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Derek Smith

A large plume of dark smoke rises from a forest. Orange flames are visible among the trees.
Posted inNews

As Wildfires Grow, So Could Methane Emissions

by Derek Smith 13 June 202313 June 2023

Wildfires that wreaked havoc on California in 2020 filled the atmosphere with a potent greenhouse gas.

Color view of Europa from Galileo that shows the largest portion of the moon’s surface at the highest resolution.
Posted inNews

Newly Discovered Salts May Exist on Icy Moons

by Derek Smith 23 March 202311 April 2023

For the first time in more than a century, scientists have identified new sodium chloride crystals. The discovery may reconcile puzzling spectroscopic images of Europa’s surface.

Satellite view of parts of the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East showing dust in the atmosphere
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Bacteria Travel Thousands of Kilometers on Airborne Dust

by Derek Smith 22 November 2022

As winds pick up dirt and sand, they also pick up any microbes adhering to those particles, potentially introducing them to new locations.

Biocrusts abundant in lichens grow on the soil surface in the Colorado Plateau.
Posted inNews

Climate Change Leads to Decline in Lichen Biocrusts

by Derek Smith 26 May 202226 May 2022

As summer temperatures continue to rise, important biocrust-forming organisms in the American Southwest may be lost.

A meadow of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica
Posted inNews

Mortality of Seagrass Meadows May Not Kill Their Methane Release

by Derek Smith 31 March 202231 March 2022

New research indicates that seagrasses continue to release methane even after they die, complicating blue carbon initiatives.

Martian meteorite ALH84001 shown with a 1-centimeter cube for scale
Posted inNews

A New Explanation for Organics on a Mars Rock That Fell to Earth

by Derek Smith 26 January 20228 March 2022

Organic molecules on a Martian meteorite have fueled nearly 30 years of scientific debate. New evidence suggests they were formed by Martian processes, offering more support for a once habitable environment on the Red Planet.

Biocrust composed of mosses, lichens, and cyanobacteria
Posted inNews

Biocrust “Probiotics” Can Aid Dryland Restoration Efforts

by Derek Smith 10 January 202225 May 2022

Bacteria can speed up the growth of biocrust-forming organisms in nurseries, providing more material for restoration of degraded dryland soil.

A view of a bridge, with the New Orleans skyline visible in the distance between the bridge and the water. A purple tint, a teal curved line representing a river, and the text “#AGU25 coverage from Eos” overlie the photo.

Features from AGU Publications

Research Spotlights

Understanding Flux, from the Wettest Ecosystems to the Driest

24 November 202524 November 2025
Editors' Highlights

Using Lightning-Induced Precipitation to Estimate Electron Belt Decay Times

3 December 20252 December 2025
Editors' Vox

Hydrothermal Circulation and Its Impact on the Earth System

3 December 20253 December 2025
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