Tracking Climate With Cosmic Rays: A New Era for Sensors

The article describes a groundbreaking application of particle physics in climate science: using cosmic-ray particles (particularly muons and neutrons) to measure soil moisture with unprecedented accuracy and scale. Researchers have developed COSMOS-UK, a network of sensors that detect how cosmic particles interact differently with hydrogen in water molecules, allowing continuous monitoring across large areas—something traditional point-based measurements cannot achieve. This technology bridges the gap between localized measurements and satellite observations, providing crucial data for drought monitoring, flood forecasting (improving prediction accuracy by up to 28%), and agricultural management. The same principles are being applied on Mars and the Moon to detect subsurface water. This interdisciplinary approach represents a timely innovation as climate change intensifies, with researchers now developing miniaturized sensors and combining the technology with machine learning to further enhance its capabilities.

https://www.ihadnoclue.com/article/1105486692851253249