Earth’s land is drying as it warms, but it is not clear how dry is too dry.
Modeling
Danger in the Dust! The Hazards of Windblown Dust
Airborne dust not only causes disease, it also menaces transportation on land, sea, and air; disrupts renewable energy systems; transports pathogens and toxic substances; and poses many other hazards.
A New Look at the Changing Water Cycle Over Land
Whether warming increases or decreases, rain over land depends on the relationship of soil moisture, evaporation, and aridity which shape rain regimes.
A Giant Rockslide on a Bed of Steam
Detailed observations of the giant Sevier gravity slide in Utah show that the exceedingly low basal friction required for its rapid emplacement was developed by trapped thermally pressurized fluids.
Fine-Tuning Air Pollution Models
InMAP estimates air pollution within cities, but its predictions are flawed for specific chemicals. Now, scientists are addressing that shortcoming.
A Symbiosis Between Agriculture and Solar Power
A growing population requires more food and energy, which compete for limited space…unless they don’t.
New Forecasting Tool Could Help Indian Farmers Plan Irrigation
Tropical weather is unpredictable, but a new tool could help farmers get a better grasp on it.
Heat Waves: A Growing Threat to Society and the Environment
With heat waves expected to worsen in the 21st century it is essential to take stock of our current understanding, knowledge gaps, and to set research priorities.
Rotation of Europa’s Icy Shell Driven by Deep Ocean Currents
A model using currents in the deep ocean to drive rotation of Europa’s ice shell from below can explain why its surface may drift despite being tidally locked.
Satellite View of African Easterly Waves and Hurricane Formation
Researchers present a new analysis of surface winds and enthalpy fluxes from satellite retrievals for African easterly waves that intensify into Atlantic hurricanes.