Understanding the role of permanently frozen soil, which covers a large portion of land in the Northern Hemisphere, is crucial to reaching global climate targets.
Research Spotlights
Research spotlights are plain-language summaries of recent articles published in AGU’s suite of 24 journals.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Researchers Compare Observations Versus Modeling of Coastal Carbon Cycle
While storing carbon dioxide, the coastal ocean also releases methane and nitrous oxide. New research shows that understanding the impact of coastal oceans on climate requires more research into these fluxes and how they counteract each other.
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Measuring and Modeling Methane Emissions in Wetlands
Scientists zero in on a Delaware salt marsh to study what shapes methane emissions in wetland environments.
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Urban Nature Is Often Plentiful but Inaccessible
A novel research framework deepens understanding of urban nature accessibility and highlights progress toward green space goals.
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Our Breathing Earth: A Review of Soil Respiration Science
A new synopsis details how the past 20 years have changed our understanding of soil respiration and revealed its critical effects on the climate system.
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Step Aside, Internal Tides: Supercomputer Modeling Improves Satellite Altimetry Precision
New supercomputer models can provide valuable information about the ocean’s layers and movements, particularly slow moving features such as eddies and currents.
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The Nature of Mantle Flow May Depend on the Type of Slab Subducting
Researchers tease apart the links between slabs and mantle flow near subduction zones, upending some traditional views of subduction-induced mantle flow.
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Anzali Wetland, Iran’s “Ecological Gem,” May Dry Up by 2060
More sustainable watershed management and agriculture are needed to avoid a desiccated fate.
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Plate Boundaries May Experience Higher Temperature and Stress Than We Thought
Surface heat flux data shed light on conditions deep below Earth’s surface, at a tectonic plate interface where major earthquakes initiate.
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The Escalating Impact of Global Warming on Atmospheric Rivers
Climate change is set to intensify atmospheric rivers and exacerbate extreme rainfall worldwide.