Extreme Low Temperature Research Articles

Can Arctic Sea Ice Influence the Extremely Cold Days and Nights in Winter over the Tibetan Plateau?

The Arctic, Antarctic, and Tibetan Plateau (TP) are the northernmost, the southernmost, and the highest places of the Earth, respectively, known as Earth’s “three poles”. The Arctic and TP are the “North Pole” and “Third Pole”, and they exert a significant influence on the regional and global climate. This study analyzed the changing characteristics of Arctic sea ice and explored relationships between extreme cold days on the TP and sea ice concentration in the Arctic. From 1979 to 2019, the sea ice concentration of August–October decreased significantly. The low concentration of sea ice leads to a warmer Arctic and causes cold air over the Arctic to be unstable and more likely to move into the southern. Over the TP, the frequent cold air activities lead to more extreme cold events. This article aims to investigate the response characteristics of atmospheric circulation via the NCAR–CAM5.1 model (National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Atmosphere Model, Version 5.1). In order to verify the mechanism of Arctic sea ice concentration impacts on the extreme low temperature of the TP, we designed three experimental plans with different sea ice concentrations and sea surface temperatures (SST). In the two sensitivity experiments, the decrease in sea ice concentration and the increase in SST from August to October in the key areas are amplified simultaneously. The simulation results show that the increases in atmosphere thickness of 950–500 hPa in the Arctic from November to the following February reduce the meridional thickness-gradients between the Arctic and the middle latitudes. The westerly flow in middle–high latitudes weakened. As a result, the polar vortex over the Arctic is more likely to move south. There are negative geopotential height anomalies at 500 hPa over the Arctic and TP and positive anomalies over Eurasia. The anticyclonic system at 500 hPa slightly strengthens in the high latitudes of Eurasia (northerly winds in the TP). Strongly negative anomalies of temperature in the northern parts of the TP generate the cold source. To the north of the TP, the strengthened meridional propagation in middle–high latitudes causes more cold extremes.

Tibetan Plateau Temperature Extreme Changes and Their Elevation Dependency From Ground‐Based Observations

AbstractTemperature extremes have widespread implications for maintenance of the solid water reservoir on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), but their changing spatiotemporal patterns and elevation dependence have not been well understood. Using observations at 124 stations, this study shows that the TP as a whole has experienced increasing intensities/frequencies of warm extremes (0.37°C decade−1/2.4% decade−1) and decreasing intensities/frequencies of cold extremes (0.59°C decade−1/2.4% decade−1) during 1973–2018, and that these changes strengthen as regional mean warming intensifies. Unlike extreme high temperature, trends in extreme low temperature depend strongly on elevation, and the temporal evolution of such elevation‐dependency is dominated by rapid snow decline in high altitudes caused by regional mean warming. The stronger regional mean warming, the more significant elevation dependency of trends in extreme low temperatures. These results indicate that TP extreme temperature changes, especially at higher elevations, will become more significant in a warmer future, which has important implications for the ecosystems dependent on high‐elevation water resources.

Health risk of extreme low temperature on respiratory diseases in western China.

Previous studies have reported that daily average temperature is connected with respiratory diseases (RD), but proof is limited for the influence of the extreme low temperature on RD in Lanzhou, a northwestern China of temperate area. Generalized additive model (GAM) was built in this work to describe the relationship between daily mean temperature and RD in Lanzhou, China from 2012 to 2017. The results indicated that the exposure-response curve was inverse J-shaped, showing the lower the temperature, the larger the relative risk (RR). The RR of daily emergency room (ER) admissions in P5 extreme low temperature (the temperature below the fifth percentile, etc.) was larger than that in P10. The P5 extreme low temperature has the strongest effect at lag 0, and the RRs were 1.043 (95% CI: 1.030, 1.055) for the total, 1.031 (95% CI: 1.015, 1.046) for males and 1.058 (95% CI: 1.039, 1.077) for females. For different age groups, the largest RRs were 1.026 (95% CI: 1.013, 1.039) for the children (age < 16years) at lag 5, 1.057 (95% CI: 1.030, 1.085) for the young adults (aged 16-45years), 1.060 (95% CI: 1.023, 1.099) for the middle-aged (aged 46-60years) and 1.121 (95% CI: 1.077, 1.166) for the elderly group of age > 60years. Meanwhile, females and the elderly were more vulnerable to extreme temperature. The results could strengthen the scientific evidence of effects of extreme low temperature on RD in temperate areas.

