The 2021 Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will measure water surface elevation, slopes, and inundations of rivers as narrow as 50 meters.
Editors’ Highlights
Permafrost Thaws Rapidly as Arctic River Flooding Increases
As climate warms, Arctic rivers carry higher flows and flood earlier in the spring, causing underlying permafrost to thaw rapidly.
CAT Pictures of Internal Solitary Waves in Indonesian Strait
Huge and rapid subsurface temperature changes associated with propagating internal solitary waves were observed from a moored coastal acoustic tomography (CAT) system in Lombok Strait in Indonesia.
Seafood Farming: A Key to Future Global Food Security
Integration of sustainable marine and freshwater aquaculture with terrestrial agriculture will be necessary for meeting Earth’s future food requirements.
Can We Tell If Faults Grew During or Between Earthquakes?
Numerical simulations of earthquake cycle deformation reveal that co-seismic and interseismic fault propagation can produce distinct propagation angles that may be recorded in the crust.
A Thermochemical Recording Mechanism of Earth’s Magnetic Field
A laboratory study assesses thermochemical remanence as a reliable paleointensity recorder, which could open new venues for studying Earth’s ancient magnetic field.
Polar Stratosphere Resolves North Atlantic Jet “Tug of War”
Getting the polar stratosphere right is critical in the simulation of North Atlantic climate change, which is shaped by the interaction of Arctic Amplification and tropical upper tropospheric warming.
First Inside Look at Hot and Cold Ions in Jupiter’s Ionosphere
The first in-situ ion observations from NASA’s Juno spacecraft reveal the surprising, simultaneous presence of cold protons and hot oxygen and sulfur ions in the high-latitude ionosphere of Jupiter.
Most Southern California Mainshocks Follow Foreshocks
New research using a highly complete earthquake catalog shows that 72% of M4+ mainshocks are preceded by foreshocks, implying that foreshock activity is much more prevalent than previously thought.
Looking Away from the Sun: Improved Tracking of Solar Storms
A new tool for tracking coronal mass ejections away from the Sun opens a path toward more accurate warnings for operators who have to cope with adverse space weather.