Probing Magma Reservoirs Sudden Stratospheric Warmings Two
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VOL. 99 NO. 6 JUNE 2018 Probing Magma Reservoirs Sudden Stratospheric Warmings Earth & Space Science News Two-Career Chaos Virtual Poster Showcase Serving as a faculty or advisor to students doing eld or lab-based research this summer? Consider adding the Fall Virtual Poster Showcase to the experience. Abstract submissions open 3 July 2018 Students need to take only these three simple steps to gain valuable experience presenting their research. • Submit an abstract • Upload a poster and accompanying video presentation • Evaluate the posters of peers and receive feedback on their own poster Learn more about the biannual showcases: virtualposter.agu.org Earth & Space Science News Contents JUNE 2018 PROJECT UPDATE VOLUME 99, ISSUE 6 16 Probing Magma Reservoirs to Improve Volcano Forecasts The roots of volcanoes remain enigmatic, largely because geophysical and petrological models remain rudimentary. Scientific drilling and exploration can help. PROJECT UPDATE 28 The Amazon River’s Ecosystem: Where Land Meets the Sea What happens to plant matter on its journey down the Amazon River to the Atlantic Ocean? One research group investigated the region where river and ocean meet to fill in this part of the story. 22 PROJECT UPDATE COVER How Sudden 34 Stratospheric Warmings Affect the Whole Atmosphere Satellites and Cell Phones High above Earth’s surface, air temperatures occasionally increase Form a Cholera Early-Warning System suddenly, producing widespread A new initiative combines satellite data with ground observations to assess and predict effects on weather, air chemistry, and the risk of cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh’s vulnerable populations. telecommunications. 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., José D. Fuentes David Halpern USA; [email protected] Department of Meteorology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pennsylvania State Pasadena, Calif., USA; University, University davidhalpern29@gmail Park, Pa., USA; .com [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board Mark G. Flanner, Atmospheric Sciences John W. Lane, Near-Surface Geophysics Nicola J. Fox, Space Physics Jian Lin, Tectonophysics and Aeronomy Figen Mekik, Paleoceanography Peter Fox, Earth and Space Science and Paleoclimatology Informatics Jerry L. Miller, Ocean 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 39 Brian C. Gunter, Geodesy Adrian Tuck, Nonlinear Geophysics Kristine C. Harper, History of Geophysics Sergio Vinciguerra, Mineral Sarah M. Hörst, Planetary Sciences and Rock Physics Susan E. Hough, Natural Hazards Andrew C. Wilcox, Earth and Planetary 3–9 News 40–44 Research Spotlight Emily R. Johnson, Volcanology, Surface Processes An Aurora of An Improved Understanding Geochemistry, and Petrology Earle Williams, Atmospheric Keith D. Koper, Seismology and Space Electricity a Different of How Rift Margins Evolve; Robert E. Kopp, Geomagnetism Mary Lou Zoback, Societal Impacts Color; Oil Spill Visualizing One of the Most and Paleomagnetism and Policy Sciences Response Hazardous Formations in Nature; Staff Knowledge Prairies, Potholes, and Public Production and Design: Faith A. Ishii, Production Manager; Melissa A. Tribur, Senior Grows, but New Policy; Widespread Mantle Production Specialist; Beth Bagley, Manager, Design and Branding; Travis Frazier and 8 Valerie Friedman, Senior Graphic Designers Risks Emerge; Upwelling Beneath Oceanic Editorial: Peter L. Weiss, Manager/Senior News Editor; Mohi Kumar, Scientific Former NASA Transform Faults; Sea Ice Loss Content Editor; Randy Showstack, Senior News Writer; Liz Castenson, Editorial Administrator Weighs In on New Suppresses Some Effects of Climate and Production Coordinator; Kimberly M. S. Cartier, News Writer and Production Space Agency Head; Playing Their Change; A Quantitative Look at Associate Way into the Geosciences; Honoring the United Nations’ Global Vision Marketing: Jamie R. 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Conditions Are Changing Rapidly in Eos (ISSN 0096-3941) is published monthly by the American Geophysical Union, Current job openings in the Earth 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Periodical Class postage paid Alpine Lake Ecosystems. at Washington, D. C., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address and space sciences. changes to Member Service Center, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, 12 Opinion USA. Inside Back Cover: Member Service Center: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern time; Tel: +1-202-462-6900; Fax: Two-Career Chaos: A Look in the +1-202-328-0566; Tel. orders in U.S.: 1-800-966-2481; Email: [email protected]. Postcards from the Field Use AGU’s Geophysical Electronic Manuscript Submissions system to submit a Rearview Mirror. manuscript: http://eos-submit.agu.org. Researchers avoid mosquitoes Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official positions of the 14–15 GeoFIZZ and process peatland cores in the American Geophysical Union unless expressly stated. Swedish Arctic. Christine W. McEntee, Executive Director/CEO Ten Everyday Objects That Can Be Used for Science. On the Cover 39 AGU News A woman in Bangladesh’s Jamalpur district pumps water in a flooded Virtual Mentoring Rewards field. Credit: Mushfiqul Alam/ Scientists at All Career Stages. NurPhoto/ Getty Images. AmericanGeophysicalUnion @AGU_Eos company/american-geophysical-union AGUvideos americangeophysicalunion americangeophysicalunion 2 // Eos June 2018 NEWS An Aurora of a Different Color Krista Trinder rare aurora-like event, pictured here, forums. They called the phenomenon “Steve” ordinary auroras. That’s why STEVEs occur at paints a green and purple streak across simply for fun within their own group. In lower latitudes than auroras. A the sky, from bottom left to top right. 2016, they shared their collection of Steve In addition, the scientists were excited to Called a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity photos with the scientists running the Auro- discover that STEVEs are the visual counterpart Enhancement (STEVE), this display is criss- rasaurus citizen science project, which tracks to subauroral ion drift (SAID), a phenomenon crossed by the dusty band of the Milky Way, auroras through tweets and individual reports. studied since the 1970s. Finding out that SAID which curves from top left to bottom right. The scientists eventually specially crafted the can have an accompanying visible feature sug- A STEVE, captured, in this instance, last acronym STEVE to give a nod to the original gests that there may be more going on in the year at Childs Lake in Manitoba in Canada, is name and its creators. subauroral zone of the atmosphere than scien- not an aurora in the traditional sense: Instead New insight into the origin and behavior of tists had thought, according to the scientific of the oval-shaped, blue or green glow of more this rare atmospheric event became possible paper on this discovery, which the team pub- common types of auroras, a STEVE appears as when, in 2016, a team of amateur and profes- lished in Science Advances on 14 March (http:// a thin, purple streak dangling a wavy, green sional scientists used ground- and space- bit.ly/sci-advcs-steve). picket fence–like structure. STEVEs always based cameras to image a STEVE and a simul- The team is working with NASA on an ongo- appear at the same time as normal auroras, taneous normal aurora. By combining all of ing campaign to collect more professional and but they occur at lower latitudes, in an area of the available images, the team discovered that amateur photos of STEVEs, hoping to better the atmosphere called the subauroral zone. STEVEs and auroras form from a similar pro- understand these rare lights in the sky. cess—charged particles interacting with Getting to Know STEVE Earth’s magnetic field—but the particles that In recent years, citizen scientists cataloged create STEVEs travel along magnetic field lines By Kimberly M. S. Cartier (@AstroKimCartier), dozens of STEVEs and shared them in online much closer to Earth than those that make up Staff Writer Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 3 NEWS been edited for length and clarity.) She dis- Oil Spill Response Knowledge cussed