Temperature Field of Concrete Cured in Winter Conditions Using Thermal Control Measures

In order to obtain the construction technology of concrete construction at extreme low temperature and ensure the construction quality of concrete in winter, this study investigated the temperature field and compressive performance of concrete specimens cured in the laboratory at a temperature of −10°C using different thermal control measures. A finite element model of the observed temperature field was then established and shown to be in good agreement with the test results. This model was applied to analyse the factors influencing thermally controlled low-temperature concrete curing in winter. The results showed that concrete cast at −10°C using rock wool insulation covering and heated formwork for thermal control met the relevant performance requirements. Finally, the proposed temperature field model and thermal control measures were successfully applied to the construction of a concrete box girder in winter conditions.

The long-term (142 years) spatiotemporal reconstruction and synoptic analysis of extreme low temperatures (− 15 °C or lower) in the northwest region of Iran

The long-term (142 years) spatiotemporal reconstruction and synoptic analysis of extreme low temperatures (− 15 °C or lower) in the northwest region of Iran

Comparison of lunar and Martian regolith simulant-based geopolymer cements formed by alkali-activation for in-situ resource utilization

Future human space exploration and habitation on the lunar and Martian surfaces necessitates in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for the development of construction materials tailored for infrastructure and environmental protection. Here we explore the use of lunar and Martian regoliths to create construction materials with properties suitable for such structures as landing pads. Alkali activation of a spectrum of lunar and Martian regolith simulants generates geopolymer binders under ambient and vacuum curing conditions as well as exposure to extreme high and low temperatures (600 and −80 °C). Compressive strength is reduced for binders prepared from each simulant after curing under vacuum and exposure to sub-zero temperatures. In lunar simulant binders, the compressive strength is increased after heating to 600 °C, but the opposite effect is observed in the Martian simulant binder. Amorphous aluminosilicate content and percentage of small particles in the simulants are hypothesized to have a positive impact on compressive strength under ambient curing. Iron and magnesium content may be responsible for decreased compressive strength of the Martian binder after heating. This study offers a robust framework for comparing performance of different simulants under the same curing protocols and environmental exposures, as well as offering insight as to the effects of vacuum curing, and exposure to high and low temperature environments on cured binder samples. Developing a landing pad by transporting activator to the lunar surface is shown to be conceptually feasible within current payload constraints.

Establishing Seeded Tall Fescue with Covers and Drip Irrigation Methods

The use of covers may improve establishment of seeded turfgrass but their use in combination with drip irrigation techniques has not been evaluated. We investigated the effects of two cover types and three irrigation methods on establishment of seeded tall fescue turfgrass. For spring seeding of tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.], turf establishment was successful with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and aboveground drip irrigation (AGD) in fine textured soil in the transition zone. With SDI, AGD, or sprinkler irrigation, both polyester mesh (Poly) and straw blanket (Straw) covers improved turf establishment in the order of Poly > Straw > No Cover, but turf establishment in Poly and Straw became similar over time. Soil surface temperature averaged higher in Poly (14°C [57°F]) than Straw (9.5°C [49°F]) and No Cover (8.6°C [47.5°F]) during the first 12 days after seeding when covers were installed. Results indicate that covers improved spring establishment of seeded, cool-season turfgrass in a fine-textured soil and in a US transition zone climate by mitigating low temperature extremes and reducing erosion during rainfall. Establishment was similar between drip (SDI and AGD) and sprinkler irrigation, but the use of protective covers is recommended when establishing turfgrass from seed.

