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Why Does the Aurora Flare VOL. 96 NO. 8 1 MAY 2015 Earth & Space Science News WhyCover Hed Sub Does the Aurora Flare Up? Cannon Blasts Mimic Volcanic Eruptions White House Submits U.S. Emission Targets Volatiles in Mars Pedal for the Planet– and AGU Take part in a life-changing 5-day bike ride or hike adventure, while increasing awareness for sustainability, renewable energy, and environmental causes. Plus, the money you raise riding will go toward helping AGU further its mission and vision! • Ride through breathtaking scenery and challenge yourself physically • Hear from bright minds in policy, advocacy, and innovati on in a nightly speaker series • Connect with peers who are united to support sustainability and protect our planet • Support AGU by selecti ng us as your benefi ciary when you register Save 25% on Join the AGU Team! Registrati on fees. Ride with your fellow geoscienti sts on the Use promo code AGU team on the Northeast Ride from AGUSpecial Bar Harbor to Boston, 17-21 September. The team will be led by AGU President- elect Eric Davidson. climateride.agu.org Earth & Space Science News Contents 1 MAY 2015 PROJECT UPDATE VOLUME 96, ISSUE 8 Fire in the Hole: 12 Recreating Volcanic Eruptions with Cannon Blasts Artificial volcanic plumes, fired from cannons loaded with ash plucked from the slopes of Iceland, may help researchers better monitor disruptive eruptions. NEWS 6 White House Submits Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets Before the climate summit in Paris this November and December, the United States and some other countries have submitted their targets to cut emissions. RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 16 26 COVER California’s 2012–2014 Drought Why Does the Aurora Flare Up? Unusual for Last Millennium Soil moisture estimates, inferred from The spectacular auroras that circle Earth’s geomagnetic poles and thousands of tree rings spanning the past burst with colorful displays during geomagnetic storms have mystified 12 centuries, highlight the severity of the humanity for millennia. Now scientists are uncovering their secrets. recent record-breaking drought. 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 Xin-Zhong Liang, Global Science Informatics Environmental Change Lora S. Armstrong, Volcanology, Jian Lin, Tectonophysics Geochemistry, and Petrology Figen Mekik, Paleoceanography Michael A. Ellis, Earth and Planetary and Paleoclimatology Surface Processes Jerry L. Miller, Ocean Sciences Arlene M. Fiore, Atmospheric Sciences Michael A. Mischna, Planetary Nicola J. Fox, Space Physics Sciences and Aeronomy Thomas H. Painter, Cryosphere Steve Frolking, Biogeosciences Sciences Edward J. Garnero, Study of the Roger A. Pielke Sr., Natural Hazards Earth’s Deep Interior Michael Poland, Geodesy Michael N. Gooseff, Hydrology Eric M. Riggs, Education 9 Kristine C. Harper, History Adrian Tuck, Nonlinear Geophysics of Geophysics Sergio Vinciguerra, Mineral Keith D. Koper, Seismology and Rock Physics Robert E. Kopp, Geomagnetism Earle Williams, Atmospheric 21–25 AGU News and Paleomagnetism and Space Electricity AGU Sections and Focus Groups John W. Lane, Near-Surface Mary Lou Zoback, Societal Impacts Geophysics and Policy Sciences Announce 2014 Awardees. Staff Production: Faith A. Ishii, Program Manager; Melissa A. Tribur, Senior Production Specialist; Liz Castenson, Editor’s Assistant; Valerie Bassett and Travis Frazier, 26–28 Research Spotlight Electronic Graphics Specialists California’s 2012–2014 Drought Editorial: Randy Showstack, Senior Writer; Mohi Kumar, Science Writer/Editor; Unusual for Last Millennium; JoAnna Wendel, Writer Unusual Echo Signal in Atmospheric Marketing: Angelo Bouselli and Mirelle Moscovitch, Marketing Analysts Christy Hanson, Manager; Tel: +1-202-777-7536; Email: advertising@ E Layer; Scientists Watch Solar Advertising: 27 agu.org Winds Blast Mercury’s Magnetic Field; Aquifers Spew More ©2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Material in this issue may be photocopied by individual scientists for research or classroom use. Permission 3–9 News Pollution into Oceans Than Rivers; is also granted to use short quotes, figures, and tables for publication in scientific Researchers Roll Clouds into Climate books and journals. For permission for any other uses, contact the AGU Publications NASA Hopes to Find Strong Modeling Office. Indications of Life Beyond Earth Eos (ISSN 0096-3941) is published semi-monthly, on the 1st and 15th of the month Soon; Supreme Court Hears Case except the 1st of January 2015 by the American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida About Regulating Power Plants; Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Periodical Class postage paid at Washington, 29–31 Positions Available D. C., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to