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Vertical crustal motions during the earthquake cycle are poorly constrained for strike–slip faults. Analysis of GPS data from the San Andreas Fault shows that the crust flexes over hundreds of kilometres due to locking of the fault at depth.
Freshwater release from melting polar ice could weaken the Atlantic overturning circulation. Eddy-resolving ocean simulations reveal that the freshening has not yet significantly affected meridional overturning, but an effect may emerge soon.
Great Himalayan earthquakes are rare. Analysis of surface motions in the months after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake reveals negligible aseismic slip, implying that stress may be stored in the crust to be tapped during future great earthquakes.
Atmospheric non-methane hydrocarbon concentrations began declining in the 1970s. Surface and column measurements show that Northern Hemisphere ethane concentrations are now rising, probably due to North American oil and natural gas emissions.
The mid-1990s’ warming of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre was probably related to strengthened overturning. Observations and numerical models suggest that a climate reversal to a cooling trend occurred around 2005.
Eastern boundary coastal upwelling systems are locations of high ocean productivity. Numerical simulations reveal that wind alters current- and eddy-driven nutrient supply, which affects net primary productivity in the California Current system.
Sulfur dioxide is a key air contaminant. A satellite-based emissions inventory reveals a number of hitherto unknown sources, with a cluster around the Persian Gulf, and identifies large discrepancies with conventional inventories in some regions.
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation has weakened over the past decade. Examination of a global reanalysis that matches independent observations shows that the decline is consistent with recovery from an earlier invigoration.
An energetic process is needed to convert N2 into compounds essential for life. Simulations show that interactions between powerful solar flares and Earth’s magnetic field could have facilitated nitrogen fixation in the early atmosphere.
Organic carbon decays as it travels through inland waters from soils to the sea. Analysis of data from across the continuum of inland and marine aquatic systems reveals that the rate of organic carbon decay depends on water retention time.
The high relief on Jupiter’s moon Io has been linked to compression due to global subsidence. Simulations show that Io’s mountains may form along thrust faults that initiate at the lithosphere’s base where the compressive stresses are highest.
Dissolved oxygen in the mid-depth tropical Pacific Ocean has declined. Simulations with a combination of atmosphere and ocean models suggest that anthropogenic pollution can interact and amplify climate-driven impacts on ocean biogeochemistry.
The global transport and fate of semivolatile aromatic hydrocarbons and their relevance for the carbon cycle are poorly quantified. Global measurements in paired atmospheric and ocean samples suggest that their contribution is substantial.
The composition of the Earth’s early atmosphere is uncertain. The morphology of vesicles in basalts suggests that the air pressure 2.7 billion years ago was less than half of modern levels.
Airborne organic particles affect Earth’s climate. Imaging of particles after rain events and experimental irrigation shows that water drop impaction of soils generates solid organic particles, with impacts on clouds and radiation absorption.
Liquid water on the Martian surface is expected to be metastable owing to low atmospheric pressure. Experiments at Martian conditions reveal that water and briny flows induce grain saltation and slope destabilization, with geomorphic consequences.
Meltwater runoff from the Greenland ice sheet alters ocean surface salinity. Numerical simulations show that meltwater from southeastern Greenland is transported to the Labrador Sea more efficiently than that from southwestern Greenland.
Megathrust earthquakes rupture the shallow plate boundary in subduction zones. Analysis of seismic activity preceding megathrust quakes in Japan and Chile reveals deep seismicity that may mark plunging of the slabs prior to main fault rupture.
Uptake of atmospheric CO2 contributes to ocean acidification. Measurements of seawater chemistry reveal that the extreme acidity of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is driven by terrestrial organic matter and freshwater inputs.
Phosphorus fertilizer use has roughly quadrupled in the past century. Budgets constructed from historical data show that phosphorus rapidly accumulates in river basins during periods of high inputs and continues to mobilize after inputs decline.