Researchers compare observations and models of air circulation over the tropics to determine if simulations capture how the environment shapes convection.
Research Spotlights
Research spotlights are plain-language summaries of recent articles published in AGU’s suite of 24 journals.
Aerosols Make Cumulus Clouds Brighter but Shorter Lived
Computer simulations show that although adding aerosol particles to clouds can make them more reflective, the cooling effect from clouds is largely counterbalanced by a reduction in overall cloud cover.
California Is the Driest It's Been in 2000 Years
Scientists reconstruct the paleohydrology of Tulare Lake to unravel the region's long-term drought history.
Deep-Sea Microbes Can Leave Records of the Past
Researchers use carbon signatures within sea sediments to identify microbial activity and also to date earthquakes.
Tracking the Fate of Antarctica's Ice
New, more accurate satellite data provide researchers with ice shelf thickness measurements that will allow for better ice loss monitoring.
Modeling the Future of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Boreal Forests
Climate change and forest harvesting will increase the concentration and flow of dissolved organic carbon in boreal streams.
Tracking Carbon in the Alaskan Arctic
Researchers trace carbon through Arctic soils and find an unlikely source of methane and surprisingly low methane oxidation in watersheds throughout northern Alaska.
What Drives Pollutant Dispersion at Night?
Better understanding of waves and turbulence in calm air could improve predictions of weather and pollutant dispersion.
Space Weather Gains National and International Attention
A heightened understanding of geomagnetic disturbances in a high-tech world encourages policy changes in the United States and abroad.
Satellites Reveal a Temporary Carbon Sink over Australia
Satellite measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide provide insights into how droughts and floods influence the carbon cycle on the semiarid continent of Australia.