A mountain in the Catalonia region of Spain, where a new JGR Atmospheres study finds a hotspot of recurrent lightning strikes on high peaks. Credit: Angela Llop/flickr

AGU News

AGU Journalism Awards: deadline TONIGHT!
Don’t miss out! The deadline to nominate stories is 27 March at 11:59 p.m. ET. News and feature stories published in 2023 and focused on the Earth and space sciences are eligible. One entry per individual. [AGU journalism awards]

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][press site]

Total eclipse of the Sun: The April issue of AGU’s Eos magazine is all about the eclipse. [Eos issue pdf, table of contents]

Featured Research

Lighting does strike twice in these hotspots
A new study questions the saying that “lightning never strikes twice.” Their analysis of 10 years of lightning activity in two suspected lightning hotspots, in northeastern Spain and north-central Colombia, reveals that high mountain peaks get more than their share of strikes. [JGR Atmospheres research]

Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone” is acidifying rapidly
The northern Gulf of Mexico experiences a low-oxygen, high-nutrient “dead zone” in its bottom waters each summer. The first multi-decade reconstruction of pH reveals the dead zone is getting more acidic over time, in part due to ocean acidification and warming. Acidification is likely to worsen if emissions are not curbed. [Geophysical Research Letters research]

High lead levels in urban farm compost in Boston
Urban farms and gardens can be an important source of fresh, local food, improving food security, but soil and compost used can be contaminated with legacy metals such as lead. A new 15-year study of lead levels in municipal compost provided to urban farms in Boston reveals persistently elevated lead levels, even after the city switched vendors. [GeoHealth research]

Atmospheric aerosol injection side effects could warm as much as emissions
Injecting aerosols high into Earth’s atmosphere has been proposed as a mechanism for cooling the planet, with aerosol particles reflecting sunlight back into space. But uncertainties remain about what unintended effects the technique could have. Side effects from low-latitude injections could lead to as much warming as greenhouse gases could contribute, a new study finds. [Geophysical Research Letters research][AGU-led framework for ethical climate intervention research]

Manila confronts its plastic problem
The Philippine capital is the latest city to address rampant plastic pollution through a community-guided protocol. [Eos research spotlight][Community Science research]

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.

Credit: Charles Jackson/unsplash

AGU News

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]

Nominate work for AGU’s journalism awards by 27 March
The deadline to nominate your own or others’ stories for the 2024 AGU Journalism Awards is 27 March at 11:59 p.m. ET. News and feature stories published in 2023 and focused on the Earth and space sciences are eligible. Email us at [email protected] with any questions. [AGU journalism awards]

Featured Research

Warmer winters in surface ocean near Florida Keys
As oceans continue to reach record-high temperatures, understanding the drivers of warming becomes increasingly urgent. A new 150-year record of sea surface temperatures from long-lived coral species reveals that waters heated up especially during winters between 1830 and 1980, pointing to changes in the Florida current as a potential cause. [Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology research]

Marine exhaust scrubbers may actually increase pollution
Marine fuel typically has high sulfur content, which add sulfur oxides to the atmosphere when burned. That pollution can be limited by using low-sulfur fuel or, per regulations, adding a wet exhaust scrubber. Low-sulfur fuel reduces emissions, but exhaust scrubbers may actually increase the number of particles emitted, a new study finds. [JGR Atmospheres research]

Warming increases tropical cyclone intensification, flooding hazard
Tropical cyclones can quickly intensify just before making landfall, increasing the amount of rainfall and therefore raising the likelihood of dangerous floods. Warmer air will make rapid intensification more common over the next century, and cyclone-associated rainfall will greatly increase, a new study finds. [Geophysical Research Letters research]

Marine heatwaves are choking the Chesapeake Bay
Marine heatwaves in estuaries are less well-understood than in the ocean. A new case study of marine heatwaves in the Chesapeake Bay finds the heatwaves can lead to reduced oxygen in bottom waters, threatening marine life and biogeochemical cycles. [JGR Oceans research]

Inland waters are a blind spot in greenhouse gas emissions
Researchers call for an extensive monitoring network to quantify carbon dioxide and methane released by China’s rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. [JGR Biogeosciences research][Eos research spotlight]

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.

