Signals in layers of sedimentary rock hint at climates and ecosystems come and gone. Understanding this history can help us forecast the future, but challenges abound.
Research Spotlights
The Climate and Health Impacts of Gasoline and Diesel Emissions
New research tallies the effects of gas- and diesel-burning vehicle emissions on the climate, as well as on human health. Together, the emissions cause more than 200,000 premature deaths each year.
Predicting the Future of Greenland’s Melting Ice Sheet
Despite recent leaps in our understanding of how climate change is affecting Greenland’s glaciers, many uncertainties remain.
Two Moons and a Magnetosphere
Decades of research have illuminated how Io and Europa shape—and are shaped by—Jupiter’s giant magnetosphere.
Shaping Water Management with Planetary Boundaries
A new study uses the planetary boundaries concept to formulate an approach to water management that considers both global and local limits to water cycle modifications.
A Graceful Way to Study Daily Water Storage on Land
A new analysis technique could help scientists improve the temporal resolution of satellite gravity data and see trends in terrestrial water storage and movement in near real time.
New Recognition for Major Players in the Ocean’s Silicon Cycle
Tiny, shelled protists known as Rhizaria may be responsible for up to one fifth of the total amount of silica produced by the world’s oceanic organisms.
How Will Climate Change Affect Arctic Stream Slime?
Rising temperatures and thawing permafrost will change nutrient concentrations in Arctic waterways, which will influence the growth of biogeochemically important biofilms.
An Element of Randomness in Modeling Arctic Ice Cover
Incorporating random variation of temperature, humidity, and wind offers a computationally cheap alternative to improving resolution in an Earth system model when predicting when Arctic sea ice will disappear.
Linking Hydrology and Biogeochemistry in a Tropical Urban Estuary
Low-lying coastal estuaries are intertwined with tropical cities around the world. Yet little is known about these water bodies, which affect millions of people globally.