Exploring the possible origin of the spin reorientation transition in NdCrO3

Spin reorientation transitions and other related magnetic phenomena, which owe their origin to the complex interplay between multiple magnetic sublattices, have long attracted scientific attention both from the perspective of fundamental curiosity and technological applications. In this study, combining first principles calculations together with finite temperature Monte Carlo simulations, we explore the possible origins of reorientation transition of Cr spins in ${\mathrm{NdCrO}}_{3}$. We construct a ${\mathrm{NdCrO}}_{3}$ specific magnetic model, consisting of symmetric superexchange interactions between magnetic ions, as well as their magnetic anisotropy. We show that the observed spin reorientation in ${\mathrm{NdCrO}}_{3}$ arises out of a delicate balance between $\mathrm{Nd}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Cr}$ magnetic exchange interactions, single ion anisotropy of Nd spins, and single ion anisotropy of Cr spins. Moreover, though our model does not take into consideration the effect of antisymmetric and anisotropic-symmetric magnetic exchanges, the qualitative as well as quantitative agreement of the theoretically derived and the experimentally observed spin-reorientation transition in ${\mathrm{NdCrO}}_{3}$ confirms the merit of our proposed microscopic model. Our results also propose a hitherto unobserved collective magnetic ordering in the Nd sublattice, which is challenging to detect as it is an extreme low temperature phenomena, which therefore calls for further investigations.

Establishing seeded tall fescue with covers and drip irrigation methods

AbstractThe use of covers may improve the establishment of seeded turfgrass but their use in combination with drip irrigation techniques has not been evaluated. In this study, repeated twice in the spring of 2020 near Manhattan, KS, we investigated the effects of two cover types and three irrigation methods on the establishment of seeded tall fescue turfgrass [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.]. Turfgrass cover types included (a) polyester mesh, (b) a straw blanket, and (c) no cover as a control. Irrigation treatments were (a) subsurface drip irrigation, (b) aboveground drip irrigation, and (c) overhead sprinkler irrigation (control). Measurements of green cover, ground and drone‐based normalized difference vegetation indices, and visual turfgrass quality ratings indicated that establishment was improved with both cover types compared with uncovered plots, in the order polyester &gt; straw &gt; uncovered in both trials, but polyester and straw became similar over time. The soil surface temperature averaged higher in polyester (14 °C) than in straw (9.5 °C) and uncovered (8.6 °C) plots during the first 12 d after seeding when the covers were installed. The results indicate that covers improved the spring establishment of seeded, cool‐season turfgrass in a fine‐textured soil and in a U.S. transition zone climate by mitigating low temperature extremes and reducing erosion during rainfall. Establishment was similar between drip (subsurface and aboveground) and sprinkler‐irrigated treatments, but the use of protective covers is recommended when establishing turfgrass from seed.

Sequential Oxidation Strategy for the Fabrication of Liquid Metal Electrothermal Thin Film with Desired Printing and Functional Property.

Room temperature liquid metal (LM) showcases a great promise in the fields of flexible functional thin film due to its favorable characteristics of flexibility, inherent conductivity, and printability. Current fabrication strategies of liquid metal film are substrate structure specific and sustain from unanticipated smearing effects. Herein, this paper reported a facile fabrication of liquid metal composite film via sequentially regulating oxidation to change the adhesion characteristics, targeting the ability of electrical connection and electrothermal conversion. The composite film was then made of the electrically resistive layer (oxidizing liquid metal) and the insulating Polyimide film (PI film) substrate, which has the advantages of electrical insulation and ultra-wide temperature working range, and its thickness is only 50 μm. The electrical resistance of composite film can maintain constant for 6 h and could work normally. Additionally, the heating film exhibited excellent thermal switching characteristics that can reach temperature equilibrium within 100 s, and recovery to ambient temperature within 50 s. The maximum working temperature of the as-prepared film is 115 °C, which is consistent with the result of the theoretical calculation, demonstrating a good electrothermal conversion capability. Finally, the heating application under extreme low temperature (−196 °C) was achieved. This conceptual study showed the promising value of the prototype strategy to the specific application areas such as the field of smart homes, flexible electronics, wearable thermal management, and high-performance heating systems.

