New research confirms the influence of carbon dioxide on long-term temperature trends in the upper atmosphere, but changes in Earth’s magnetic field also play a key role.
Research Spotlights
Research spotlights are plain-language summaries of recent articles published in AGU’s suite of 24 journals.
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Chemical-Shuttling Bacteria Follow Earth’s Magnetic Field
Magnetotactic bacteria shunt sulfur, nitrogen, and other important elements between oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich waters.
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A Better Understanding of How the Sun Bends Light
Incorporating the refractive index of the Sun into models of gravitational lensing effects improves agreement with measurements of the phenomenon.
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How Some Trees Survive the Summer Dry Season
Oak trees in California seasonally tap moisture in unsaturated soil and weathered bedrock, even when the groundwater table is within reach of their roots.
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A Census of Snowdrifts in Northern Alaska
Snowdrifts prove less ephemeral than they might seem, occurring in the same places year after year.
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“Thirstier” Atmosphere Will Increase Wildfire Risk out West
New climate projections could inform long-term wildfire and water resources management strategies in California and Nevada.
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Can Satellites Fill Gaps in Agricultural Water Monitoring?
Past studies that have estimated irrigation water usage based on satellite remote sensing have had large uncertainties that could hamper effective water management.
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Acidifying Oceans Could Get Help from Kelp
Forests of fast-growing kelp influence the chemistry of the water in which they live. A new study evaluates their potential to ameliorate ocean acidification in sensitive coastal ecosystems.
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Australia’s Most Extreme Bushfire Season, Statistically Speaking
Researchers identified climatic and geomorphic risk factors that led to record-breaking fires across Australia during the 2019–2020 fire season.
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Boosting Weather Prediction with Machine Learning
WeatherBench is a data set compiled to serve as a standard for evaluating new approaches to artificial intelligence–driven weather forecasting.