Experimental studies of frictional weakening beneath a deadly rock avalanche in China help to clarify the mechanisms that cause these devastating natural disasters.
China
La Niña Subtype May Have a Big Impact on Aerosols in China
During a newly identified "flavor" of La Niña called La Niña Modoki, aerosol concentrations over different regions of eastern China may depend heavily on the strength of the event.
Reading Raindrops: Microphysics in Typhoon Matmo
Quantitative predictions about tropical storms require an understanding of even their smallest physical processes. A new study observes unusual microphysics in 2014's Typhoon Matmo.
Water Challenges of Megacities
After attending a groundwater conference this summer in Shenzhen, China, Water Resources Research editor Jean Bahr reports back and summarizes the water management challenges posed by large cities.
Hong Kong, Macau at Greater Tsunami Risk Than We Thought
Researchers assess tsunami risk in the South China Sea based on models of seismic slip along the Manila megathrust.
Evidence Found for China's Ancient Origin Story
New geological findings suggest that an ancient flood in a popular legend about the birth of China's civilization might have actually occurred, but some 150 years later than historians thought.
Chemical Boosts Ozone Production over Southern China
The presence of nitryl chloride in polluted urban air can enhance the production of ozone by up to 41%, according to a new modeling study constrained by ground-based measurements.
Targets of Biggest Global Carbon Emitters Flunk Fairness Test
Pledges so far by the United States, European Union, and China would require all other countries to emit 7 to 14 times less per capita than those three regions by 2030 to limit warming to 2°C.
Chinese Cave Inscriptions Tell Woeful Tale of Drought
Researchers use the graffiti to extrapolate future drought risk in central China.
New Models Explain Unexpected Magnitude of China's Wenchuan Quake
The 2008 earthquake surprised scientists, but the inclusion of new variables reveals that Earth's crust under the Sichuan Province was under more strain than previously thought.