Low ambient temperature as a novel risk factor of oral diseases: A time-series study

BackgroundThe seasonal variation of oral diseases has been observed in life, but the influences of oral diseases associated with non-optimal ambient temperature were unknown. ObjectiveTo examine whether non-optimum ambient temperature is associated with increased risks of oral diseases. MethodsWe conducted a time series study based on outpatient data from the Shanghai Health Information Center, containing all public hospitals in Shanghai from 2016 to 2019. Generalized additive models with distributed lagged nonlinear models were applied to fit the data. ResultA total of 3,882,636 outpatient cases of oral diseases were collected. Low temperature (<7 °C) posed increased risks for oral diseases. Daily temperature above 7 °C had no effect on oral diseases. The excess risks were present on the lag 1 day and lasted till lag 7 day. Relative to referent temperatures, the cumulative risks of total oral diseases, pulpitis, periodontitis, gum pain, stomatitis, and glossitis at extreme low temperature (−3 °C, 1st percentile) over lag 0–7 day were 1.92 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.40, 2.63), 2.40 (95% CI: 1.78, 3.25), 1.62 (95% CI: 1.15, 2.29), 1.75 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.83), 1.81 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.53), and 2.22 (95% CI: 1.23, 3.99). These associations were larger in patients who were above age 60. ConclusionThis study provided novel epidemiological evidence that low ambient temperature may increase the risks of oral diseases. The temperature thresholds for eight oral diseases range from 3 to 7 °C. The excess risks could last for 7 days and were larger in older patients.

An open hardware 3-D printed device for measuring tensile properties of thermoplastic filament polymers at cryogenic temperatures

With the emerging recognition of open scientific hardware, rapid prototyping technology such as three-dimensional (3-D) printing is becoming widely available for fields such as cryobiology, and cryopreservation, where material selection for instruments and hardware has traditionally been problematic due to extreme low temperatures. A better understanding of the mechanical properties of 3-D printing thermoplastics at cryogenic temperatures is essential to material selection, part design, and printing optimization. The goal of the present study was to explore the feasibility of development for a 3-D printed device (‘CryoTensileDevice’) to hold a test specimen in liquid nitrogen and be mounted in standard mechanical testing systems to evaluate 3-D printing material behaviors at cryogenic temperatures. The CryoTensileDevice was prototyped with flexible filaments with a per-unit material cost of <US$5 and a printing time of <5 h. The commonly used printing filament polylactic acid (PLA) was selected to evaluate the utility of the CryoTensileDevice. At room temperature, the CryoTensileDevice did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect PLA tensile measurements such as Young’s modulus, yield stress, yield strain, stress at break, or strain at break. With the CryoTensileDevice, specimens 3-D printed with PLA at 50%, 75%, and 100% infill rates had comparable tensile properties when tested at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. The PLA showed superior performance in tensile properties in comparison to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). This device can assist characterization of 3-D printing approaches for cryogenic work, and opens a pathway for future innovations to create a variety of 3-D printed devices to study a wide range of material properties for cryogenic applications.

3D Printable, ultra-stretchable, Self-healable, and self-adhesive dual cross-linked nanocomposite ionogels as ultra-durable strain sensors for motion detection and wearable human-machine interface

Stretchable and transparent ionic conductive gels are considered as promising wearable strain sensors for motion detection and human–machine interface. However, it is a challenge to develop efficient and convenient method to fabricate high-precision, self-healable, highly stretchable and temperature tolerant ionogels, particularly can work in extreme environments. Herein, a novel 3D printable nanocomposite chemical ionogel has been fabricated by one-step photopolymerization, which POSS nanodots as multifunctional chemical crosslinking points and PAA hydrogen bonds as reversible physical crosslinking points. The special dual cross-linking structures endow it record-ultrahigh stretchability (≈7000%), high conductivity, self-healability, self-adhesiveness, and superior wide tolerant temperatures (-78–235 °C). The nanocomposite ionogels based strain sensors show widely sensing range (1%-1200%), excellent durability (10000 cycles), extreme low (-60 °C) and high (150 °C) working temperatures, and can be assembled as wearable sensors for detecting various human motions. More importantly, these ionogels can also be applied for the wearable human–machine interface which can recognize and distinguish the human gestures and can also control the mechanical hand, particularly can work normally from −60 to 150 °C. Therefore, our superior multifunctional ultra-stretchable nanocomposite ionogel design creates a new concept for development of 3D printing intelligent electronics and artificial intelligence, especially for applications in extreme environments.

