Communities close to oil and gas wells had more cases of and higher mortality rates due to COVID-19 in the first half of 2020, a new GeoHealth study finds. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Antandrus

AGU News

AGU24 press registration 
Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center] 

Featured Research 

Proximity to oil and gas wells tied to COVID-19 risk 
Living near oil and gas drilling may affect immune system functioning, cardiovascular health and respiratory health. New research finds that communities close to oil and gas wells in California had higher case numbers and mortality rates during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. [GeoHealth study][Eos research spotlight][UC Berkeley press release] 

Atmospheric pattern linked to autumnal western wildfires 
Autumn wildfires have become more common in the western United States since 2000. New research finds that an atmospheric pattern called the West Pacific teleconnection has shifted eastward since the 1980s and could account for approximately one-third of the variation in autumn wildfires each year. [Earth’s Future study] 

Tree rings record sparse snowpack  
Groundwater records typically only go back to around 1960. A new study uses tree ring widths to identify periods of drought from 1850 to 2002 in the North American Cordillera, a series of mountain ranges that runs up the western half of the continent. The study found that groundwater droughts were mostly related to snowpack shortages. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

May 2024 geomagnetic storm was a successful test for Mexico’s space weather programs 
Over the past 10 years, the Mexican Space Weather Service and National Space Weather Laboratory have been expanding and improving their instrumentation. The strong May 2024 geomagnetic storm was their first major test, and their instruments successfully collected a range of valuable low-latitude space weather data, as a new study outlines. [Space Weather study] 

Most satellite observations of Africa are done by non-African organizations 
African countries face high rates of food insecurity, and satellites are critical for collecting data on agriculture, water, and populations. However, 90% of such observation projects are led by non-African organizations, a new study finds. That creates inequity in data collection and use, the authors argue. [Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists study] 

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Chicago’s streets aren’t only cooled by trees. Any greenery helps beat the heat, a new Geophysical Research Letters study finds. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Bert Kaufmann

AGU News

AGU24 press registration 
Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center] 

Featured Research 

All greenery, not only trees, helps reduce heat in Chicago 
Tree cover is a well-established cooling mechanism for urban areas. New analysis of on-the-ground temperature measurements finds that while trees do significantly cool Chicago streets, other kinds of vegetation help bring down the heat, too. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Both indoor and outdoor air quality affected by Indonesian peat fires 
Peatland fires are common in some parts of Indonesia due to peat swamp drainage. Measurements from a network of air quality sensors reveal similar outdoor and indoor PM2.5 levels during the dry fire season, suggesting that retreating indoors may not help those suffering under poor air quality. [GeoHealth study] 

The Sun’s magnetic field helped shape distant corners of the early solar system 
Did the Sun’s magnetic field reach the far edges of the solar system three million years ago? New evidence from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu, coupled with samples from three meteorites, says that the Sun’s magnetic field could have changed how mass accreted more than 650 million miles out from the center of the solar system. [AGU Advances study] 

Air pollution tied to arthritis prevalence in China 
Air pollution is associated with a variety of poor health outcomes. A new study finds that air pollution in China is correlated with the development of arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and that the effect is amplified in areas without nearby greenspace. [GeoHealth study] 

Smartphone map app accurately predicts cholera risk 
Cholera is a water-borne illness that is endemic in some countries. A new smartphone app used population, epidemiological and environmental data to inform people in a remote region of Bangladesh of their local cholera risk, accurately estimating the risk of the disease over two years. [GeoHealth study] 

How an ocean-sized lake may have formed on ancient Mars 
The catastrophic collapse of Mars’s atmosphere may have melted its polar ice cap, creating an ice-covered southern sea. [Eos research spotlight] [JGR Planets study] 

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The Venice Lagoon takes up as much carbon as 130,000 trees each year. But the carbon sink is threatened by Venice’s anti-flooding regulations, a new Earth’s Future study finds. Credit: Unsplash/Martin Bennie

AGU News

AGU24 press registration 
Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center] 

Featured Research 

Venice’s salt marshes absorb huge amounts of carbon 
The Venice Lagoon is a highly disturbed salt marsh ecosystem where the Italian coast meets the Adriatic Sea. New research finds that the lagoon’s salt marshes absorb as much carbon as 130,000 trees, and that Venice’s anti-flooding regulations may be reducing the marsh’s carbon uptake by up to 30%. [Earth’s Future study] 

