Shrubs and trees across the United States routinely sip water stored in bedrock, a discovery that has implications for the terrestrial water cycle.
Earth science
Tree Rings Reveal a 700-Year Record of Flooding in Bangladesh
Trees tell of a wetter past along the Brahmaputra River and, combined with climate modeling, suggest heightened future flood risks in one of the world’s most densely populated areas.
Lasers Have the Makings of a 21st-Century Geoscience Tool
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is a versatile geochemical tool being used in a wide range of applications, from Mars rovers to earthly rock identification.
New Contamination Concern for Colorado Streams
Abandoned hardrock mines and climate change cause metals and other elements to leach into streams. They also put rare earth elements into the water, a new study finds.
For Venice’s Floodgates to Work, Better Forecasts Are Needed
Climate change increases massive storm surges, which may be more than Venice’s flood-control system can handle.
Newly Improved Solar Spectral Irradiance Composite Record
A new study accurately captures solar irradiance, which is crucial to understand the energetics and radiation balance of Earth and its influences on the cryosphere, atmosphere, and ocean currents.
Adapting to Receding Glaciers in the Tropical Andes
Integrated approaches are needed to understand and respond to changes in tropical mountain ecosystems and communities brought about by receding glaciers and changes in land use.
Greener, Wetter Arabia Was a Crossroads of Early Human Migration
Hand axes, hippo bones, and a stack of ancient lake beds show that arid Arabia experienced intervals of humid weather, spurring pulses of human migration over the past 400,000 years.
Drone Rules Make Tracking Down Faults a Difficult Feat
Regulations differ from country to country, but on one point, they’re relatively uniform: Drones must remain within their operators’ line of sight. How do earthquake scientists collect drone data while working within the rules?
Mechanisms of Hydrothermal Ocean Plate Cooling Revealed
A combination of waveform tomography and hydrothermal modelling allows characterizing the mechanisms and reach of fluid flux and ocean plate cooling near mid-ocean ridges with unprecedented detail.
