Some southern beeches in the Andes have plumbed deeper for moisture as the surface has dried up. But doing so may deplete resources and undermine the trees’ future health.
isotopes
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Plants Leave Chemical Fingerprints on an Ozone-Depleting Gas
A first-of-its-kind study suggests that isotope analysis could be used to pinpoint sources and sinks of atmospheric methyl chloride.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Using Cave Formations to Investigate Ancient Wildfires
From sediment cores to speleothems, environmental archives are helping us to understand the history of wildfires.
Posted inNews
Wisconsin Stalagmite Records North American Warming
A speleothem has revealed rapid periods of warming across the interior of the continent during the last glacial period, corresponding to similar events recorded in Greenland ice.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Depleted Mantle Merry-Go-Round
Abyssal peridotites show through their isotopic composition a complex history. From differences we can infer the existence of ultra depleted mantle and an uneven contribution to ridge magmatism.
Posted inNews
Searching for the Sculptor of France’s Caves
Spelunking scientists searched for the original source of the French Pyrenees’ magnificent caves.
Posted inNews
Ice Cores Record Long-Ago Seasons in Antarctica
Researchers used ice core data to reconstruct seasonal temperatures throughout the Holocene. The results link especially hot summers with patterns in Earth’s orbit.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Source of Precipitation Moisture Feeding Himalayan Rivers
Isotope study showing the partitioning of moisture into snow, ice, and groundwater allows an understanding of the relative contribution to river flow to show where Himalayan river water comes from.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Rare and Revealing: Radiocarbon in Service of Paleoceanography
While radiocarbon is best known as a dating tool, this rare isotope can also provide unique and wide-ranging insights into the cycling of carbon in the Earth system.
