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1 October 2021
AGU position statement on resilience open for member comment
Starting today, AGU members have until 31 October to comment on revisions to a position statement outlining the role of scientists, policymakers and communities in building resilience to disruptions. AGU encourages all members to read and comment on the position statement because the expert writing panel relies on this feedback. Resilience is the ability of systems — including people — to anticipate, respond, recover and adapt to disruptions, which can …
29 June 2021
AGU’s Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G-Cubed) journal to become open access
We are excited to announce AGU’s journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G-Cubed), which publishes research on the chemistry, physics, geology and biology of Earth and planetary processes, will become open access and all content published in the journal will be freely available starting 1 January 2022. AGU is also pleased to announce that starting 9 July 2021, we will eliminate excess page fees for all open access journals and for authors who purchase an open access license in our other journals.
24 December 2020
Top AGU news and views from 2020
As we look back on 2020, we wanted to share some of the top news and views coming out of AGU.
16 December 2020
Highlights from Tuesday 15 Dec. at #AGU20
If you missed some sessions from Tuesday, 15 December, don’t worry – you can check them out, along with all other sessions, on demand until 15 February.
15 December 2020
Highlights from Monday 14 December at #AGU20
The first day of the last week of #AGU20 continued with full programming, two innovative sessions, two plenaries and some great events – all available on demand through 15 February for attendees.
1 July 2020
How to design continents for maximum tides
A new study simulates ocean tides on imaginary Earth-like worlds, revealing the limits of topography’s influence on tidal energy
15 January 2020
Nearly barren Icelandic landscapes guide search for extraterrestrial life
New research on microbial lifeforms living in nearly barren volcanic landscapes in Iceland may help scientists understand how best to search for life on other planets. Researchers with NASA’s FELDSPAR project are studying the distribution of life in these harsh Icelandic environments to inform the search for hidden life signs on planets like Mars. So far, they have found that microbes at their study sites are often isolated in “hot spots” and that microbial communities are distributed differently in areas subjected to different geological processes, such as wind or glaciation.
2 January 2020
Research sheds light on the Moon’s dark craters
The next wave of robots to fly to Mars in 2020 could offer scientists an unprecedented understanding of Earth’s closest neighboring planet. But there are still mysteries to be solved much closer to home, on Earth’s own Moon.
10 December 2019
NASA’s treasure map for water ice on Mars
NASA has big plans for returning astronauts to the Moon in 2024, a stepping stone on the path to sending humans to Mars. But where should the first people on the Red Planet land? A new paper published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters will help by providing a map of water ice believed to be as little as one inch (2.5 centimeters) below the surface.
16 October 2019
Ancient Moon rock provides evidence of giant lunar impact 4.3 billion years ago
An Apollo 16 lunar rock sample shows evidence of intense meteorite bombardment on the Moon 4.3 billion years ago, according to new research. The results provide new insights for the Moon’s early history, showing lunar impacts were common throughout the Moon’s formation than previously thought.
21 August 2019
Study provides new clues to source of methane gas on Mars
A team of researchers led by scientists at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering has created a model of how methane changes on Mars throughout the day by using data from a satellite, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and the Curiosity Rover. In the past, each had measured significantly different amounts of methane on Mars. The new measurements provide more clues that could help to understand what processes are important in creating the methane coming from a large 154 km- wide crater on the planet, Gale crater.
9 July 2019
Scientists Tackle Grand Challenges In the Earth and Space Sciences In New Special Centennial-Themed Collection
One hundred years ago when AGU was founded there were still large unmapped places on our planet and the idea of a person stepping on the moon was a dream. Discovery and wonder have characterized the last 100 years of science as we learned the plates shift, the climate changes, and scientists are studying the Moon, Mars, and beyond in detail. Our species now has a global view of how …
11 April 2019
Extended winter polar vortices chill Saturn’s strangely familiar moon, Titan
Saturn’s hazy moon Titan has a long-lived Earth-like winter polar vortex supercharged by the moon’s peculiar chemistry. A new study finds Titan’s northern hemisphere polar vortex sticks around past the moon’s summer solstice, into what would be late June on Earth, lasting three-quarters of a Titan year, or about 22 Earth years.
1 March 2019
First evidence of planet-wide groundwater system on Mars
Mars Express has revealed the first geological evidence of a system of ancient interconnected lakes that once lay deep beneath the Red Planet’s surface, five of which may contain minerals crucial to life.
24 October 2018
Researchers describe likely origin of perfect lines on Saturn’s moon
Strange features on Saturn’s moon Dione resembling lines of latitude on a map could be the result of space dust crashing onto Dione’s surface, according to a new study. The streaks have puzzled scientists because of their orientation and straightness, but a new study finds these features, deemed linear virgae, likely originated from low-velocity impacts of space debris from within the Saturn system or beyond.
18 July 2018
Martian atmosphere behaves as one
New research using a decade of data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express mission has found clear signs of the complex Martian atmosphere acting as a single, interconnected system, with processes occurring at low and mid levels significantly affecting those seen higher up.
10 July 2018
Scientists discover “ghost dunes” on Mars
Scientists have discovered hundreds of crescent-shaped pits on Mars where sand dunes stood billions of years ago. The curves of these ancient dune impressions record the direction of prevailing winds on the Red Planet, providing potential clues to Mars’s past climate, and may hold evidence of ancient life.
22 May 2018
New study details geological process behind Titan’s dunes
Titan’s windswept dunes may sprawl millions of more kilometers than previously thought and were likely formed by geological processes similar to those on Earth, according to a new study. The new findings could help scientists look for life or its molecular precursors on Saturn’s largest moon.
8 May 2018
Brethren in Space: Two Geoscientists Aboard the International Space Station
By Michael Mischna, Secretary of the Planetary Sciences section and Deputy Chief Scientist of Solar System Exploration Directorate at JPL Science and discovery are, fundamentally, social activities. They have the greatest impact when conducted in the open with a free exchange of ideas. Even discoveries made in seclusion still need to be shared with the world. Archemides’ buoyant discovery in the privacy of his bathtub may have been the “Eureka” moment, …
3 May 2018
Breathing lunar dust could pose health risk to future astronauts
Future astronauts spending long periods of time on the Moon could suffer bronchitis and other health problems by inhaling tiny particles of dust from its surface, according to new research. A new study finds simulated lunar soil is toxic to human lung and mouse brain cells. Up to 90 percent of human lung cells and mouse neurons died when exposed to dust particles that mimic soils found on the Moon’s surface.
