The MADE Challenge for Groundwater Transport in Highly Heterogeneous Aquifers: Insights from 30 Years of Modeling and Characterization at the Field Scale and Promising Future Directions; Valencia, Spain, 5–8 October 2015
Modeling
Characterizing Interglacial Periods over the Past 800,000 Years
Researchers identified 11 different interglacial periods over the past 800,000 years, but the interglacial period we are experiencing now may last an exceptionally long time.
New Solar Wind Model Could Improve Space Weather Forecasts
Real-world data drive a simulation that successfully predicts Sun structures and interplanetary solar wind dynamics.
Predicting Changing Human Preferences in Water Basin Management
A model of human-water interactions in Florida's Kissimmee River Basin demonstrates the potential for sociohydrologic models to assist with strategic water management decisions.
Modeling Weather over Mountainous Terrain
Scientists use high-resolution models to study how the jagged terrain of the Earth's mountains influences precipitation.
Sun's Magnetic Fields Best at Forecasting Solar Cycle Peaks
Models based on the Sun's polar magnetic fields performed best in simulating the solar cycle and predicting solar behavior.
Does El Niño Intensity Affect Precipitation in California?
Modeling experiments demonstrate that strong El Niños greatly increase odds for wet winters over California's principal watersheds compared to impacts of weak and moderate El Niños.
New Paths in Geoengineering
National Center for Atmospheric Research Fifth Annual Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Workshop and Early Career Summer School; Boulder, Colorado, 20–24 July 2015
Seismic Clues Reveal the Mechanisms Behind Iceberg Calving
Scientists combine models and video footage of iceberg calving to analyze the potential of seismology to unravel physical processes behind the breakup of ice sheets.
Soil Crusts Play a Dual Role in Desertification
Rain falling on bare soil can form a hard crust that prevents further infiltration. But do these crusts worsen land degradation or help to prevent it?
