Four decades of research into biophysical responses to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens have vastly improved our understanding of how landscapes react to cataclysmic disturbances.
landscape & topography
Posted inNews
The Give and Take of Mercury in Glacial Landscapes
As glacial ice melts, toxic mercury is released into the environment. But a new study shows vegetation may be an effective cleanup crew.
Posted inNews
The Shape of Watersheds
Streams in flatter watersheds have carbon cycles more sensitive to temperature increases.
Posted inNews
Are Beavers Nature’s “Little Firefighters”?
It’s about dam time: Beavers are acknowledged for their firefighting skills in five recent blazes.
Posted inNews
How Do Submarine and Terrestrial Canyons Compare?
Insights from a new study could spark discoveries about Martian landscapes and also help researchers get to the bottom of canyon formation here on Earth.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Landslide Activity Ramps Up With Extreme Rainfall
An increase in activity of hundreds of slow-moving landslides during extreme wet conditions in California provides insights into the landscape response to ongoing climate change.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A More Accurate Global River Map
A new map of global river systems is based on crowdsourcing and the latest topography data sets.
Posted inScience Updates
Deciphering the Fate of Plunging Tectonic Plates in Borneo
What happens when subduction stops? A team of scientists installed a dense seismic network in Borneo to investigate causes and consequences of subduction termination.
Posted inNews
Airborne Gravity Surveys Are Remaking Elevations in the U.S.
Measuring gravity’s tiny fluctuations is giving the United States an upgraded system of elevations.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
3D Radiation-Topography Interaction Warms Up Tibetan Plateau
3-D radiation-topography interaction, which can increase the sunlight absorption by the surface, is missing in all climate models, causing strong cold biases over the Tibetan Plateau.