Rebecca Dzombak, Author at Eos

A forest of green trees in the foreground with low clouds and mountain peaks behind

Short-Lived Solutions for Tall Trees in Chile’s Megadrought

by Rebecca Dzombak 31 May 202331 May 2023

Some southern beeches in the Andes have plumbed deeper for moisture as the surface has dried up. But doing so may deplete resources and undermine the trees’ future health.

An underwater image shows a diving scientist drilling into a large, white dome of coral.

Research Spotlights

Coral Chemistry Reflects Southeast Asia’s Economic Expansion

by Rebecca Dzombak 11 May 202322 August 2023

Soil erosion from economic development sent sediments into the South China Sea—and into coral skeletons.

Research Spotlights

驼鹿可以给森林地面降温

by Rebecca Dzombak 29 March 202329 March 2023

通过让砍伐整齐的森林变得斑驳，驼鹿在森林中创造出一个反射表面，可以反射阳光并降低温度。

A moose stands on a hill, partially occluded by shrubbery. Pine trees rise in the background.

Research Spotlights

Munching Moose Cool Forest Floors

by Rebecca Dzombak 7 March 202329 March 2023

By making clear-cut forests patchier, moose create a reflective surface that bounces back sunlight and keeps temperatures down.

A tuft of switchgrass with its associated roots is displayed horizontally on a black background.

Research Spotlights

The World’s Roots Are Getting Shallower

by Rebecca Dzombak 17 November 202217 November 2022

Root-filled soils are hot spots of nutrient cycling and carbon storage. New research finds that the world has lost millions of cubic meters of rooted soil volume—and we’re on track to lose much more.

A bright red, orange, and yellow thermal image of London and the surrounding area maps hotter and cooler areas of the city. The center of the image is the city of London, which is yellow, indicating that it is hotter than surrounding suburbs, which appear in varying shades of orange and red. The suburbs tend to become cooler, and appear darker red, moving toward the edges of the image. The River Thames snakes from right to left across the center of the image. It and several water reservoirs to the left of center are black, indicating that they are much cooler than the neighboring land.

Research Spotlights

Satellites Can Accurately Take Earth’s Temperature

by Rebecca Dzombak 28 September 202228 September 2022

Satellite-based measurements of land surface temperature may prove to be an essential pairing with near-surface air temperatures to understand global warming and cooling trends.

Magnified cross section of the internal cellular structure of a young tree.

Research Spotlights

Plants Need a Lot of Power to Pump Sap

by Rebecca Dzombak 16 September 202216 September 2022

A novel calculation reveals how much power plants need to move water through their stems—and how plants gain energy from the process.

Research Spotlights

New Map of Proposed Mantle-Driven Topography Stirs the Pot

by Rebecca Dzombak 8 September 20224 August 2023

The role the deep Earth plays in creating topography is hotly debated. A new study uses subtle elevation changes around the globe as evidence that the mantle plays a key role in building topography.