Boulders reveal an ancient tsunami 
In the 15th century, a tsunami hit Tongatapu Island in the western Pacific. Researchers examined the magnetic records of several boulders on the island, clearly moved by past tsunamis, and found that some of the rocks had been moved multiple times. They determined that a second tsunami, not recorded in human history, likely occurred between 3,000 years ago and the 15th century. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Global wetlands may belch 32% more methane by 2099 
Wetlands may become a major source of methane as the climate warms. New research uses machine learning models to estimate global wetland emissions toward the end of the 21st century, finding 13% to 32% increases under different climate scenarios, with hotspots in Northern Europe and around the equator. [Earth’s Future study] 

Climate warming is decreasing rice quality in China and Japan 
Climate change can alter not just crops’ quantity, but also their quality. New research finds that rice in both China and Japan has decreased in quality since the 1980s and will continue to decrease in the future as the climate warms. That could mean a decrease in rice nutritional quality and economic value. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Antarctic sea ice declines are spatially patchy 
While Arctic sea ice has been declining for decades, Antarctica’s sea ice thickness increased from 2011 to 2016, and then started to decline. New research finds that Antarctica’s ice loss has been spatially variable, and has actually thickened in some areas since 2016. [JGR Oceans study] 

Thermal cameras can measure tree water loss 
It can be difficult to measure tree transpiration rates, or how much water trees lose to the atmosphere, which can affect how scientists quantify droughts. A new study finds that temperature data from thermal cameras can be used to estimate the transpiration rates of individual trees, which could help determine which tree species in a forest are better at weathering dry periods. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Air pollution tied to gastrointestinal bleeding 
Air pollution can have unexpected health consequences. A new study finds that high particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide air pollution in Hong Kong are associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, especially in men and the elderly. [GeoHealth study] 

Helping the most vulnerable stay cool in extreme heat 
Choosing the ideal location for air-conditioned cooling centers in cities facing dangerously high temperatures takes good population data and community engagement. [Eos research spotlight] [Community Science study] 

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Craters on Titan’s north pole may be caused by underground methane or nitrogen gas explosions, a new JGR Planets study finds. Credit: NASA

AGU News

AGU24 press registration 

Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. Discounted housing is available through 11 November. [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center][hotel information] 

AGU launches framework for ethical geoengineering research
Last week, AGU announced the Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention. The report, prepared over two years under the guidance of more than 40 experts from around the world, highlights the need to center communities and ethics when undertaking research on large-scale climate interventions (geoengineering) — the consequences of which remain largely unknown. The report proposes five key principles that research, funding, and policies should consider.  

Contact [email protected] for interview requests. [Ethical Framework report][press kit][read the full press release here] 

Featured Research 

Titan’s craters may be caused by underground gas explosions 
The northern polar region of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is dotted with craters that appear to have been created by explosions. A new study finds that belowground nitrogen and methane gases may have caused the explosions, either from gas vaporization or from the breakdown of methane hydrates. [JGR Planets study] 

Global heatwave risk quintupled over the last century 
The global risk of heatwaves increased fivefold since the early 20th century, according to new research. Heatwaves have also become more intense over that period, with humid areas experiencing more intense heatwaves while dry areas tended to have more.  [Earth’s Future study] 

Grasses and shrubs are critical to moisture recycling across Africa 
Many African ecosystems rely on trees and grasses for moisture recycling. New research finds that while trees individually supply more water for precipitation than shrubs and grasses, Africa’s extensive grass and shrubland ecosystems contribute equally to the continent’s moisture cycle. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Growing risk of “record-shattering” droughts along the Yangtze River 
A severe drought struck the middle and lower sections of China’s Yangtze River in 2019, which led to major economic and agricultural losses. A new study finds that the likelihood of such a drought each year will increase from 2% (1961-2020) to 18% (2041-2100). [JGR Atmospheres study] 

Subtle coastal sinking raises storm surge risks 
New detection of millimeter-scale subsidence along vulnerable coastlines means flood risk predictions may be inaccurate. [Eos research spotlight] [JGR Earth Surface study] 

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Excess phosphorus is fueling coral-chomping crown-of-thorns starfish in the South China Sea, a new JGR Oceans study finds. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Bernard Dupont

AGU News 

AGU launches ethical framework for climate intervention

With interest growing in geoengineering as a strategy for tackling global warming, AGU has launched an ethical framework as a guide to responsible decision-making and inclusive dialogue. The report was facilitated over the last two years by AGU and advised by a global panel of more than 40 experts. The report:

• says any research into large-scale interventions in Earth’s climate system must be grounded in sound ethical principles so society can make informed choices about whether to deploy them;
• warns that the unintended consequences of large-scale deployment are largely unknown; and
• proposes five key principles that new research, funding, and policy should consider.

