Ancient plant and animal DNA buried in Arctic sediments preserve a 50,000-year history of Arctic ecosystems, suggesting that climate change contributed to mammoth extinction.
sediments
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Theory Connects Tree Uprooting and Sediment Movement
Tree throw from extreme wind events plays an important role in the movement of sediment and erosion on forested hillslopes. A new theory offers a novel way to measure its impact.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Himalayan Tectonics in the Driver’s Seat, Not Climate?
Earth’s oscillating climate is a natural guess to explain cyclic patterns in erosion, but new sediment data suggests that cyclicity may emerge from tectonic processes adding material to the Himalaya.
Posted inNews
When Rivers Are Contaminated, Floods Are Only the First Problem
As floods increase in frequency and intensity, chemicals buried in river sediments become “ticking time bombs” waiting to activate.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Unravelling Sands and Muds Suspended in Coastal Environments
A new study uses the response of optical and acoustic measurements to derive a sediment composition index for prediction of the relative fractions of mixed sediments in suspension.
Posted inAGU News
Cutting to the Core
In our July issue, Eos looks at the collection, study, and storage of cores—from sediment drilled up from the age of the dinosaurs to tree rings as big as a house.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Why Rivers Need Their Floodplains
Floodplain storage of water, nutrients, and sediment is critical to sustaining river ecosystems but has been reduced by human activities.
Posted inNews
European Colonists Dramatically Increased North American Erosion Rates
Around 200 years ago, when conversion of land for agriculture became more widespread, the amount of sediment accumulating in riverbeds across the continent jumped tenfold.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Experimenting with Underwater Sediment Slides
Sediment-laden currents caused by breaching flow slides are hazardous to flood defenses and seabed infrastructure. New research shows that these phenomena must be accounted for in erosion simulations.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Coastal Sediment Deficit Appears Smaller Than Previously Thought
With a deficit of sediment needed to compensate for relative sea level rise, a new study demonstrates that organic material cannot be ignored in evaluating mass and volume accumulation rates.