Researchers use high-resolution satellite images to parse the effects of land use changes on the energy balance between the rain forest and the atmosphere.
Amazonia
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Simplified Model of Water Vapor Exchange in the Amazon
Evapotranspiration is the exchange of water vapor between land and the atmosphere, and it is hard to measure and model. A new study shows promise for its estimation over large, vegetated landscapes.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Seasonal Leaf Production Is Key Control on Amazon Carbon Balance
Characterizing leaf phenology in process-based models reconciles both “dry season green-up” and drought controls on Amazonian carbon balance.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Ocean Wind Satellites Observe an Amazonian Drought
Satellites designed to observe ocean winds can also be used to map both forest structure and water content, allowing researchers to disentangle factors of carbon loss due to drought in the Amazon.
Posted inScience Updates
The Amazon River’s Ecosystem: Where Land Meets the Sea
What happens to plant matter on its journey down the Amazon River to the Atlantic Ocean? One research group investigated the region where river and ocean meet to fill in this part of the story.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Improved Simulation of Gross Primary Productivity
A new model better explains seasonal variations in biomass.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
River Plumes near the Equator Have Major Effects on Oceans
Every second, the Congo sends millions of gallons of freshwater deep into the Atlantic, influencing marine plants and wildlife.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Smoke Signals in the Amazon
Forest fires can occur naturally, but in the world's largest rain forest, fire can signal large-scale deforestation.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Amazon Rain Forest Nourished by African Dust
New satellite data highlight the important role African dust plays in maintaining the rain forest's long-term health.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Could Amazonian Deforestation Increase Cloudiness and Rain?
In trading trees for pastures, patchwork differences in vegetation heights increase cloudiness in downwind regions.