From the Headlines...

Sierra Nevada

Hiking, Horses & Helicopters: NSF Study of Sierra Negra

Scientists from University of Rochester, University of Idaho-Moscow, Instituto Geofísico, EPN (Quito, Ecuador) and UM Rosenstiel School are studying one the world’s most active volcanoes, Sierra Negra in the Galápagos. For nearly 3 weeks they hiked, rode horses and navigated treacherous waters to deploy an experimental seismic network of 16 stations that will record data for the next three years and allow them to combine seismic, geodetic and volcanological info. Read more…

El Nino

Global Warming May Dent El Niño’s Protective Shield from Atlantic Hurricanes, Increase Droughts Elsewhere

El Niño, the periodic phenomenon often credited with shielding the U.S. and Caribbean from severe hurricane seasons, may soon be overshadowed by its brother in the central Pacific due to global warming, according to a paper in Nature. The eastern El Niño increases wind sheer in the Atlantic that can hamper the development of hurricanes there. The central Pacific El Niño, however, has been blamed for worsening drought conditions in Australia and India as well as minimizing the effects of its beneficial brother to the east. Read more…