In a new paper, scientists call the Casiquiare River (running north to south in the center of this image), which connects the Orinoco River (running east to west) with the Rio Negro, “the hydrologic equivalent of a wormhole between two galaxies.” Credit: Coordenação-Geral de Observação da Terra/INPE, CC BY-SA 2.0
Featured Research
The rivers that science says shouldn’t exist
At first glance, these waterways — flowing two ways, draining to two oceans — make little hydrologic sense. A new review article details why they are the way they are. [Eos research spotlight][Water Resources Research study]
Earth’s rotational pole could wander 27 meters under high-emission scenario
As ice melts and water masses shift around Earth, the planet’s rotational pole moves. By 2100 under a high-emissions scenario, the pole could wander 27 meters from where it was in 1900, with change driven largely by Greenland and Antarctic ice melt, a new study finds. It would wander about 12 meters in a low-emissions scenario. [Geophysical Research Letters study][see also: groundwater pumping nudged Earth’s spin]
More than 80% of Canada’s 2023 wildfires burned over permafrost
Canada’s 2023 record-breaking wildfire season was driven by extremely dry conditions with below-average rainfall. More than 80 percent of those fires burned on top of land with permafrost and will likely speed up permafrost thaw, releasing carbon, a new study finds. [Geophysical Research Letters study]
Smartphone heat safety apps underestimate wet-bulb temperatures
Wet-bulb temperature is an important indicator for the safety of outdoor work and sports. Some smartphone applications offer estimates of wet-bulb temps and suggest modifications to activities, but these estimates are often cooler than on-site sensors, especially during the hottest periods, a new study reveals. [GeoHealth study]
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