French bottled water, 2016. Credit: Raul Pacheco-Vega, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

AGU News

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

Bottled water drinkers underestimate price markup over tap
In France, bottled water costs 100 times the price of tap water. But bottled water drinkers are more likely than tap drinkers to perceive this gap to be much smaller, according to a new analysis of 4,003 survey responses. [Water Resources Research]

Canadian taiga will burn hotter and more frequently this century
Warming temperatures and drying can be expected to contribute to rising fire danger and severity throughout Canada’s coniferous forests through the end of century if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, a new study based on fire trends from 1976 to 2014 and the latest climate models finds. [JGR Atmospheres research]

Solar Orbiter predicts incoming solar storms
Bursts of plasma from the Sun called coronal mass ejections can damage Earth’s satellites and electric grids. Many of these problems can be avoided with warning of incoming storms, but current models aren’t good at forecasting arrival times and severity. Data from the Solar Orbiter demonstrated for the first time how spacecraft orbiting halfway between Earth and the Sun could improve forecast accuracy and precision, predict the evolution of geomagnetic storms and provide 40 hours of advance warning. [Space Weather research]

Extreme reservoir water drawdowns, accelerated by climate change, bring environmental drawbacks
Changing climate and water demands are causing more frequent extreme swings in water levels for many lakes, especially human-made reservoirs. A case study at Beaverdam Reservoir in Virginia, USA, tracked impacts on biology, chemistry and aquatic physics during a rapid 36% volume loss over only a single month. Nutrients concentrated at the surface, feeding an algae bloom that dropped oxygen levels as the bloom died. [JGR Biogosciences research]

Urban nature is often plentiful but inaccessible
A novel research framework deepens understanding of urban nature accessibility and highlights progress toward green space goals.. [Eos research spotlight][GeoHealth research]

Preparing to meet a metal-rich asteroid
The recently launched Psyche mission will explore the eponymous asteroid and determine whether it is a fragment of a planetary core or a primordial, metal-rich body. [Editors’ highlight][AGU Advances research]

Visit the AGU Newsroom to read about the latest science from AGU’s 25 journals, get updates about our organization, register for complimentary press access to AGU journals, and find topical experts. Update your subscription preferences.

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.

Some of the fastest subsiding, or vertically sinking, places are home to large numbers of people. From figure 2 of Davydzenska et al 2024 Geophysical Research Letters https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL104497

AGU News

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

Electricity demand spikes emissions during heat waves
Emissions from the power sector have been underestimated by nearly 35% during heat waves in some cases, according to a new study that observed pulses of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide columns over power plants from space and attributed the spike to elevated electricity use. [Earth’s Future research]

Geoengineering strategy would bring severe drought to tropical Africa
Severe and lengthy droughts brought on by continued high emissions of greenhouse gases could be softened for most of Earth’s lands by injecting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere. Aerosols scatter incoming sunlight back to space, cooling the planet overall. But a cost may be intensifying drying in some locations, especially tropical Africa. [JGR Atmospheres research]

First global subsidence map reveals sinking problem for cities
Around the world, an estimated 5% of land, or 6.3 million square kilometers, is sinking significantly, affecting 25% of the world’s population — nearly 2 billion people. Groundwater extraction contributes to this sinking problem and land is sinking fastest in Philippines, Iran, Costa Rica, Indonesia and Uzbekistan. [Geophysical Research Letters]

Recovery of Indian summer monsoon will lag behind CO₂ removal
Warming has perturbed the regular arrival time of the Indian summer monsoon, risking food security for a billion local inhabitants. In an idealized future world in which carbon dioxide is removed from Earth’s atmosphere at the same rate humanity added it, the monsoon could return to preindustrial patterns, but heat stored in the deep oceans will delay recovery. [Earth’s Future research]

Anzali Wetland, Iran’s “ecological gem,” may dry up by 2060
More sustainable watershed management and agriculture are needed to avoid a desiccated fate. [Eos research spotlight][Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres research]

Plate boundaries may experience higher temperature and stress than we thought
Surface heat flux data shed light on conditions deep below Earth’s surface, at a tectonic plate interface where major earthquakes initiate.[Eos research spotlight] [Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems research]

Get updates about our organization, register for complimentary press access to AGU journals, and find topical experts. Update your subscription preferences.

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.

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]  

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. 