Cryogenic formability of a solution-treated aluminum alloy sheet at low temperatures

• A newly-designed digital image correlation (DIC) testing device at cryogenic temperatures was developed. • The cryogenic FLDs and FLSDs of the solution-treated Al-Cu-Mn alloy sheet were experimentally obtained. • The cryogenic FLD and FLSD ductile fracture models were determined to predict the drawing limits of the Al-Cu-Mn alloy sheet. In this paper, the analysis of the necking and limit strains of a solution-treated aluminum alloy sheet at extreme low temperatures is performed using a newly-designed test apparatus equipped with the digital image correlation (DIC) device. The forming limit diagram (FLD) and forming limit stress diagram (FLSD) ductile fracture models were used to predict the drawing limit and fracture resistance capacity of an Al-Cu-Mn alloy sheet under complex stress at room temperature (RT) and -160 °C. It was found that the FLD 0 value at -196 °C increased to 0.32 as compared to 0.23 at RT. The Al-Cu-Mn alloy sheets at -160 °C and -196 °C were found to have significantly higher limit strains than those at RT. The drawing height and limit major strain at the round corner of the cryogenic deep-drawn cups were found to be increased by 21.3 % and 9.7 %, respectively, as compared to those at RT. Moreover, a larger necking amount and higher fracture resistance of the Al-Cu-Mn alloy sheet could be achieved during cryogenic deformations. The obtained cryogenic FLDs and FLSDs can be used to accurately predict the damage evolution and failure occurrence for the forming of complex-shaped aluminum alloy components at low temperatures.

Flexible Zinc-Air Battery with High Energy Efficiency and Freezing Tolerance Enabled by DMSO-Based Organohydrogel Electrolyte.

With the emergence of various flexible electronics, the flexible zinc-air battery (ZAB) is considered a promising energy source with low cost, high energy density, and safety. However, gel electrolytes that improve the freezing tolerance and energy efficiency of ZABs are rarely explored. Herein, an organohydrogel electrolyte (OHE) is fabricated by soaking poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid)/polyacrylamide (PAMPS/PAAm) double-network hydrogel in aqueous KOH electrolyte with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) additive. The prepared OHE exhibits high mechanical strength and excellent ionic conductivity. In addition, the introduction of DMSO effectively improves freezing tolerance and electrochemical performance especially in energy efficiency of ZABs due to that DMSO can break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules and alter the path of the conventional oxygen evolution reaction in ZAB simultaneously. Compared with the control hydrogel electrolyte, the optimized OHE enables flexible ZABs to not only exhibit an exceptionally low charge voltage of 1.63V, high energy efficiency of 74.2%, and long cycling life of 177 cycles, but also to operate with an excellent specific capacity of 562mAhg-1 and energy density of 523.4Whkg-1 at -40 °C. Moreover, the obtained flexible ZABs keep a stable output under deformations and extreme low temperature, manifesting a great potential for functional wearable devices.

Inconsistent variation of return periods of temperature extremum in China and its projection based on CMIP6 results

Increasingly extreme temperature events under global warming can have considerable impacts on sectors such as industrial activities, health, and transportation, suggesting that risk for these kinds of events under climate change and its regional sensitivity should be reassessed. In this study, the observation and multi-model simulations from CMIP6 are comprehensively used to explore the regional differences of the extreme temperature response to climate change from the perspective of return period (RP). The Gumbel model of generalized extremum distribution is applied to estimate the RP for the annual extremum of temperature based on Gaussian distribution of daily temperature. The analysis on the observation in selected three sites indicates that the regional inconsistency of RP variation is not only existed in extreme high temperature (HTx) but also in low temperature (LTn) during the past several decades. The annual amplitude of temperature extremum in the Northeast China is enlarged with summer becoming hotter and winter becoming colder while the opposite situation is detected in Huang-Huai River Basin with cooler summer and relatively stable winter, and South China is characterized by hotter summer and slight warmer winter. From the spatial distribution of the HTx and LTn variations of fix RP, it is found that the Northeast China and Jiang-Huai River Basin is the most sensitive areas, respectively, in the response of extreme low temperature and high temperature to global warming. However, the regional inconsistency of the extreme temperature change is only observed under SSP1-2.6 scenario in the CMIP6 simulation but gradually disappeared from SSP2-4.5 to SSP5-8.5.

