Monthly Archives: January 2019

What can we learn from ‘exoplanets’? During the past two decades more than 3000 planets have been detected beyond our solar system and many more will doubtless be discovered in the coming decades. This substantial sample will likely include planets in or near the habitable zones of their sun-like stars, deepening our understanding of planet formation, evolution, and…

How can we more accurately forecast the space environment in the 21st century? A donut of radiation surrounds Earth, and poses a danger to astronauts and satellites. We need to improve models for forecasting the space environment of the future and its impacts on our technological society. Insights from Earth could also provide a better understanding of…

How can we better describe and predict magnetic explosions in space? Magnetic reconnection is the engine behind powerful magnetic explosions throughout the universe. It powers phenomena such as solar and stellar eruptions, magnetic storms and aurorae in near-Earth space, and is also behind many of the dangerous effects associated with space weather. New spacecraft measurements and advanced…

How will the polar oceans continue to influence – and be influenced by – climate change? The Arctic Ocean exerts a dramatic influence on global climate through the reflectivity of sea ice and the release of freshwater into wider circulation, while the Southern Ocean is very effective at absorbing carbon dioxide and heat from the atmosphere. Climate change will alter the biogeochemistry of the polar oceans with impacts on a range of…

How can we better predict medium term weather that is beyond the scope of daily forecasts but shorter than seasonal climate outlooks? There are growing demands for such “sub-seasonal to seasonal” prediction of weather and climate which can help decision-makers to better manage weather risks and extremes, and adapt to climate change. (JGR: Atmospheres)   How can we enhance our…

How can we reduce people’s exposure to harmful contaminants in air, water and soil? Across the world, a considerable amount of illness and disease is caused by contamination and pollutants, but some geographic locations and social groups bear a disproportionate burden of exposure. A better understanding of the processes of exposure and mapping out pathways to limit…

How much ice will Greenland lose as the climate continues to warm? Processes in both the atmosphere and ocean are causing increased melt on the ice sheet surface, as well acceleration, thinning and retreat of fast-moving outlet glaciers that terminate in the sea. We particularly need a better understanding of the apparently diverse responses of…

How can we understand the evolution of Earth over time periods from seconds to thousands of millions of years, and from the scale of atoms to mountain belts? Low-temperature thermochronometry methods are transforming our ability to date Earth surface evolution and quantify the thermal evolution of rocks through time. There are a range of applications…