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The strength of the global meridional overturning circulation in the stratosphere is uncertain. An analysis of satellite data, reanalyses and model simulations reveals a strength of 6.3–7.6 × 109 kg s−1, but no convergence at higher altitudes.
Estimates of the carbon content of Earth’s mantle and magmas vary. Analysis and modelling of gas emissions at Hawai‘i indicate that the amount of carbon in the Hawaiian mantle plume and CO2 in Hawaiian lavas is 40% greater than previously thought.
The processes for crustal recycling during the Archaean are unclear. Numerical simulations suggest that dense lower crust would have peeled off into the mantle, leading to a rapid concentration of buoyant silicic rocks that formed the continents.
The Martian atmosphere hosts water-ice clouds, but it is thought that any snow precipitation settles slowly, rather than in storms. Martian meteorology simulations suggest that localized convective snowstorms can occur on Mars during the night.
The East Antarctic ice sheet was larger than present during past cold periods. Seafloor geophysical data show that in the Ross Sea, the extended ice sheet was underlain by an active hydrologic system during the glacial termination.
Fluid flow in Earth’s crust redistributes minerals. Nanoscale imaging and molecular dynamics simulations suggest this flow is controlled by electrokinetic transport phenomena, highlighting the importance of nanoscale processes in metamorphism.
Sea spray aerosols are thought to alter cloud properties in remote ocean regions. Aerosol analyses over four ocean regions reveal that these aerosols represent less than 30% of cloud condensation nuclei in typical marine boundary layer clouds.
How rivers evacuate large landslide deposits is crucial for predicting post-seismic hazards. A 2D hydro-sedimentary model demonstrates that a narrowing river channel increases sediment transport, which reduces export time by orders of magnitude.
Ancient Mars may have had an active sulfur cycle. In situ analyses by the Curiosity rover reveal large variations in the current sulfur isotopic composition of Martian sediments that can be explained by geologic and atmospheric processes.
Glacier mass balances in High Mountain Asia are uncertain. Satellite stereo-imagery allows a spatially resolved estimate for about 92% of the glacierized area and yields a region-wide average of about 16 Gt yr−1 for 2000 to 2016.
Subglacial lakes contain active microbial ecosystems capable of cycling methane. In a subglacial lake in West Antarctica, methane that is produced is subsequently consumed, limiting the potential for methane emissions during lake drainage.
Icy planets and moons could become habitable as their host stars brighten and their ice melts. Climate simulations instead show a rapid transition from a snowball to an inhospitable greenhouse climate with significant water loss.
Volcanic glasses sampled by Apollo missions display high water contents. Remotely sensed spectral data show that pyroclastic deposits are generally enriched in water across the Moon, suggesting significant amounts of water in the lunar interior.
Creeping subduction zones are unlikely to generate tsunamigenic earthquakes. Analysis of a creeping part of the Alaskan subduction zone reveals fault structures similar to those in Tohoku, suggesting it may host large earthquakes and tsunamis.
A southward shift of the tropical rainbelts over the late twentieth century has been attributed. Climate simulations suggest that the mechanism for this influence lies largely with the interaction of aerosols with clouds.
Wastewater can make up a large fraction of stream flow. An analysis of over 14,000 US streams shows that under severe low-flow conditions, wastewater containing endocrine disruptors is poorly diluted, and many streams exceed safety thresholds.
Anomalous Arctic warming has been linked to colder North American winters. Analyses of weather and productivity observations reveal that Arctic–North American teleconnections reduce gross primary productivity in the US.
Plateaus separated by deeply incised fjords are hallmarks of glaciated passive continental margins. Computational experiments show that they arise from evolving feedbacks between topography, ice dynamics and erosion over millions of years.
The controls on magma transport in the crust are poorly known. Field analysis and numerical modelling of magmatic intrusions preserved in North America suggest that surface transfer of magma increases in warming crust as the magmatic system ages.
Microbes are expected to prefer substrates with the highest energy yield. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that a metabolically flexible archaeon exhibits preference for and greater growth from lower energy substrates.