Exploring thermomechanical functionality of CuAlMn as an extreme low temperature shape memory alloy

Solid state actuation characteristics of CuAlMn shape memory alloys (SMAs) are reported at extreme low temperatures (<-100 °C). The effects of composition on the martensitic transformation (MT) characteristics are demonstrated at low temperatures (below −200 °C). The thermomechanical experiments revealed that the alloys exhibited 2.9% actuation strain under 250 MPa at subzero temperatures. CuAlMn SMAs with different Mn concentrations displayed 2% superelasticity at temperatures lower than −100 °C. The results illustrate that CuAlMn SMAs are promising candidates for cryogenic actuation and superelastic applications. The results are significant because none of the well-known NiTi SMAs demonstrate reversible thermally-induced MT below −60 °C. These findings are important for enabling solid state actuation in space and subsea environments.

Comparative Study on Life of High-speed Bearings at Ultimate Low Temperature

Aiming to improve the working life of high-speed rail bearings, this paper puts forward a comparative study on different types of high-speed rail bearings at extreme low temperature. The model of bearing life is established. In the whole test process, it is found that the change trends of bearing temperature, environment temperature and torque are basically the same. In the equilibrium temperature relationship between SKF and ZH bearings, the temperature divergence of SKF bearings finally appears. In the ZH bearings, bearing 4 appears irregular sharp drop at the end. However, the temperature changes of the two brands of bearings are between-150 &#8451; and -170 &#8451;. And the friction coefficient is proportional to the ratio of torque. In the comparison of grinding amount, the wear amount of ZH bearings is far lower than that of SKF bearings, with a difference of about 0.5 mm. This shows that the production process and surface treatment methods of the two types bearing are completely different.

Biotechnology under extreme conditions: Lichens after extreme UVB radiation and extreme temperatures produce large amounts of hydrogen

The present study demonstrates biotechnological applications of the lichen Pleurosticta acetabulum, specifically the production of large amounts of hydrogen even after the lichen exposure to extreme conditions such as a) extreme UVB radiation (1.7 mW/cm2 = 1000 J m−2 min−1) over different time periods (4, 20 & 70 h) and b) combined exposure of the lichen to high intensity UVB radiation and extreme low (−196 °C) or extreme high temperatures (+70 °C). The results highlight that the extremophilic and polyextremophilic behavior of lichens both in dehydrated and in regenerated form, under extreme conditions not necessarily recorded on earth, is compatible with their biotechnological uses. The lichen viability was measured using fluorescence induction techniques (OJIP-test), which record changes in the molecular structure and function of the photosynthetic mechanism, while its ability to produce molecular hydrogen was measured through thermal conductivity gas chromatography (GC-TCD) analysis. Hydrogen is a promising fuel for the future. The exciting result of a lichen micro-ecosystem is its ability to expel its moisture and remain in an inactive state, protecting itself from extreme conditions and maintaining its ability to high yield hydrogen production in a closed system, with the sole addition of water and without the need for additional energy. Our results expand the potential use of lichens for future biotechnological applications in extreme Earth environments, but also in environments on other planets, such as Mars, thus paving the way for astrobiotechnological applications.

The microeconomic effects of temperature changes

This paper uses financial data from listed Chinese manufacturing companies, combined with meteorological data, to estimate the microeconomic effects of temperature changes. By constructing seasonal average temperatures, we find that average summer temperatures significantly reduce the financial performance, while average winter, spring, and autumn temperatures do not have a significant effect on the corporate financial performance. We further find that the effect of temperature changes on corporate financial performance is nonlinear through temperature bins variables. Both extreme low temperatures (<-12 °C) and high temperatures (>27 °C) have a negative impact on corporate financial performance. The mechanism tests find that high temperatures not only reduce the labor productivity of firms, but also increase the corporate adaptation actions, leading to increased adaptation costs, crowding out productive funds and causing a capital mismatch. Further heterogeneity analysis confirms that the magnitude of the negative effect of temperature changes is limited by the enterprise nature and the region in which the firm is located. The financial performance of state-owned enterprises, firms in the south and developed regions are more vulnerable to high temperatures. This study provides a policy basis for mitigating the negative effects of temperature changes and provides new empirical evidence for climate governance.