Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
It is unclear whether subduction is still active beneath the Indo-Burman mountain range. Analyses of GPS measurements from this region reveal a locked megathrust fault, implying that subduction is active and could generate a large earthquake.
Summer rainfall is projected to decline in the European Alps. Regional high-resolution simulations suggest that at the highest elevations, precipitation may instead increase as a result of enhanced potential instability and convective rainfall.
Earth’s crust diverges and extends along mid-ocean ridges. Analyses of gravity and seismic data from the equatorial Atlantic show that propagation of ridge segments can compress the crust and create sufficient uplift to create small islands.
Mars has two small moons that may have formed in the aftermath of a giant impact. Simulations suggest that Phobos and Deimos accreted from the disperse outer region of the debris disc that was stirred up by short-lived larger moons.
Antarctic sea-ice extent has been increasing. Analyses of climate simulations and observations show that atmospheric conditions conducive to Antarctic sea-ice expansion were favoured by the negative phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation.
European summer temperatures are controlled by multiple factors. A climate reconstruction for the past millennium shows that temperature differences between the north and the south reflect internal variability in storm tracks and cloud cover.
The dwarf planet Ceres is thought to have an ice-rich layer in its shallow subsurface. The morphologies of craters, however, suggest little relaxation by viscous flow has occurred and instead indicate a subsurface that is less than 40% ice.
Sea-ice formation is a key factor in the lower branch of the Southern Ocean overturning circulation. Observation-based data in conjunction with a water-mass transformation framework reveal that sea ice plays a central role in the upper branch too.
Mantle flow beneath mid-ocean ridges was thought to respond passively to plate motions. Analysis of seismic data from ridges reveals a skew between the directions of plate motion and mantle flow, implying mantle flow may stress the plates.
The North Atlantic Oscillation has varied markedly on multidecadal timescales. Analyses of climate simulations show that these variations have contributed to Arctic sea ice loss, Northern Hemisphere warming and tropical storm activity.
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.
Distinguishing convective and stratiform rainfall is key to understanding how the water cycle responds to climate change. An analysis of satellite and surface data shows that rain isotope ratios reflect the proportions of these types of rain.
Soil carbon concentrations are sensitive to climate warming. Pairs of measurements of forest soil carbon stocks in the German Alps reveal that topsoil carbon concentrations declined as air temperatures rose between 1976 and 2011.
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.
The fate of the Indian plate during collision with Asia is debated. Seismic images of the western Himalaya reveal large-scale thrust faults that transfer Indian crust upwards, into the overriding Asian plate.
Unlike the Arctic, the Southern Ocean has shown little warming. An analysis of observations and numerical simulations suggests that Southern Ocean warming patterns are shaped by meridional overturning more than surface heating.
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.