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STUDYING INTERMITTENT RIVERS Give Your Research the Visibility It Deserves VOL. 97 NO. 15 1 AUG 2016 Pinatubo 25 Years Later Tsunamis on Ancient Mars Earth & Space Science News Economic Frontiers in the Ocean STUDYING INTERMITTENT RIVERS Give Your Research the Visibility it Deserves Abstract Submission Deadline: 3 August Submit Your Abstract Now fallmeeting.agu.org Earth & Space Science News Contents 1 AUG 2016 NEWS FEATURE VOLUME 97, ISSUE 15 Pinatubo 25 Years Later: 16 Eight Ways the Eruption Broke Ground From the first rapid assessment of a volcano’s history to insights on geoengineering, the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo changed the way we approach and learn from volcanic hazards. NEWS 5 El Niño Will Increase Atmospheric Carbon to Record Levels Tropical fires and drought-stricken ecosystems that normally serve as sinks will release carbon, contributing to high atmospheric concentrations through 2016 and beyond. OPINION 12 COVER 10 One for All, All for One: A Global River Research Network The New Blue Economy: A Vast Oceanic Frontier Intermittent rivers are an increasing share of the world’s river Now is an opportune time to reflect on the network, but current models don’t include them. One research network realizable potential for investing in, and is gathering knowledge about these rivers from around the world. building, a new blue economy. Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 1 Contents DEPARTMENTS Editor in Chief Barbara T. Richman: AGU, Washington, D. C., USA; eos_ [email protected] Editors Christina M. S. Cohen Wendy S. Gordon Carol A. Stein California Institute Ecologia Consulting, Department of Earth and of Technology, Pasadena, Austin, Texas, USA; Environmental Sciences, Calif., USA; wendy@ecologiaconsulting University of Illinois at cohen@srl .caltech.edu .com Chicago, Chicago, Ill., USA; [email protected] José D. Fuentes David Halpern Department of Meteorology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pennsylvania State Pasadena, Calif., USA; University, University davidhalpern29@gmail Park, Pa., USA; .com [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board M. Lee Allison, Earth and Space John W. Lane, Near-Surface Geophysics Science Informatics Jian Lin, Tectonophysics Mark G. Flanner, Atmospheric Figen Mekik, Paleoceanography Sciences and Paleoclimatology Nicola J. Fox, Space Physics Jerry L. Miller, Ocean Sciences and Aeronomy Michael A. Mischna, Planetary Sciences Steve Frolking, Biogeosciences Thomas H. Painter, Cryosphere Sciences Edward J. Garnero, Study of the Philip J. Rasch, Global Environmental Earth’s Deep Interior Change Michael N. Gooseff, Hydrology Eric M. Riggs, Education Brian C. Gunter, Geodesy Adrian Tuck, Nonlinear Geophysics 26 Kristine C. Harper, History Sergio Vinciguerra, Mineral of Geophysics and Rock Physics Susan E. Hough, Natural Hazards Andrew C. Wilcox, Earth and Planetary Emily R. Johnson, Volcanology, Surface Processes 23–25 AGU News Geochemistry, and Petrology Earle Williams, Atmospheric Keith D. Koper, Seismology and Space Electricity AGU Talent Pool Programs Can Help Robert E. Kopp, Geomagnetism Mary Lou Zoback, Societal Impacts Students with Next Career Steps; and Paleomagnetism and Policy Sciences 2016 AGU Section and Focus Group Staff Awardees and Named Lecturers. Production and Design: Faith A. Ishii, Production Manager; Melissa A. Tribur, Senior Production Specialist; Liz Castenson, Editorial and Production Coordinator; Elizabeth 4 Jacobsen, Production Intern; Yael Fitzpatrick, Manager, Design and Branding; Valerie 26–27 Research Spotlight Bassett and Travis Frazier, Electronic Graphics Specialists How Tropical Cyclones Influence Editorial: Peter L. Weiss, Manager/Senior News Editor; Mohi Kumar, Scientific Content Editor; Randy Showstack, Senior News Writer; JoAnna Wendel, News Writer; 3–8 News Photosynthesis; The Mathematics of Amy Coombs, Editorial Intern Braided Rivers; Defining the Onset Marketing: Angelo Bouselli, Marketing Program Manager; Jamie R. Liu, Manager, Tsunamis Splashed Ancient Mars; and End of the Indian Summer Marketing Report Touts White House Science Monsoon. Advertising: Christy Hanson, Manager; Tel: +1-202-777-7536; Email: advertising@ Impact; El Niño Will Increase agu.org Atmospheric Carbon to Record ©2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Material in this issue may be Levels; The 2015 Indonesian Fires: 28–32 Positions Available photocopied by individual scientists for research or classroom use. Permission is also granted to use short quotes, figures, and tables for publication in scientific books and Less Carbon Release Than Was Current job openings in the Earth journals. For permission for any other uses, contact the AGU Publications Office. Thought; Habitat Fragmentation and space sciences. Eos (ISSN 0096-3941) is published semi-monthly, on the 1st and 