High-resolution optical observations of aurorae show fluctuations and structuring that could be explained by interactions between electrons and a plasma phenomenon called Alfvén waves.
everything atmospheric
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Clouds over the Highest Mountains Dance a Little Differently
Clouds over the Tibetan Plateau and the Andes are growing colder and higher than other clouds in response to climate change. That could affect local hydrology and radiation.
Posted inOpinions
Life in the Skies Links Ecosystems Near and Far. It Deserves More Attention.
Our understanding of Earth’s biology and its responses to environmental change is limited by an incomplete picture of the planet’s dynamic aerobiome.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Limits of Satellite Detection of Extreme Carbon Cycle Events
Satellite carbon dioxide observations detect more carbon-cycle extremes than ground stations but still miss many events and underestimate their magnitude.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists Zero In on Tiny Particles to Improve Weather and Air Quality Forecasts
A new method for handling satellite aerosol observations boosts simulation accuracy, with potential benefits for weather and climate forecasting.
Posted inFeatures
Chemical Conversations Between Forests and the Sky Affect Air Quality, Clouds, and More
Trees release invisible gases that can create clouds, trap heat, and worsen pollution. Scientists are busy trying to unravel forests’ complex atmospheric contributions in a changing climate.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Dust and Marine Halogens Team Up to Destroy Tropospheric Ozone
Mineral dust-activated halogen chemistry is an important yet under-studied natural sink of the tropospheric ozone with implications for the Earth’s oxidative balance, crop yields, and human health.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Wind Works: The Atmosphere’s Invisible Energetic Tug-of-War
Two basic atmospheric factors can explain the weak and, at times, contrasting trends in global wind energy dissipation under climate change.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Volatile Organic Compounds Have Been Underestimated in the Carbon Cycle
Better tracking of these reactive compounds is essential for understanding how the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere interact.
Posted inFeatures
The Effects of Polar Night and Day on Arctic Air Masses
Cold air outbreaks and warm air intrusions link Arctic and midlatitude weather and climate. But a lack of data on these events, especially in winter, limits our understanding.