White House Submits Greenhouse Current job openings in the Earth Member Service Center, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Gas Emission Targets; Rolf Meissner and space sciences. Member Service Center: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern time; Tel: +1-202-462-6900; (1925–2014); White House Science Fax: +1-202-328-0566; Tel. orders in U.S.: 1-800-966-2481; Email: [email protected]. Fair Features Top Student Projects. Use AGU’s Geophysical Electronic Manuscript Submissions system to submit a 32 Postcards from the Field manuscript: http://eos-submit.agu.org. Hyper-acidic volcanic lake at Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official positions of the 10–11 Meeting Reports American Geophysical Union unless expressly stated. Indonesia’s Kawah Ijen volcano. Volatiles in Mars: Constraints, Questions, Christine W. McEntee, Executive Director/CEO and Future Directions; Coastal Altimetry Challenges Our Understanding of Short On the Cover Scales in the Ocean. ©Depositphotos.com/jamenp facebook.com/AmericanGeophysicalUnion @AGU_Eos linkedin.com/company/american-geophysical-union youtube.com/user/AGUvideos 2 // Eos 1 May 2015 NEWS Looking Within and Outside NASA Hopes to Find Strong the Solar System The search for water and habitable bodies has Indications of Life Beyond Earth Soon accelerated with numerous recent missions and findings. For instance, within our Solar System, NASA scientists suggested in March that Mars once ASA’s search for water and for habit- bodies that could merit further investiga- had as much water as the Arctic Ocean. The able planets and moons in our solar tion. “I will be quite surprised if we go inter- water could have covered almost half of the Nsystem and galaxy could be on the rogate these environments and don’t find planet’s northern hemisphere at more than verge of something big, agency scientists say. evidence of life. To me, that would be a really 1.6 kilometers in depth in some locations, “I think we are going to have strong indica- surprising scientific result. Finding life, to according to the scientists, who analyzed data tions of life beyond Earth within a decade, and me, is not the surprising result. It would be from ground-based observatories. In addition, I think we are going to have defini- NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered an ancient tive evidence within 10 to 20 to “We are going to have strong streambed, among other findings. 30 years,” NASA chief scientist Jupiter’s icy moons Ganymede, Europa, and Ellen Stofan said at a 7 April brief- indications of life beyond Earth Callisto show evidence of oceans beneath their ing about the agency’s investiga- surfaces, as do Saturn’s moons Enceladus and tion of water and habitable bodies. within a decade.” Titan. The Obama administration’s fiscal year “We know where to look. We know 2016 budget request to Congress supports the how to look. In most cases, we have formulation and development of a Europa the technology, and we are on a path to imple- the absence of life that would be the surpris- mission. menting it.” ing result.” Outside of our solar system, the Kepler “We are on the verge of things that people “We are not talking about little green men. space observatory mission’s search for habit- have wondered about for millennia: Are we We’re talking about little microbes,” she able planets has detected 4633 candidate plan- alone? And here we are on the verge of find- added. “We are looking for the building blocks ets and has confirmed 1019 as of early April. ing that out,” Stofan said. She noted that of life, organic material that might tell us that The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, scientists now know of many other planetary some process is going on.” scheduled to launch in 2017; the James Webb NASA Panelists (left to right) John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate; Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division; Jeffery Newmark, interim director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division; Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division; and Ellen Stofan, NASA chief scientist. Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 3 NEWS Space Telescope, on target for a 2018 launch; Galaxy Is and the planned Wide-Field Infrared Survey “a Soggy Place” Telescope (WFIRST) mission could advance the Paul Hertz, director of discovery of more extrasolar planets. NASA’s Astrophysics Division, said that our “Where Is Everybody?” galaxy is “a soggy John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for place,” as is our solar NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said that system. He said that Kepler has led to the understanding that we water has been live in a galaxy and a universe filled with solar detected in many systems.
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