An extreme El Nino event in 2014-2016 led to an extra 7 millimeters (about 0.3 inches) of sea-level rise, according to a new study in Geophysical Research Letters. Credit: hermansyah/unsplash
AGU News
Press registration for Ocean Sciences 2024 is now open
Press registration for Ocean Sciences 2024 (#OSM24), held in New Orleans and online from 18-23 February 2024, is now open. [media advisory][OSM24 press center]
AGU23 Annual Meeting press registration open, program online
Press registration for #AGU23 is open and will remain open during the meeting, held in San Francisco and online 11-15 December 2023. Book hotels at the conference rate by 15 November. [AGU23 press center] [AGU23 scientific program]
Featured research
An extreme ENSO in 2014-2016 sped up sea-level rise
El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) changes global weather patterns, including precipitation and land-based water storage. An extreme ENSO event from 2014-2016 led to an additional 7 millimeters (about 0.3 inches) of sea-level rise largely due to a drier Amazon Basin over that period, a new study finds. [Geophysical Research Letters research]
China will warm less than expected by the end of the century
China is expected to warm an average of 0.65 °C (about 1.2 °F) less than previously predicted by the end of the 21st century, a new study finds. The milder forecast reduces the impact of extreme heat on the nation’s population. [Geophysical Research Letters research]
The ethics of volcano geoengineering
Humans have tampered with volcanoes’ eruptions in the past, both intentionally and accidentally. In a new paper, scientists weigh the ethics and balance of what safety could be gained and what the risks of volcanic geoengineering could be. [Earth’s Future research]
Spraying sea salt into clouds to cool Earth’s temperature has mixed results
Scientists propose marine cloud brightening (MCB), which uses sea salt to make clouds more reflective, as an alternative to stratospheric aerosol injections because MCB’s impacts are more localized. Deploying MCB in one region can have unintended consequences in other regions of the world, but overall, the method reduces the risk of crossing many major climate tipping points, a new study finds. [Geophysical Research Letters research]
Machine learning highlights ways to improve flood mitigation
New research shows that home flood insurance coverage is often a reactive purchase in response to flooding, while top-down policies that focus on community resilience may offer more robust protection. [Earth’s Future research] [Eos editor’s highlight]
AGU (www.agu.org) is a global community supporting more than half a million advocates and professionals in Earth and space sciences. Through broad and inclusive partnerships, AGU aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerate knowledge and create solutions that are ethical, unbiased and respectful of communities and their values. Our programs include serving as a scholarly publisher, convening virtual and in-person events and providing career support. We live our values in everything we do, such as our net zero energy renovated building in Washington, D.C. and our Ethics and Equity Center, which fosters a diverse and inclusive geoscience community to ensure responsible conduct.