Positive pressure gradients resulted in decreasing, negative pressure gradients in increasing CO2concentrations. The concentration changes were probably caused by an advective flow field in the soil beneath the chamber generated by the pressure gradients. No effect of oscillating pressure fields was observed in this study. The results indicate that static lateral pressure gradients have a substantial impact on soil gas transport and therefore are an important driver of gas exchange between soil and atmosphere. Lateral pressure gradients in a comparable range can be induced under windy conditions when wind interacts with terrain features. They can also be caused by chambers used for flux measurements at high wind speed or by fans used for head‐space mixing within the chambers, which yields biased flux estimates.

Air Pressure Perturbations in Karst Caves and Waters after the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai Volcano Eruption on 15 January 2022

Microclimatic monitoring (air T, air pressure, CO2, ventilation, humidity, methane, and radon) in selected show caves in Slovenia has been a continuous process for more than 10 years, a process that aims to supervise the use of the caves for tourism in the sense of sustainable environmental management. After the cataclysmic eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcano on 15 January 2022, global propagation of ionospheric disturbances was reported worldwide as barometric pressure changes and seismic noise events. Weather stations in Slovenia reported 2–4 hPa changes in atmospheric pressure 16 h after the eruption at 20:30 CET (19:30 UTC). Changes in atmospheric pressure were also detected at 15 air monitoring sites in 3 different caves (20–120 m below the surface), at 8 water monitoring sites in 4 different caves (1–10 m below the water surface), and on the surface (4 air and 2 water monitoring sites), where we identified a small but significant increase in atmospheric pressure of <1 hPa, with the highest signal at 21:00 CET (20:00 UTC). At some cave monitoring locations, air T fell during this global event induced by a far-field volcanic eruption. Cave CO2, methane, and radon measurements did not show significant changes related to the eruption. This is the first evidence of atmospheric pressure changes due to the HTHH volcano eruption in karst caves and waters.

Several Risk Factors for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

We reviewed current literature on the role of seasonal, meteorological, or circadian factors in ruptured cerebral aneurysms. We found that cerebral aneurysm rupture most frequently occurs in winter and spring, and less frequently in summer. The highest number of ruptured cerebral aneurysms happens in the morning, between 8 am and 12 pm. The data regarding meteorological factors' effect on the risk of cerebral aneurysm rupture are conflicting. However, it should be noted that changes in barometric pressure and falling temperature are associated with the risk of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Barosinusitis due to routine weather changes: A cross-sectional analysis of public websites.

Sinusitis is a common diagnosis that can be erroneously associated with routine weather-related barometric pressure changes. In actuality, these pressure changes likely exacerbate migraine headaches, which can cause facial pain and pressure rather than true sinus inflammation. The present study sought to characterize the representation of both sinusitis and migraine in association with barometric pressure changes across websites on the Internet. An Internet search for relevant terms was conducted, and content of the resulting pages was assessed for associations between weather-related pressure changes and either sinusitis or migraine. Variations in reported results across different subtypes of Internet sources were analyzed. The primary outcomes measured were (1) whether a given media source associated barometric weather changes with sinusitis, (2) whether that source associated barometric weather changes with migraine, and (3) treatment options offered by that source. Of the 116 included webpages, 36 (31.03%) associated sinusitis and routine barometric pressure changes. Of these, 10 (27.77%) were otolaryngology practice sites. Sixty-seven webpages (57.76%) associated migraine and routine barometric pressure changes. Of these, nonotolaryngology webpages were more likely to report this link. Otolaryngology practice sites were observed to be the most frequent professional medical resource reporting the unsubstantiated claim that routine barometric pressure changes are associated with sinusitis. Nonotolaryngology sources were more likely to link weather-related pressure changes to migraine. These results suggest that opportunities exist for otolaryngology practice sites to educate patients about nonrhinogenic headache etiologies.

Influence of Environmental Variables on Catch of Walleye Broodfish for Propagation Efforts

AbstractWalleye Stizostedion vitreum support recreational fisheries throughout their range but increasingly require annual stockings to maintain populations. In many areas of their distribution, Walleye broodfish are collected annually and manually spawned onsite before fertilized eggs are transported to fish culture facilities for rearing. As such, efficiency of these programs is reliant on effective capture of broodfish. Generalized additive models were used to explain the influence of eight environmental factors on catch per effort (CPE) of ripe female Walleye and male Walleye during brood collection events from Hillsdale Reservoir, Kansas, using data from 2009 to 2021 (excluding 2020). The ripe female model explained 63% of the deviance in CPE and identified the day of year, water temperature, moon illumination, previous autumn CPE of preferred‐length fish (CPEp), and previous autumn proportional size distribution of preferred‐length fish (PSDp) as influential variables. The male model explained 64% of the deviance in CPE and identified the day of year, change in barometric pressure from the previous day, water temperature, and previous autumn proportional size distribution of quality‐length fish PSDq as influential variables. These findings provide useful information regarding collection of Walleye broodfish and can be leveraged to increase efficiency of future operations range‐wide.