Contact [email protected] for interview requests. [Ethical Framework report][press kit][read the full press release here]

AGU24 press registration

Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. Discounted housing is available through 11 November — be sure to book before the deadline! [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center][hotel information] 

Featured Research

South China Sea starfish takeovers linked to phosphorus surplus 
Crown-of-thorns starfish periodically overwhelm and damage coral reefs in the South China Sea, with crowds reaching up to 1,000 starfish per hectare (2.5 acres). New research identifies the starfishes’ fuel: excess phosphorus, which the starfish get from eating corals and phytoplankton before releasing it back into the ocean. [JGR Oceans study] 

Climatic origins of deadly 2023 northern India flooding  
In July 2023, widespread, heavy rainfall produced floods in most of northern India, leading to hundreds of deaths and millions of dollars of damage. A new study uses climate modeling to untangle the causes behind the catastrophe, and highlights the need for improved soil and weather monitoring in hilly northern India. [Earth and Space Science study] 

Marine heatwaves stifle phytoplankton blooms 
Phytoplankton are important primary producers that underpin the oceanic food web. New research finds that marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea reduce nutrient transport to the surface, tanking spring phytoplankton blooms by up to 70%, reducing zooplankton biomass by up to 50% and shifting the timings of both phytoplankton and zooplankton blooms. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Low-latitude eruptions make bigger plumes 
When volcanoes erupt explosively, they create plumes that typically fall into two categories: strong “umbrella cloud” plumes, and weak “spreading” plumes. New research finds that because of wind patterns, eruption plumes closer to the equator are usually weaker plumes, while those at higher latitudes are more often umbrella clouds. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

“Mega slumps” of thawing ground are destabilizing the Arctic
Landslide-like slumps of thawing ground damage infrastructure and degrade coastlines in the Arctic, emitting carbon as they form. A new study digs into why these slumps form and finds that seawater intrusion plays a key role. [Eos research spotlight] [JGR Earth Surface study] 

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Bat guano can record local fire history, a new Geophysical Research Letters study finds. Bats collect charcoal on their bodies when foraging in burned areas, and later ingest it when grooming. Credit: USFWS/Alvarez Photography

AGU News 

AGU24 press registration 
Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. Discounted housing is available through 11 November. [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center][hotel information] 

Featured Research

Bat feces record fire history 
Fires are recorded in an unlikely medium: bat feces. New research analyzed bat guano cores from a limestone cave in Tennessee and found that charcoal preserved in the guano, ingested by bats foraging in burned areas, accurately recorded local fire history from the 1950s to present. The researchers were also able to distinguish between human-caused and natural fires recorded in the guano. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Hazards research focuses on areas with wealth, not risk 
Research on floods, droughts and landslides focuses disproportionately on wealthy countries, as opposed to countries with the highest risk from those hazards, reflecting a “wealth over woe” bias, according to a new study. Less work tends to be done in low-income, high-population areas — even those known to have higher hazards. [Earth’s Future study] [Potsdam press release] 

Dusty clouds keep the Arctic cooler 
Dust may play an important role in Arctic cloud formation and Arctic surface temperatures. New research finds that dust aerosols can push clouds into the ice phase, cooling the underlying land more than clouds in the liquid phase. That cooling effect intensifies as the dustiness of the clouds increases. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Madrid’s urban heat islands expected to grow 
Urban heat stress is expected to increase as the climate warms. A new study identified already-vulnerable areas in Madrid, Spain, using factors such as population age, education status and socioeconomic status, and found that those areas will expand in the future. [Earth’s Future study] 

Stratospheric aerosol injections could alter wind power 
Stratospheric aerosol injections are a geoengineering technique that could lower global temperatures, but also cause unintended consequences. New research finds that while the global potential for wind renewable energy would be largely unaffected by stratospheric aerosol injections, regional trends could increase or decrease by up to 12% worldwide. [Earth’s Future study] 

Machine learning could improve extreme weather warnings 
A deep learning technique could reduce the error in 10-day weather forecasts by more than 90%, allowing communities to better prepare for extreme events such as heat waves. [Eos research spotlight] [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

New details emerge about a very old eruption and flood 
One of the most dramatic volcanic eruptions in history occurred more than 1,000 years ago at Changbaishan, on the border of China and North Korea. In a new study, scientists dig into the catastrophic flood that followed the eruption, aiming to better predict modern risks if such an eruption occurred again. [Eos research spotlight] [Water Resources Research study] 

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Microplastics from car tires could increase melt in Colorado snow, a new JGR Atmospheres study finds. Credit: Unsplash/Autumn Mott Rodeheaver

AGU News

AGU24 press registration 
Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. Discounted housing is available through 11 November, but housing is almost full. [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center][hotel information] 

