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U.S. Research Team Tracks Main Drivers of Global Methane Rise Using Stable Isotope Analysis

A research team from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Monitoring Laboratory and the University of Colorado has recently traced the sources of the rapid rise in global atmospheric methane since 2007 through high-precision methane concentration measurements and carbon and hydrogen stable isotope analysis. The findings show that over the past two decades, microbial emissions have been the primary factor driving the increase in methane concentrations, while fossil fuel-related methane emissions may have remained relatively stable overall. A methane molecule consists of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms, and methane from different sources differs in its carbon and hydrogen isotope composition. Researchers used this chemical fingerprint to distinguish methane sources: fossil fuel methane such as natural gas typically contains a relatively higher proportion of carbon-13, while methane produced by microbial processes in wetlands, landfills, livestock, and agricultural environments has a lower carbon-13 proportion, exhibiting a "lighter" isotopic signature. The proportion of deuterium in hydrogen isotopes also varies with the way methane is formed, providing a further basis for source identification.

2026-07-31

U.S. Confirms Order for Nine Virginia-Class Block VI Nuclear Submarines

The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that it has signed a contract modification agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat to order nine Virginia-class Block VI multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarines. The statement said the contract is an incentive-based modification, and the submarines will be used by the U.S. Navy. Despite delays in General Dynamics' previous orders, both parties have moved forward with this new contract. On July 15, U.S. President Donald Trump had asked the company's management to accelerate the construction progress of U.S. Navy submarines. In addition to the Virginia-class submarines, the U.S. Department of Defense has also ordered five Columbia-class Type II ballistic missile nuclear submarines from Newport News Shipbuilding. Under the contract arrangement, related work is expected to be completed before July 2038...

2026-07-31

U.S. Brookhaven National Laboratory Achieves Milestones in High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider Upgrade

On July 29, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN concluded its recent run and entered a four-year shutdown for maintenance. During this shutdown, some LHC components will be dismantled and rebuilt for the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi LHC) upgrade project. The U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory has recently achieved important production milestones in both accelerator and detector-related work. The LHC helps scientists study the fundamental structure of matter by accelerating and colliding two beams of protons traveling in opposite directions in a nearly 17-mile circular ring. The core goal of the HiLumi LHC upgrade is to significantly increase the number of particle collisions per unit time, i.e., enhance "luminosity," thereby increasing the chance of recording rare interactions.

2026-07-30

TerraPower Isotopes to Donate Actinium-225 via Oncidium Foundation to Support Cancer Treatment Accessibility

TerraPower Isotopes (TPI), a subsidiary of U.S. nuclear innovation company TerraPower, announced on July 29 that it will coordinate the donation of the rare medical isotope actinium-225 (Ac-225) through the Oncidium Foundation to support economically disadvantaged cancer patients in accessing targeted radionuclide therapy. The Oncidium Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting global access to targeted radionuclide cancer treatments. Its RLT-Connect program aims to help financially challenged patients access relevant therapies, reducing treatment disparities caused by geographic and economic conditions. This donation also marks TPI's entry into Oncidium's collaborative ecosystem of radioisotope suppliers, medical practitioners...

2026-07-30

SuperCritical Obtains Exclusive License for Uranium Extraction from Seawater Technology, Plans Industrial Deployment in the United States

SuperCritical Materials Corp., a U.S. developer of nuclear fuel and critical materials infrastructure, announced on July 24 that it has obtained an exclusive license from Battelle Memorial Institute for a patented uranium adsorbent technology used to extract uranium from seawater. The technology was originally developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and its research partners. Battelle Memorial Institute currently manages eight national laboratories for the U.S. federal government. SuperCritical stated that the technology has been verified to extract uranium from seawater...

2026-07-30

Indiana University Team Participates in Large Hadron Collider Detector Upgrade

On July 28, 2026, physicists from Indiana University are participating in an international scientific collaboration to install new particle detector components at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, located near Geneva, Switzerland, to enhance scientists' ability to study the fundamental building blocks of the universe. The Large Hadron Collider is currently the world's largest particle accelerator, which helps researchers explore the structure of matter and fundamental interactions by colliding protons at near-light speeds and analyzing the particles produced in the collisions. Indiana University is a member of the ATLAS experiment collaboration, which comprises approximately 245 institutions from over 40 countries, with thousands of scientists...

2026-07-29

Amentum Awarded $85 Million Contract to Provide Design Engineering Support for U.S. Navy Nuclear Infrastructure

On July 23, Amentum announced it had secured a three-year, $85 million contract to provide design and modernization support for infrastructure associated with the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program.Under the contract, Amentum will assist in

2026-07-27

The U.S. Department of Energy conditionally allocates HALEU fuel to NASA and Radiant.

On July 23, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a conditional commitment to provide High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to NASA and Radiant Industries to meet near-term fuel needs. This marks the third round of HALEU allocations; the materia

2026-07-27

US-based Lance uranium project withdraws 2026 production guidance; 2027 target remains unchanged.

Peninsula Energy has announced the withdrawal of its 2026 production guidance for the Lance uranium project in Wyoming, USA, while reaffirming its 2027 production target of 500,000 to 600,000 pounds of U3O8 (equivalent to 192–231 tonnes of urani

2026-07-27

Saudi Arabia confirms signing nuclear energy cooperation agreement with the United States

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Energy issued a statement in the early hours of July 23 (local time) announcing that Saudi Arabia has signed a cooperation agreement with the United States regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy.The statement noted that

2026-07-23