New observations and analysis dispel remaining doubts that anthropogenic climate change is expanding dry areas in northern midlatitudes.
Research Spotlights
Research spotlights are plain-language summaries of recent articles published in AGU’s suite of 24 journals.
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Why Mountainous Upland Forests Emit So Much Methane
New research suggests that moist tree heartwood produces methane and emits the greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.
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Urban Sewers Evolve Similarly to River Networks
Like river systems, engineered drainage networks become increasingly fractal as they grow.
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Mapping a Valparaíso Earthquake from Foreshock to Aftershock
Using seismic data recorded along the Chilean coast, scientists retrace the development of a recent earthquake.
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A Better Way to Predict Space Storms
A new model of solar winds could reduce false alarms.
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Nonflood Flow May Be Major Driver of Delta Growth
Plants and fluctuating river flow work together to balance vertical sediment buildup with sediment delivery to the delta’s edge.
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Probing the Grain-Scale Processes That Drive Plate Tectonics
New experimental data suggest that rock composition may play a critical role in forming and perpetuating shear zones.
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Searching for Organic Carbon in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica
Researchers identify the first evidence of microbial respiration in desiccated Antarctic permafrost soils.
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Reducing Errors in Satellite-Derived Arctic Sea Ice Thicknesses
Salty snow throws off satellite-based estimates of Arctic sea ice thickness by up to 25%. A new method seeks to fix that.
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Sandy Beaches Are Hotbeds of Biochemical Activity
A new study explores the role of wet sand in coastal ecology.