Researchers modeled and mapped how eight key aspects of human societies affect hydrological cycles.
Research Spotlights
Research spotlights are plain-language summaries of recent articles published in AGU’s suite of 24 journals.
Capturing Ocean Turbulence at the Underbelly of Sea Ice
A specially designed instrument enabled researchers in the Arctic to measure turbulence within 1 meter of the interface where ice meets ocean.
Plants Need a Lot of Power to Pump Sap
A novel calculation reveals how much power plants need to move water through their stems—and how plants gain energy from the process.
Surprise Hydrological Shifts Imperil Water Resources
Mounting evidence suggests the need for improved water planning strategies and revamped hydrological models.
Tropical Wetlands Emit More Methane Than Previously Thought
Climate models could be vastly underestimating methane emissions from the world’s tropical wetlands, according to observational surveys of wetlands in Zambia.
The Fate of a Lake After a Dramatic Mining Disaster
Researchers tracked long-term sediment dynamics in Canada’s Quesnel Lake following the 2014 failure of a dam that spilled record-breaking amounts of contaminated mining waste.
New Map of Proposed Mantle-Driven Topography Stirs the Pot
The role the deep Earth plays in creating topography is hotly debated. A new study uses subtle elevation changes around the globe as evidence that the mantle plays a key role in building topography.
Models Oversimplify How Melting Glaciers Deform Land
When glaciers melt, the land below deforms. Sea level data show that widely used models oversimplify the process.
From SAR Arc to STEVE: An Atmospheric Evolution
A new study reports the first observation of a stable auroral red arc evolving into a strong thermal emission velocity enhancement during a geomagnetic storm.