Energy-efficient smart solar system cooling for real-time dynamic weather changes in mild-climate regions

With changes in climatic conditions, the performance of photovoltaic power plant installations fluctuates, mainly due to excessive heat. The question of their efficient cooling comes to the fore, especially direct cooling, either by cooling media or air. Here, it is proven that the active cooling of photovoltaic panels leads to an increase in the performance, but the overall costs may exceed the benefits (especially for smaller/household installations). Moreover, in conventional approaches, increasing efficiency does not take into account sudden weather changes in the areas that have long been considered stable, such as the temperate climate zone. The proposed solution addresses the maximum number of parameters that can affect the cooling efficiency and introduces effortless rapid decision making system to ensure whether the conditions for active smart cooling are met or not. Parameters such as the amount of cooling medium (rainwater), its temperature, flow control, panel temperature, and the current prediction of local weather conditions based on the rapid changes in barometric pressure are monitored and then used for intelligent automation. By implementing efficient cooling system control that has to evaluate series of input parameters in real-time it was experimentally verified that the performance of photovoltaic panel installation using the spray cooling control system achieves average performance improvement of 14%.

Barometric pressure variation alters electrical resistivity during water infiltration in the vadose zone

To reveal the mechanism of the water–gas two-phase repulsion during water infiltration and its barometric pressure change and resistivity response in the vadose zone while it provides the basic theory for water resources evaluation and groundwater pollution, also provides technical support for the accurate interpretation of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) application. Therefore, a research system based on laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and ERT was established to determine the moisture transport pattern and the quantitative relationships between barometric pressure and resistivity. The results show that the intensity of the water infiltration process in the vadose zone meets the percolation theory. The barometric pressure will go through three stages when the infiltration intensity is higher than the critical value. The critical time of the barometric pressure variation shortens gradually with the infiltration intensity and medium permeability increase. In contrast, the maximum barometric pressure increases gradually with the rise in infiltration intensity and medium porosity. The layered-heterogeneous structure's effect depends on the underlying medium's properties. The trivial variation of resistivity responds to the barometric pressure variation. The quantitative relationship between the resistivity and the barometric pressure in the vadose zone is established by the difference between the measured value and the calculated value by improving Archie's formula. The resistivity reduction due to increasing barometric pressure can account for over 10.9% of the moisture effect. These insights provide technical support for ERT applications to eliminate barometric pressure's effect on resistivity and accurately identify the target medium.

Mobile Measurements of Atmospheric Methane at Eight Large Landfills: An Assessment of Temporal and Spatial Variability

Municipal solid waste landfills are major contributors to anthropogenic emissions of methane (CH4), which is the major component of natural gas, a potent greenhouse gas, and a precursor for the formation of tropospheric ozone. The development of sensitive, selective, and fast-response instrumentation allows the deployment of mobile measurement platforms for CH4 measurements at landfills. The objectives of this study are to use mobile monitoring to measure ambient levels of CH4 at eight large operating landfills in southeast Michigan, USA; to characterize diurnal, daily and spatial variation in CH4 levels; and to demonstrate the influence of meteorological factors. Elevated CH4 levels were typically found along the downwind side or corner of the landfill. Levels peaked in the morning, reaching 38 ppm, and dropped to near-baseline levels during midday. Repeat visits showed that concentrations were highly variable. Some variation was attributable to the landfill size, but both mechanistically-based dilution-type models and multivariate models identified that wind speed, boundary layer height, barometric pressure changes, and landfill temperature were key determinants of CH4 levels. Collectively, these four factors explained most (r2 = 0.89) of the variation in the maximum CH4 levels at the landfill visited most frequently. The study demonstrates the ability to assess spatial and temporal variation in CH4 levels at landfills using mobile monitoring along perimeter roads. Such monitoring can identify the location of leaks and the best locations for long-term emission monitoring using fixed site monitors.