Featured Research 

Research roundup: Hurricanes and storm surges 
Hurricane Milton is bearing down on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Read up on the latest hurricane and storm surge research. 
[land subsidence and storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast] [contaminant movement after Hurricane Florence] [Hurricane Michael storm surge analysis] [climate change impacts on hurricane season length] [improving storm surge monitoring] 

Shredded tires speed snow melt 
Microplastics enter the air when road tires degrade during driving. New research finds that snow near high-elevation roads in Colorado contained microplastics mixed in with small black particles from shredded tires. Those black particles could amplify the effects of surface-warming atmospheric black carbon by 10% to 30%, increasing ice and snow melt. [JGR Atmospheres study] 

Atacama mine tailing dust travels far from its source 
Mining operations in Chile’s Atacama Desert have created large mine tailing deposits. New research finds that arsenic-contaminated dust can travel up to 70 kilometers (44 miles) from mine sites, and that soil arsenic levels downwind of mine sites may be 11 times greater than natural conditions. Copper and molybdenum dust also traveled up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) from mine sources. The research has implications for the health of local Indigenous communities. [GeoHealth study] 

Hunga Tonga water vapor could boost stratospheric humidity for years 
The January 2022 Hunga Tonga/Hunga Ha’apai eruption blasted 150 million tons of water vapor into the stratosphere. New research finds that the humidity of the stratosphere has not decreased since, and could stay elevated for as few as five to as many as 18 years. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Planted forests in China green slower 
Planted forests cover 80 million acres in China. New research finds that planted forests greened 7% slower than natural forests across South China. Slower greening indicates lower rates of productivity and sluggish carbon cycling. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Indo-Pacific mangroves show seaward gains 
Mangroves in the Indo-Pacific are expanding seaward due to coastal sediment accumulation, while decreasing in upland areas due to human development, new research finds. Those increases could offset up to 67% of the upland decreases. The seaward gains will eventually be stymied by sea level rise. [Geophysical Research Letters study] 

Mental health hospital visits increase during heatwaves 
Heatwaves aligned with an increase in mental health hospital visits in Guangzhou, China from 2010 to 2014, according to new research. Heatwaves lasting longer than four days were associated with more hospital visits, and older adults were more affected than younger adults. [GeoHealth study] 

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Climate change is causing storms to change around the world, a new Earth’s Future study finds. Credit: Unsplash/Beau Horyza

AGU News

AGU24 press registration 
Press registration for AGU’s Annual Meeting is open! AGU24 will be held in Washington, D.C. from 9-13 December. Complimentary registration is available for journalists, journalism students, press officers, and institutional writers covering the meeting. Discounted housing is available through 11 November, but housing is almost full. [register here][eligibility][AGU24 press center][hotel information] 

Featured Research 

Storms in the tropics are intensifying as climate warms    
Climate change is altering storm patterns globally, according to new research. Storms in tropical regions are becoming shorter with more concentrated rainfall, while temperate storms are becoming more dispersed and lasting longer. [Earth’s Future study] 

Post-drought precipitation to increase this century 
Periods of high precipitation after drought can increase natural hazards, such as landslides, and agricultural losses. A new study finds that post-drought precipitation could increase by approximately 15% globally by the end of the century, especially in the autumn. [Geophysical Research Letters study]

Great Dismal Swamp has lost 50 million metric tons of carbon since the 1700s 
The Great Dismal Swamp is a peat swamp in Virginia and North Carolina. Humans have disturbed the swamp for hundreds of years, starting with drainage in the 1700s. New research finds the swamp has lost around 50 million metric tons (approximately 55 million U.S. tons) of carbon since the colonial era. Two peat fires in 2008 and 2011 caused an additional one million metric tons (approximately 1.1 million U.S. tons) of carbon loss. [JGR Biogeosciences study] 

Perserverance samples could reveal history of Mars’ ancient magnetic field 
Mars does not currently have a magnetic field, but it did have one almost 4 billion years ago. But when and why did it disappear? New research finds that samples collected by the Perseverance rover likely contain ferromagnetic minerals, which should tell researchers more about Mars’ magnetic past. [JGR Planets study] 

Pollution from Indian biomass burning absorbs solar radiation 
Brown carbon, a type of aerosol released during biomass burning, can reflect sunlight. However, it can also absorb radiative energy and contribute to climate warming. Researchers deployed air filters and used satellite data to find that brown carbon particles from residential cooking, agricultural burning and other industries may absorb large amounts of solar energy over India. [Geophysical Research Letters study]

The Moon’s tides hint at a melty lunar layer 
New lunar gravity measurements support the idea that a partially molten mantle layer is sandwiched between the rest of the Moon’s mantle and its core. [Eos research spotlight] [AGU Advances study]

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