An atmospheric river hits California in 2017. Credit: NASA
AGU News
Press registration for #OSM24 remains open through 23 February
Register this week to gain access to recordings and content from nearly 5,000 abstracts on all things ocean science! Join us Thursday for a livestreamed roundtable on shipwreck science—we’re way beyond archaeology. [OSM24 scientific program][OSM24 press registration][press events and tipsheets]
Register to attend the Triennial Earth-Sun Summit during the eclipse!
The Triennial Earth-Sun Summit (TESS) will be held 7-12 April in Dallas, Texas, in the path of totality. Scientific programming begins on 9 April, the day after the eclipse. To register, simply email us at [email protected]. Scientific sessions are on-site only. AGU’s housing is full. [TESS website][scientific program]
Featured Research
Atmospheric rivers deliver ozone along with rain
Atmospheric rivers are long, skinny trails of water vapor that frequently deliver multi-day deluges. The more water vapor they carry, the more ozone they can also bring, according to a new study that used 11 years of atmospheric data to make that connection for the first time. [JGR Atmospheres research]
Most of US on track to lose surface water, worsening droughts
Climate change is shifting temperature and precipitation patterns. Most U.S. regions are on track to get drier and lose surface water, particularly in the summer-fall transition period when droughts are the strongest, suggesting droughts will hit harder in the future, new USGS research finds. On the other hand, parts of the north-central Midwest are on track to gain surface water. [Earth’s Future research]
Mars was once as wet as Earth is today, new estimate says
Geologic records and the presence of water ice on Mars suggest the planet was once covered by seas, lakes and rivers — but how much water was there? Based on possible water “sinks,” water could have covered the planet in up to 1,970 meters. That’s a similar ratio to modern-day Earth, supporting the idea of ancient Mars being habitable. [JGR Planets research]
Mountainous waves reach thermosphere in Venus’ weird atmosphere
Venus rotates once every 243 days, but its atmosphere whips around once every 4 days in a phenomenon called “superrotation.” A massive standing wave stretches at least 150 kilometers up from the surface, holding steadily even in the intense zone of superrotation — and scientists aren’t sure how. [Geophysical Research Letters research]
What happens to nutrients after they leave agricultural fields?
To better quantify the fate of nutrients after they are released from agricultural fields, scientists examine storage and nitrate export regimes in agricultural hydrology systems. [Eos editor’s highlight][Water Resources Research research]
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