Kimberly M. S. Cartier, Author at Eos

A pile of unprocessed coal briquettes is photographed from above. The image is in shades of gray and black and is more illuminated in the center than along the edges.

Lake Sediments Record North Carolina’s Coal Legacy

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 14 October 20228 February 2023

Coal ash–polluted lakes are in residential and recreational areas, invoking concern for the health of local residents and ecosystems.

News

Rain Makes Skulls Bigger—in Mice

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 4 October 202228 October 2022

New research shows how regional weather, shaped by towering mountain ranges, might influence the size and shape of local rodents.

An optical astronomy image shows hundreds of stars in shades of blue, white, yellow, and red, with a dark band of dust running horizontally across the image. The stars are a range of sizes, from bright blue spots to no more than pinpricks.

News

Massive Stars May Commit Grand Theft Planet

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 23 September 202223 September 2022

New simulations show that planets around young, massive stars may have been captured or stolen rather than homegrown.

A tall jet of lightning extends upward from a bright thundercloud in front of a dark starry sky. The gigantic jet is bright white at the base and then transitions to blue and then to red as it reaches upward. The top of the jet is wider than the base.

News

Gigantic Jet of Lightning Mapped over Oklahoma

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 7 September 20227 September 2022

The most powerful gigantic jet ever recorded fortuitously appeared over a sensor array in Oklahoma, enabling scientists to map the structure of the phenomenon for the first time.

Deb Haaland, wearing a gray suit with a red and black blouse, reads from a black book as she swears in the new USGS director. David Applegate, wearing a gray suit, white shirt, and red bow tie, stands opposite her with his right hand raised as he is sworn in. The pair stand in front of a large white marble fireplace set in a wood-paneled wall. The wall is decorated with Native American artwork, and the fireplace is framed by an American flag and a light blue flag for the U.S. Department of the Interior.

News

New USGS Director: Partnerships Are Our Superpower

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 26 August 202226 August 2022

The new director hopes to strengthen existing partnerships, build and retain a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and deliver the agency’s science to those who need it most.

We are in the middle of solar cycle 25, which means that the Sun has been slowly ramping up its sunspot and flare activity for the past few years.

Features

11 Discoveries Awaiting Us at Solar Max

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 25 August 202230 September 2022

Each solar cycle might seem like the same old story, but one thing has changed significantly since the previous solar maximum–our technology.

In this digital illustration, three small rocky planets orbit a pulsar. One planet is large in the foreground and has a polar aurora and cratered surface. The other two are smaller in the background. A pulsar appears at top left in the image and is depicted as a bright white point source emitting white beams at 5 o’clock and 11 o’clock. Purple and green loops and swirls surround the point of light and represent the strong magnetic field of a pulsar.

News

Pulsar Planets Are Exceedingly Rare

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 16 August 202216 August 2022

A new survey of hundreds of pulsars could help solve the mystery of why planets exist around these dead stars.

A panoramic image of a tall waterfall in a verdant and lush tropical valley. The waterfall is along the left side of the valley, and trees with bright green, dark green, and yellow leaves fill the valley floor and cover the valley walls. A grayish sky with mist is above the valley.

News

Maui Endures More Drought and Drier Streams

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 29 July 202229 July 2022

Drought continues to threaten Maui’s native land-based and marine ecosystems, water resources, and traditional ways of life. But conservationists have hope—and ways to fight back.