Iran’s biodiverse Anzali wetland is at risk of becoming a seasonal waterbody or drying up entirely as a result of decreased rainfall, higher water demand, and more sediment choking waterways, according to new research published in Earth’s Future. Credit: keyvan/Adobe Stock

AGU News

Ocean Sciences Meeting starts next week! Press registration remains open through 23 February
Browse nearly 5,000 abstracts for #OSM24, held 18-23 February in New Orleans. [OSM24 scientific program][OSM24 press registration][press release]

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

Iran’s “ecological gem,” the Anzali wetland, could dry up by 2060
The Anzali wetland sits in northern Iran, where nine major rivers meet the Caspian. Facing mounting environmental pressures, this hotspot of biodiversity, tourism and fishing could become a seasonal waterbody by 2100 or, in the worst-case scenario, dry up entirely as soon as 2060. [JGR Atmospheres research]

Cryptomare hiding on Moon’s backside suggest more volcanic past
Cryptomare, or cooled lava deposits covered by other material, hold important information about how much volcanic activity the Moon once had. New mapping of cryptomare and their “dark halos” suggests more extensive volcanism than previously thought, with about half the mare on the dark side of the Moon. [JGR Planets research]

Geomagnetic storms were a drag for Starlink
In February 2022, a pair of geomagnetic storms struck the upper atmosphere, causing the density in the atmosphere to suddenly and significantly increase. Higher atmospheric density dragged Starlink satellites as they whizzed by, causing them to fall out of the sky within several days. [Space Weather research]

Foreshock or swarm? Scientists need a big quake to decide
Clusters of seismic activity called foreshocks can occur before a larger earthquake, but similar clusters can also happen without a big quake. Scientists can only tell them apart after a big quake has happened, limiting foreshocks’ predictive capabilities, a new study finds. [JGR Solid Earth research]

Prescribed burns could expose more Californians to smoke
Prescribed burns can lower the risk of intense, uncontrolled wildfires, instead producing more days of less-dense smoke. For some densely populated areas in CA, adding prescribed burns could end up exposing more people to smoke, pointing to a need for good public awareness of burn days to minimize public health risks. [Earth’s Future research]

The escalating impact of global warming on atmospheric rivers
Climate change is set to intensify atmospheric rivers and exacerbate extreme rainfall worldwide. [Eos research spotlight][JGR Atmospheres research]

Intense rainstorms sculpt desert cliffs
New mathematical models show that the persistence of near-vertical cliffs in arid landscapes is maintained by infrequent but intense rainstorms. [Eos editors’ highlight][JGR Earth Surface research]

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.

Road damage following flooding. Credit: USFWS

AGU News

Press registration open for Ocean Sciences Meeting
Browse nearly 5,000 abstracts for #OSM24, held 18-23 February in New Orleans. [OSM24 scientific program][OSM24 press registration][press release]

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]

Research roundup: Atmospheric rivers
As California is hit with yet another atmospheric river, check out the latest research on this increasingly important phenomenon. [intensity scale for atmospheric rivers][ARs in the western US tend to come in clusters][600 years of atmospheric rivers in western US][atmospheric river “super-sequences” challenge California’s infrastructure][wetter than your average storm, yet not great for groundwater recharge][climate model predicts more frequent, intense, long-lasting atmospheric rivers]

Featured Research

Climate extremes stress world’s roads and rails
Heavy rains, extreme temperatures, and more freeze-thaw events can lead to damaging wear-and-tear on road and rail infrastructure. Risks are highest in places like south and east Asia, west and central Europe, and eastern North America because of the density of roads and railways there. [Earth’s Future research]

Europe’s rainiest days are getting worse
Climate change is causing precipitation extremes, leading to deadly flooding and other hazards. In Europe, just 22 to 34 rainy days are responsible for half of the year’s precipitation, a significant increase from the mid-1900s. [Geophysical Research Letters research]

Drought-to-flood whiplash events increasing in China
Sudden switches from drought conditions to heavy precipitation and flooding are hazardous and becoming more common in many parts of the world, including China. Since 1961, there have been nearly three more drought-to-flood events per decade in the country, with northern China being hardest-hit. [JGR Atmospheres research]

Seasonal water scarcity tied to conflict in northwest Africa
Climate change is expected to increase the occurrence of violent conflicts related to water scarcity, but regional outlooks depend on localized water predictions. A new study of the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin finds water conflicts have been driven by soil moisture deficits and use rates in different seasons. The clearer picture of water scarcity may help improve water management, decreasing the likelihood of conflict. [Earth’s Future research]

High water levels cause problems for Mississippi shipping, too
High water levels can make barges difficult to maneuver and overwhelm locks. Those conditions have become more common in recent decades. [Eos research spotlight][Geophysical Research Letters research]

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.