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Featured Video

Drought in Yellowstone could reduce snow and help detect geyser eruptions
Seismometers can detect geyser eruptions, but a new study on Yellowstone National Park’s Steamboat Geyser finds that several centimeters of snow can dampen those seismic signals. However, another study on Steamboat finds that the geyser is sensitive to its climate, going dormant for decades at a time during droughts. A drier Yellowstone might make it easier to detect geyser eruptions, but would there be any eruptions to detect? [Geophysical Research Letters research] [Video] [Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems research] [Press release]

Featured research

Earth’s temperature would be hotter without volcanoes and fires
Stratospheric aerosols from volcanoes and wildfires slow down the rate of global warming, a new study finds. In the past decade, aerosols from volcanoes and wildfires have offset about 26% of the increase in radiative forcing and 20% of the increase in the planet’s surface temperature — but these aerosols won’t be able to cool down Earth for much longer as greenhouse gas concentrations increase.  [Geophysical Research Letters research]

Gulf Stream to weaken 29% by end of century
Rising temperatures will cause the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf Stream to weaken by 29% and the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) to weaken by 47% by the end of the century, a new study finds. Researchers found that the weakening in the DWBC in turn will cause the Gulf Stream to weaken as it compensates for the declining current. [Geophysical Research Letters research]

InSight rover confirms 70s-era predecessors first to detect marsquakes
In 1976, NASA’s Viking mission sent the first successful landers to Mars. One lander detected possible signs of marsquakes, but the Viking team was unable to confirm their origins at the time. More than four decades later, NASA’s InSight rover landed on Mars and retrieved the evidence necessary to close the knowledge gap and confirm the marsquakes. [JGR Planets research]

One cold-season rain event melts Greenland as much as entire summer
A single warm rain during the cold season caused Greenland’s firn layer, a type of ice between snow and glacial ice, to heat up by 6° to 23°C in a day. The findings from this new study demonstrate that minor changes to the region’s precipitation could have major impacts for Greenland’s Ice Sheet. [Geophysical Research Letters research]

China’s forests are getting older, and that’s good news for carbon neutrality
Chinese forest cover area has doubled in the past 40 years, and a recent study finds that in about that time frame the average age of China’s forests has increased from 18.2 to 44 years old. The team determined that China’s forests will likely reach an average age of 71.6 years by 2060, increasing their ability to store carbon and helping the country reach its goal of carbon neutrality. [JGR Biogeosciences research]

A mystery about the Moon’s deep interior endures
Like the Moon pulls tides on Earth, our planet causes deformation on the Moon. Geophysical data recording the deformation suggest that either the Moon has a hot, partially molten layer deep under its surface, or that layer is cool and solid but deforming slowly. We still don’t know the answer. [JGR Planets research] [Eos Editors’ Highlight]

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Visit the AGU Newsroom to read about the latest science from AGU’s 23 journals, get updates about our organization, register for complimentary press access to AGU journals, and find topical experts. Visit eos.org to read Research Spotlights and Editors’ Highlights. Update your subscription preferences here.

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 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.

A bushfire in 2012. Credit: bertknot/flickr

Featured research 

Mega forest fires mean mega flood risk for southeast Australia 

Wildfires, which are becoming more frequent in many places due to climate change, are increasing runoff and river flooding in southeastern Australia, a new study finds. This means people living in fire-prone areas may face higher flood risk following wildfires. [Geophysical Research Letters research] 

Tree rings shed light on 600 years of atmospheric rivers along the US West Coast 

Tree records of stormy years are helping put current events into historical context, and point to multi-decade cycles of atmospheric river activity. Recent surges in these storms may fall within that historical variation or be a consequence of climate warming, but researchers say it’s too soon to tell. [JGR Atmospheres research] 

Thunderstorms create more planet-warming cirrus clouds  

Convective storms contribute to nearly 60% of the monthly mean global area coverage of cirrus clouds, which are known to have a warming effect on the planet, a new study finds. A warmer climate would increase the conditions necessary for thunderstorms — creating more cirrus clouds and warming Earth’s surface temperature even more. [Geophysical Research Letters research] 

Warmer temperatures increase snow loss off Arctic sea ice 

Snow on Arctic sea ice can be blown into cracks known as “leads,” reducing the amount of snow on the ice’s surface, where it slows both ice growth and melt. Scientists have discovered that if there is fresh snowfall during uncommonly warm and windy conditions, a larger amount of snow will be blown into the ocean. The role of temperature in snow loss may become more important in a future, warmer Arctic. [Geophysical Research Letters research] 

Tracking human carbon dioxide emissions from medium-sized cities 

Atmospheric models, combined with local observations, tracked modest carbon dioxide emission reductions in Salt Lake City during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. These emission decreases coincided with about a 30% reduction in average traffic volume. [Eos Editors’ Highlight] [JGR Atmospheres research] 

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Visit the AGU Newsroom to register for access to AGU journals and find experts and featured research in various topic areas. Visit eos.org to read Research Spotlights and Editors’ Highlights.  

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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. 

