Reordering of mineral crystal lattice structures during laboratory heating may explain the frequent need to reject results of experiments that estimate the intensity of Earth's past magnetic fields.
Research Spotlights
Research spotlights are plain-language summaries of recent articles published in AGU’s suite of 24 journals.
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Scientists Probe the Calm After Solar Storms
In forecasting the effects of solar storms, understanding how they subside—and not just how they arrive—will be crucial.
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Sun Glitter Provides a Detailed Map of Ocean Waves
European scientists use satellite sensors to detect light reflected off waves at the ocean's surface, which could help improve wave forecasts.
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What Caused the Fatal 2014 Eruption of Japan's Mount Ontake?
Analysis of the change in the stratovolcano's tilt just prior to the explosion suggests that the cracking of a previously intact fluid barrier caused the country's deadliest eruption since 1926.
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Water Quality Database Offers New Tools to Study Aquatic Systems
Researchers assess the federal Water Quality Portal, a Web portal that unites disparate water quality data sets and resources.
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Modeling Permafrost's Role in the Global Carbon Cycle
A team of international scientists surveyed an array of Earth ecosystem models, recommending several ways to reduce uncertainties.
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How Lightning Creates "Killer Electrons" in Earth's Radiation Belts
New calculations show that lightning-triggered plasma waves in Earth's magnetosphere absorb energy from slow particles and energize electrons to levels that can damage satellites severely.
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Tracking Volcanic Bombs in Three Dimensions
A new method allows researchers to precisely track in three dimensions bits of fragmented magma as they are expelled in explosive volcanic eruptions.
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Exploring Ancient Ocean Acidification in the Rock Record
Scientists studying Earth's ancient oceans use a new method to measure ocean acidification and its effect on extinction events.
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Polar Interlopers in the Aurora
A new study suggests that poleward boundary intensifications in the aurora are caused by fast flows of plasma from the poles into the auroral oval.