Using Puerto Rico's Luquillo Mountains as a case study, scientists use the region's geological history to study how knickpoints—areas where there's a sharp change in the river's slope—move over time.
tropics
Posted inNews
El Niño Will Increase Atmospheric Carbon to Historic Levels
Tropical fires and drought-stricken ecosystems that normally serve as sinks will release carbon, contributing to high atmospheric concentrations through 2016 and beyond.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Climate Change Influences the Dynamics Behind Tropical Cyclones
A new model reveals how cumulus convection, humidity, and tropical circulations interact as global temperatures rise.
Posted inScience Updates
How Do Climate Variations Affect the Width of the Tropics?
The Width of the Tropics: Climate Variations and Their Impacts; Santa Fe, New Mexico, 27–31 July 2015
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Radar Study Examines Pulsing Tropical Climate
In the Madden-Julian Oscillation, shear forces caused by air layers slipping and sliding near the equator play a critical role in forming enormous thunderstorms and monsoons.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Illuminating the Controls of Convection
Researchers compare observations and models of air circulation over the tropics to determine if simulations capture how the environment shapes convection.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Methyl Chloride Can Track Tropical Air in the Lower Stratosphere
A new study shows that trace gas samples collected aboard commercial airliners can be used to determine the origin and dynamics of atmospheric air masses.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Insights into the Complicated World of Tropical Convection
New study identifies key variables that move solar heat from the ocean to the troposphere in the tropics.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Low-Altitude Clouds Play an Important Role in a Changing Climate
Scientists uncover the mechanics behind tropical marine low cloud cover and its influence on models of anthropogenic climate change.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Tropical Deforestation Accelerated Faster Than Initially Thought
New satellite-based analysis of forest cover in the humid tropics from 1990 to 2010 contradicts previous estimates of rate of loss.