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.
South America
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Short-Lived Solutions for Tall Trees in Chile’s Megadrought
Some southern beeches in the Andes have plumbed deeper for moisture as the surface has dried up. But doing so may deplete resources and undermine the trees’ future health.
Posted inNews
Harpy Eagles Concentrate Precious Nutrients in the Amazon
Amazon soils are usually low in the nutrients that plants covet, but harpy eagles can create local hot spots with their poop and prey.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Why Tropical Forests Are Important for Our Well-Being
Tropical forests play a critical role in supporting human well-being, food security, and the maintenance of biodiversity.
Posted inNews
Monitoring Moisture from Afar
Undisturbed tropical rain forests are experiencing more frequent droughts, but the ecosystems are isolated and difficult to assess. Scientists are using remote sensing to expand the depth and scope of monitoring efforts.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Amazon Basin Tree Rings Hold a Record of the Region’s Rainfall
New research provides a 200-year reconstruction of interannual rainfall in the Amazon basin using oxygen isotopes preserved in tree rings in Ecuador and Bolivia.
Posted inNews
Rain Makes Skulls Bigger—in Mice
New research shows how regional weather, shaped by towering mountain ranges, might influence the size and shape of local rodents.
Posted inScience Updates
A Puzzle Mat for Assembling Colombia’s Geologic History
A new database compiles all the available pieces of information about Colombia’s geochronology, offering scientists a consistent framework in which to view and study the data in a broader context.
Posted inFeatures
Africa’s Earth, Wind, and Fire Keep the Amazon Green
Jet streams sprinkle North African dust over the Amazon, providing the rain forest with much needed nutrients. Changing wind patterns and increasing smoke may shift the system.
Posted inAGU News
Dust in the Wind, Dirt Under Our Feet, and Dunes of Another World
In our April issue of Eos, we follow researchers who get to the root of the Amazon basin’s rich landscape.