Past studies underestimated a major pollution source, particularly in rural areas.
Research Spotlights
Research spotlights are plain-language summaries of recent articles published in AGU’s suite of 24 journals.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Look at How Long-Banned PCBs Persist in the Ocean
A new study tracks how climatic factors like sea ice cover and ocean circulation affect the life span and distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in the world’s oceans.
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A Novel Method for Assessing Model Sensitivity
This newly developed approach to assessing the quality of sensitivity analyses can be applied to any method without bootstrapping or additional model runs.
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As Sea Levels Rise, Expect More Floods
A new study unveils the increasing exposure of coastal communities to minor and extreme floods as sea levels rise.
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Water, Water Everywhere—But How Much H2O?
A new study quantifies the abundance of single and bonded H2O molecules in the ocean.
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Calculating the Risk of Rare Floods
The first spatially realistic catalog of synthetic flood event risk across the entire United States uncovers high-risk areas and estimates the probability of another Katrina–level flood loss.
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A New Road Map for Assessing the Effects of Solar Geoengineering
A special issue dedicated to modeling the impacts of stratospheric sulfur dioxide injections is a crucial step toward understanding the climate goals this intervention can—and cannot—achieve.
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Previous Research Has Underestimated Black Carbon Emissions
New observational constraints suggest that U.S. emissions of this heat-absorbing aerosol were 80% higher during the late 20th century than prior estimates have indicated.
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Modeling River Boulders to Improve Hydropower Sustainability
Large stones in streams provide crucial habitat for fish. Modeling the boulders and streamflow offers fresh insights into how water engineering projects alter aquatic habitats.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Explaining Ocean Acidification Patterns During Ancient Warming
Asymmetrical changes in ocean circulation and the marine carbon cycle could account for different degrees of ocean acidification between the Pacific and Atlantic.