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Localized subglacial zones of high traction help to regulate ice sheet flow. Geophysical data from a palaeo-ice-stream suggest that methane gas accumulation and hydrate formation beneath ice sheets can produce such high-traction sticky spots.
Northern Hemisphere ice sheets expanded 2.7 million years ago. Sediment geochemistry suggests that at this time, the North Atlantic began to experience incursions of southern-sourced water during glacials, similar to the last glacial period.
Volatile organic compounds can affect air quality and climate. Experimental warming of vegetated tundra plots in Greenland increased biogenic volatile organic compound emissions from vegetation and soils by 260%, as a direct effect.
Basal melting is widespread in the north-central Greenland ice sheet. Geophysical data and numerical modelling suggest a geothermal anomaly in this region resulting from the earlier passage of Greenland over the Iceland mantle plume.
Anammox, an important N2 loss pathway in marine waters, is not well understood in rivers. In situ measurements of N2 production in UK rivers reveal that anammox can be the dominant N2 loss pathway in permeable but not in impermeable riverbeds.
Microbes can mineralize metals such as gold. Observations of platinum-group mineral grains and incubation experiments reveal that bacteria can also transform these metals, which could affect their mobility in surface environments.
The reasons for amplified warming in the Arctic are not clear. Simulations with an Earth system model suggest that the decline in European aerosol emissions since 1980 explains a substantial fraction of the warming.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet is buttressed by floating ice shelves. Remote sensing data show extensive basal channels, particularly in West Antarctica, which grow quickly in response to warm water intrusion.
Earth’s climate sensitivity has been debated. An econometric analysis of observations shows that aerosol cooling has masked about one-third of greenhouse gas warming and yields a transient climate sensitivity of 2 ± 0.8 °C.
The mechanisms for mantle hydration are unclear. Seismic images offshore from Spain reveal a correlation between the amount of seawater-altered rocks and the extent of fault slip, suggesting that faults control water flux into the Earth.
Mercury appears darker globally than expected. Remote sensing evidence from the MESSENGER spacecraft indicates that the planet’s darkening agent is carbon and suggests that it originates from an ancient graphite-rich crust.
Atmospheric sulfate levels are thought to determine the pH of small aerosol particles. Thermodynamic analysis of field aerosol data reveals that fine particles remain acidic in the southeastern United States despite large sulfate reductions.
One volcanic eruption can trigger another. Global analysis of coupled eruptions suggests that the extent of magma mush, stress changes, dyke intrusions and earthquakes can couple volcanic eruptions over increasing distances.
How gold ore deposits form in the absence of a magmatic source for gold is unclear. Analysis of hydrothermal fluids from the Reykjanes geothermal field reveals that gold can become trapped as a colloidal suspension and accumulate over time.
Large earthquakes can rupture several faults. Analysis of seismic data from the 2010 El Mayor–Cucapah earthquake in California suggests that multiple faults were pinned to a keystone fault whose rupture triggered cascading slip.
Societal upheaval occurred across Eurasia in the sixth and seventh centuries. Tree-ring reconstructions suggest a period of pronounced cooling during this time associated with several volcanic eruptions.
Very small ponds have been omitted from greenhouse gas budgets. Estimates of CO2 and CH4 emissions from 427 lakes and ponds show that very small ponds account for 15% of CO2 and 40% of diffusive CH4 emissions, but 8.6% of lake and pond area.
Different ocean basins warm at different rates in response to climate change. A coupled carbon–climate model reveals that high carbon emission rates will lead to greater sea-level rise in the Atlantic than the Pacific on centennial timescales.
Porphyry ore deposits are increasingly hard to discover. Geochemical analysis of minerals formed in porphyry systems worldwide shows that the most fertile deposits are associated with excess Al and water-rich magma injections.
Variability in solar UV radiation is uncertain, but it affects Earth’s climate. Simulations of the ozone response to various data sets of spectral solar irradiance show that high-amplitude solar variability is inconsistent with ozone observations.