Major river basins around the world, including the Amazon, may be hot spots for ecological shifts as the planet warms.
Modeling
A New Way to Represent Microphysical Uncertainty
A new way of representing microphysical uncertainty in convective-scale data assimilation reduces biases in model states and improves the accuracy of short-term precipitation forecasts.
The Birth, Growth, and Death of Continents
There are various explanations for how the Earth’s continents form, develop, and change but challenges remain in fully understanding the driving forces behind plate tectonics on our planet.
Melting Arctic Sea Ice Strengthens Tides
If climate change throws off the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle of Arctic sea ice, it could trigger a reinforcing cycle of sea ice melt in parts of the Canadian Arctic.
AeroCom Models Improved with Aerosol and Albedo Constraints
Satellite data has been used to correct the aerosol loading and land surface albedo in several AeroCom models, which has improved shortwave flux biases between models and observations.
Uncovering Hidden Errors in Simulated Precipitation
New metrics used to quantify errors in precipitation show that convection permitting simulations outperform coarser resolution simulations.
Tree Rings Reveal a 700-Year Record of Flooding in Bangladesh
Trees tell of a wetter past along the Brahmaputra River and, combined with climate modeling, suggest heightened future flood risks in one of the world’s most densely populated areas.
Tools for Improved Drought and Flood Response
A new book presents recent advances in the modeling and remote sensing of droughts and floods of use to emergency response organizations and policy makers on a global scale.
Mechanisms of Hydrothermal Ocean Plate Cooling Revealed
A combination of waveform tomography and hydrothermal modelling allows characterizing the mechanisms and reach of fluid flux and ocean plate cooling near mid-ocean ridges with unprecedented detail.
Impacts by Moving Gravel Cause River Channels to Widen or Narrow
A new analytical model describes how the amount and grain size of sediment transported by rivers influences bedrock channel width, which can be used to predict where rivers will widen or narrow.