This figure shows modeled predictions for how the most extreme snowfall events will change for the northeastern U.S. under 2, 3, and 4 degrees C of warming. Credit: McCray et al., JGR Atmospheres

Featured research

Volcanoes may have larger impact on future climate than expected 

Models used to predict climate change may underestimate the cooling impact of volcanoes. A new study found that volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions from 2015 to 2100 will likely exceed the volume of emissions from 1850 to 2015. The authors suggest climate models use scenarios that better represent future volcanic activity instead of historic eruption data. [Geophysical Research Letters research] 

Eastern North American snowstorms to shift north as climate warms 

Annual total snowfall is likely to decrease across the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada as temperatures rise. However, major snowstorms will shift northward and produce most of the region’s snowfall during a few large events. [JGR Atmospheres research] 

Rising temperatures lower Venice’s salt marshes’ ability to sequester carbon 

Salt marshes decompose organic matter slowly, allowing them to sequester and store carbon for long periods of time. In a new study, scientists found that an increase in temperature by one-degree Celsius led to an 8% increase in the marsh’s decomposition rates. As the climate warms, a quicker rate of decomposition could cause the marsh to release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. [JGR Biogeosciences research] 

Western Amazonia more vulnerable to tree-flinging thunderstorms 

Rainforests in western Amazonia are at a higher risk of windthrows than the rest of the Amazon, a new study found. Increasingly large convective storm systems paired with a slower tree growth rate and lower wood density leave this region particularly susceptible to tree mortality – contributing to deforestation and releasing carbon into the atmosphere. [Geophysical Research Letters research] 

A new workflow to image the 3D structure of active faults 

A new approach to illuminate 3D fault structures using earthquake hypocenters could help detect previously unknown, potentially hazardous earthquake-generating faults and improve understanding of earthquakes processes in general. [Eos Editors’ Highlights] [JGR Solid Earth research] 

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Visit the AGU Newsroom to register for access to AGU journals and find experts and featured research in various topic areas. Visit eos.org to read Research Spotlights and Editors’ Highlights.  

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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. 

American Geophysical Union
21 June 2023

Featured research

Climate cooling strategy may raise wildfire risk in some areas

Scientists have proposed injecting aerosols that reflect sunlight into the stratosphere to cool global temperatures. But this climate intervention method could actually increase wildfire risk in some regions such as western Central Africa. [Earth’s Future research]

South Asia and Africa to face increased lung cancer risk due to biomass burning

Organic matter is burned during biomass fuel consumption and other activities, creating a cancer-causing byproduct known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Future changes in emissions and climate may increase PAH-associated risks in south Asia and Africa by 2050. [Earth’s Future research]

Rising temperatures limit mobility in densely populated areas

A study found that people in San Francisco were less likely to leave their homes due to excessive heat during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the role of local temperature during a period of already restricted mobility. Lower-income communities were found to be less likely to change their day-to-day mobility than higher-income communities. [GeoHealth research]

Three Gorges Dam turned China’s largest freshwater lake into a carbon sink

The Three Gorges Dam has dramatically altered the surrounding ecosystem, including lowering Poyang Lake’s water level. This has allowed for an expansion of carbon-absorbing wetland vegetation. As a result, the country’s largest freshwater lake has changed from a carbon source to a carbon sink as the surrounding greenery sequesters carbon dioxide. [Geophysical Research Letters research]

Mapping beaver dams with machine learning

Beavers are ecosystem engineers, altering the landscape and ecosystems as they build their dams. Scientists are using machine learning to detect beaver dams across the United States and learn more about their impacts to local environments. [JGR Biogeosciences research] [Eos Editor’s Highlight]

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 Visit the AGU Newsroom to register for access to AGU journals and find experts and featured research in various topic areas. Visit eos.org to read Research Spotlights and Editors’ Highlights.

***  
 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.

American Geophysical Union
14 June 2023

AGU News

Wildfires Special Collection for all your fire reporting needs

Explore AGU’s “Fire in the Earth System” special collection, which brings together more than 100 studies on wildfires past, present and future. It’s a great resource for digging up background information, discovering new angles and finding new sources for wildfire. [Peruse the Special Collection]

Featured video

The “hole” in the bottom of the sea

The Indian Ocean Geoid Low is the deepest dent in Earth’s gravitational field, but how did it get there? Researchers tackled this question in a new study and found that sinking slabs of an ancient oceanic plate deep into the mantle beneath Africa could be to blame.  [Video][Geophysical Research Letters research]

Featured research

Prescribed burns could reduce smoke exposure in vulnerable rural communities

The U.S. West Coast experiences frequent wildfires, threatening air quality for the region’s most vulnerable communities. Large-scale prescribed burning could mitigate this crisis and reduce the amount of smoke in rural communities and dense population centers across the West. [Harvard press release] [Earth’s Future research]

Large Greenland glacier at risk of melting

Scientists thought one of the largest glaciers in Greenland was stable; while ice around it has shrunk, it’s remained about the same size. But new analyses reveal subglacial channels are growing, suggesting the glacier is more vulnerable to climate change and melt than previously thought. [Geophysical Research Letters research]

Aerosols unexpectedly make parts of the ocean warmer 
While most of the ocean cools when aerosols are added into the atmosphere, parts of the Southern and North Atlantic oceans actually get warmer, a new study finds. The change in temperature depends on ocean currents, sea ice, the concentration of aerosols and where they are being emitted from. [JGR Oceans research]

Send in the drones: safely monitoring volcanic gas emissions

Scientists are sending drones into the plumes of active volcanoes to measure volcanic gases. The team tested this approach at Bagana Volcano in Papua New Guinea and are hoping to use drones to monitor more inaccessible volcanoes in the future. [Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems research] [Eos editor’s highlight]

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 Visit the AGU Newsroom to register for access to AGU journals and find experts and featured research in various topic areas. Visit eos.org to read Research Spotlights and Editors’ Highlights.

***  
 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.