Editors’ Highlights are summaries of recent papers by AGU’s journal editors.
Source: AGU Advances
The mountains ringing the Pacific Rim—stretching from the Andes to the Rockies, the Himalayas, and beyond—act as actual “water towers.” They host huge reserves of water that are stored in snowpack, glaciers, lakes, and soils, and then feed rivers and supply freshwater to billions of people downstream.
Yue et al. [2026] analyze how climate change affects freshwater supply from water towers by analyzing a new dendrochronological network of 100 tree-ring sampling sites. They first reconstruct Central China Water Tower (CCWT) runoff back to 1595. Then, by considering projections from climate models, the authors reveal increasing runoff across most Pacific Rim water towers, whereas water resources from the Northern Rocky Mountains are projected to decline substantially. These differences are attributed to distinct geographies and synoptic climatic conditions. The findings provide insights for adaptive management strategies in China.
Citation: Yue, W., Torbenson, M. C. A., Chen, F., Reinig, F., Esper, J., Martinez del Castillo, E., et al. (2026). Runoff reconstructions and future projections indicate highly variable water supply from Pacific Rim water towers. AGU Advances, 7, e2025AV002053. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025AV002053
—Alberto Montanari, Editor-in-Chief, AGU Advances