Non-Iatrogenic Cerebral Air Embolism: A Case Report of an Extremely Rare Cause of Ischemic Stroke (P6-5.031)

<h3>Objective:</h3> NA <h3>Background:</h3> Air embolism is an uncommon but potentially catastrophic event due to air entry into the vasculature resulting in ischemic strokes. Cerebral air embolism (CAE) can be a complication of medical procedures, although non-iatrogenic sources have rarely been reported. Nonetheless, it is a life-threatening emergency with high mortality and disability. We present a patient with an acute infarct due to a CAE during air travel. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> NA <h3>Results:</h3> <h3>Case Report:</h3> A 67-year-old woman presents with two episodes of impaired consciousness during flights while in Europe. Both happened shortly after ascent. Her symptoms quickly resolved after an emergent landing on her first trip. During the second trip, however, symptoms recurred, and she remained unconscious. She was evaluated at a local hospital where a head computed tomography (CT) showed multiple cortical air locules, predominantly in the right hemisphere, consistent with cerebral air embolism. CT chest revealed a large left bulla with surrounding neovascularization, likely the cause of the embolism. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain confirmed numerous subacute infarcts across multiple vascular territories and diffuse white matter signal abnormality, consistent with the sequela of cerebral air embolism. She was transported to the US by sea for further management at a tertiary hospital, where she had successful resection of left lung bulla. She was subsequently discharged home with very mild left ataxia. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Non-iatrogenic CAE is an extremely rare cause of ischemic stroke. Previously described cases relate to barometric pressure changes: during diving and ascent. We describe a patient presenting with CAE secondary to pulmonary shunt from a large lung bulla under barometric pressure changes during aircraft ascent. While literature suggests CAE as a life-threatening emergency with poor prognosis, this patient had an excellent outcome after surgical resection of the lung bulla, indicating possibly different outcomes between non-iatrogenic vs. iatrogenic CAE. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Su has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pandya has nothing to disclose. Dr. Reyes has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shastry has nothing to disclose. Dr. Varade has nothing to disclose.

Changes in Tidal and Barometric Response of Groundwater during Earthquakes—A Review with Recommendations for Better Management of Groundwater Resources

The effects of earthquakes on groundwater and aquifer properties can be quantified and monitored using water-level changes produced by tides and barometric pressure. Tidal and barometric responses are particularly useful in evaluating the impacts of unexpected events, such as earthquakes, because the signals are continuously generated and recorded over large areas of the Earth’s surface. The techniques for the extraction of tidal and barometric signals from the water-level time series are described in many excellent papers, here, we focus on reviewing the hydrogeologic interpretations of, and earthquake impacts on, these responses. We review how hydrogeology and earthquakes impact the groundwater response to Earth tides, and changes in barometric pressure and barometric tides. Next, we review the current understanding of the mechanisms responsible for earthquake-induced changes in aquifer confinement and permeability. We conclude with a summary of open questions and topics for future research, notably the value in long-term monitoring and analysis of the earthquake response at multiple tidal and barometric frequencies.

Radon concentrations in the Sudwala cave, South Africa

There has been a growing interest in the effect of radon gas on humans visiting caves. A radon survey was consequently done in the Sudwala tourist cave close to Nelspruit in the eastern part of South Africa to determine the radon exposure of tourists and guides. The Sudwala cave, which evolved in karst geology, is a popular tourist destination. Twenty-eight electret ion chambers were placed in various locations throughout the cave for a period of 24 h. Radon concentrations varied between a minimum of 255 Bq/m3 and a maximum of 1822 Bq/m3 with a geometric mean of 750 Bq/m3. The radon levels were found to be relatively stable up to 600 m from the entrance, after which they sharply increased. This suggests that different processes disperse radon in the initial and deeper parts of the cave. It was concluded that this is the result of natural cave ventilation which is caused by changes in ambient barometric pressure. Despite the measured level being higher than the World Health Organization (WHO)’s mitigation level of 200 Bq/m3, the occupational exposure is quite low due to the frequency and duration of a typical cave tour and therefore poses no risk to the tourists and tour guides.

Variation in Temperature, Change in Barometric Pressure, and Salinity Explain Trends in the Acoustic Backscatter of Fishes Within a Large Ship Channel Inlet in the Gulf of Mexico

Variation in Temperature, Change in Barometric Pressure, and Salinity Explain Trends in the Acoustic Backscatter of Fishes Within a Large Ship Channel Inlet in the Gulf of Mexico