Modeling Earth’s near-space environment and its electrical currents is challenging. A new study compares how four different models stack up against observations.
everything atmospheric
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Geomagnetic Storms Light Up the Geocorona
After geomagnetic storms, Earth’s corona abruptly increases in hydrogen density. For the first time, serendipitous observations have allowed researchers to investigate why.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Technique Could Help Scientists Track Nitrous Oxide Sources
A long-term study in Switzerland reveals the promise of a new method to determine isotopic composition of the potent greenhouse gas.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Uncovering the Hidden Secrets of Water Vapor
A recent paper in Reviews of Geophysics describes how water vapor isotopic measurements and modeling can improve our understanding of the Earth’s water cycle.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Storm Turbulence Can Spark Lightning
The turbulent pockets of air inside storms can help to build up static electricity in the atmosphere, according to a new study.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Sorting Waves in the Sky
Gravity waves in the atmosphere drive weather around the globe. A new study helps interpret gravity wave data and identify annual patterns of this atmospheric mechanism.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Makes the Biggest Cycle in Tropical Weather Tick?
The Madden-Julian Oscillation drives storms across the Indian and Pacific oceans every 30 to 60 days. New research suggests that clouds absorbing and reemitting radiative energy play a key role.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Warm Waters in West Antarctica
A recent paper in Reviews of Geophysics describes the atmospheric and oceanic processes that are causing ice loss in the Antarctic.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Global Atmospheric Observations May Need Tweaking for Turbulence
A new study that overturns an 80-year-old assumption about atmospheric turbulence may finally resolve discrepancies in observations of atmospheric heat, water vapor, and carbon.
Posted inNews
Science Explains “Rough and Chaotic” Cloud Feature
Research on the newest entry in the International Cloud Atlas produces insights into what these cloud features are made of and how they form.