Cutting-edge models predict that El Niño frequency will increase within 2 decades because of climate change, regardless of emissions mitigation efforts.
Oceans
Understanding the Importance of Salt Marshes
Hydrological processes affect plant ecology and the biogeochemical exchange between salt marshes and the sea.
Hidden Upwelling Systems May Be Overlooked Branches of Ocean Circulation
New research suggests that overlooked upwelling systems in western boundary currents play a role in transporting nutrients, carbon, and heat in the global ocean.
After a Hurricane, Coastal Systems Draw a Line in the Sand
A new study finds nature can’t have it both ways: On the basis of thousands of case studies from dozens of hurricanes, there’s always a trade-off between resistance and resilience.
Robotic Vehicles Explore World War II Era Ocean Battlefields
Project Recover used autonomous underwater vehicles to identify, access, and image hard-to-reach World War II wreckage sites near the Northern Mariana Islands.
Higher Sea Surface Temperatures Could Lead to a Weaker Monsoon
Most climate models predict that the South Asian monsoon will strengthen with climate change, but new research indicates warmer ocean temperatures may lead to a drier phenomenon.
Deep-Sea Exploration Could Help Us Fight the Next Pandemic
Deep-ocean-dwelling microbes may hold keys to improved medical diagnostics and new drugs for fighting diseases. But we must search Earth’s most extreme habitats to find them.
Exploring Subduction Zone Geohazards on Land and at Sea
A new initiative is bringing together scientists to address fundamental questions about subduction zone geohazards, using the latest advances in observation technology and computational resources.
Satellites’ Lasers Reveal Changes in Earth’s Water Movement
The laser-based instruments aboard the GRACE-FO satellites may be extended to other geophysical applications to collect data on other submonthly mass changes in Earth’s system.
Just 15.5% of Global Coastline Remains Intact
Combining data from land and sea helps ecologists measure human impact.
