Polarimetric radar advances enable scientists to measure orientations of crystals, bubbles, and other properties that affect the flow of glaciers and ice sheets—and their contributions to sea level.
cool tools
Posted inScience Updates
Sensing the Sounds from Earth’s Hazardous Environments
Low-cost infrasound sensors, deployed in large numbers, provide a practical means of data collection near volcanoes, earthquakes, wildfires, and other geophysical phenomena.
Posted inScience Updates
A New Twist on Robotic Float Data Reveals Critical Ocean Chemistry
A novel application of a statistical method to existing data from the global network of BGC-Argo floats unveiled chemical measurements critical to tracking nitrogen cycling in oxygen minimum zones.
Posted inNews
These South Pole Seismometers Will Detect Vibrations 1.5 Miles Under the Ice
The instruments will freeze into Antarctica’s ice sheet, where they will collect detailed, global-scale seismic data.
Posted inScience Updates
Shining a Light on the People Behind Solar Science
A new database provides a comprehensive who’s who of scientists in solar and heliospheric physics research, offering a valuable resource for that community and a model for other fields to follow.
Posted inNews
Celebrating the MacGyver Spirit: Hacking, Tinkering, Scavenging, and Crowdsourcing
The MacGyver sessions allow scientist-tinkerers to have “nerd-on-nerd” discussions about do-it-yourself gadgets and gizmos.
Posted inNews
Safety Device Supplies Life-Saving Air in an Avalanche
An Alpine medical team buried 24 volunteers in a mountain pass. Their study confirmed the efficacy of the Safeback SBX, which uses snow’s natural porosity to supply air to buried avalanche victims.
Posted inNews
Ice Diatoms Glide at Record-Low Temperatures
New observations reveal how microscopic organisms move through polar ice and illustrate how they may have evolved to thrive in extreme environments.
Posted inFeatures
The AI Revolution in Weather Forecasting Is Here
The past decade has seen explosive growth in forecasting research and applications using AI. Sophisticated new approaches show vast potential to support public safety, health, and economic prosperity.
Posted inFeatures
Small Satellites, Big Futures
Programs that teach students to design, build, and launch tiny satellites are helping to inspire the next generation of space scientists and engineers.