15th of the month by Prevents Migration During the American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, Climate Change; Robert L. “Bob” USA. Periodical Class postage paid at Washington, D. C., and at additional mailing Inside Back Cover: offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Member Service Center, 2000 Carovillano (1932–2015). Postcards from the Field Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Member Service Center: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern time; Tel: +1-202-462-6900; Exposed Cambrian reef at Mount 9 Meeting Report Fax: +1-202-328-0566; Tel. orders in U.S.: 1-800-966-2481; Email: [email protected]. Magruder in Nevada. Use AGU’s Geophysical Electronic Manuscript Submissions system Ocean Observatories Initiative to submit a manuscript: http://eos-submit.agu.org. Expands Coastal Ocean Research. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official On the Cover positions of the American Geophysical Union unless expressly stated. The Fish River in southern Namibia Christine W. McEntee, Executive Director/CEO 10–11 Opinion floods in late summer, but dries into The New Blue Economy: A Vast a series of pools the rest of the year. Oceanic Frontier. Credit: Teagan Cunniffe. facebook.com/AmericanGeophysicalUnion @AGU_Eos linkedin.com/company/american-geophysical-union youtube.com/user/AGUvideos 2 // Eos 1 August 2016 NEWS Tsunamis Splashed Ancient Mars Mighty Waves Resculpted Ocean Shore The team used three data sets— visible images, altimeter data, and thermal images—from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Global Surveyor to probe a small section of the northern plains. The images show two different populations of semicircular sedimentary deposits called lobes, one of which is associated with backwash channels, and massive boulders aligned within those channels. From the features, Rodriguez and his colleagues have been able to piece together a detailed story of what transpired to cre- ate those landforms long ago. The first tsunami swept past the shoreline, the team con- Alexis Rodriguez, NASA, JPL-Caltech, Arizona State University JPL-Caltech, Arizona State NASA, Alexis Rodriguez, tends, entraining with it boul- ders as wide as 10 meters, until it This thermal image shows elevated ice-rich lobes likely deposited by the second of two tsunamis suspected to have inundated Mar- hit surrounding highlands. There tian shorelines billions of years ago. The lobes, outlined in yellow and marked with arrows indicating flow direction at the time they the water rolled uphill and left formed, each extend approximately 250 kilometers, roughly the distance from Baltimore to New York City. sediments behind until it retreated into the ocean. As the waters washed inward, they he northern hemisphere of Mars hosts “It is difficult to imagine summer Califor- gouged enormous backwash channels along a vast, smooth basin that looks as nian beaches on early Mars, but try picturing the shore and aligned boulders within those T though it could have once held an Norwegian iced fjords during a particularly channels. ocean. However, the basin lacks topographic cold winter and maybe you’ll get a more features of an obvious and complete ancient accurate picture,” said Alberto Fairén of the Big Chill shoreline, so planetary scientists have Center of Astrobiology in Madrid, Spain, who During the thousands of millennia between debated this tantalizing possibility for that tsunami and the next, Mars underwent decades. Signs of a Martian ocean serious global cooling, the team asserts. Now a team of researchers has given During this time, the ocean partially froze extraordinary new scrutiny to these land- sustained for millions of and much of it evaporated, causing its sea forms. As a result, the scientists have identi- level to drop by about 300 meters and the fied huge deposits of rocks and sediments, years between meteorite shorelines to retreat. backwash gullies, and other topographic fea- impacts bolster the When a second projectile eventually tures on the edges of the basin. They report smacked into the smaller, ice-rich ocean, a that these features were likely produced possibility that the Red second tsunami washed ashore. Unlike the when tsunamis raced through an ocean in the previous event, this tsunami didn’t realign basin and scarred shorelines roughly 3.4 bil- Planet offered a tolerable boulders or even leave backwash channels. lion years ago. “You can imagine that if you have water and The evidence suggests that two separate environment for life. you spill it over a frozen surface, it will freeze tsunamis stormed through the ocean—which over very fast because it’s thin,” said Rodri- encircled the north pole and could have been guez. “So the tsunami basically freezes in situ one third the size of the entire globe—some participated in the research
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