This week from AGU: New Orleans sinks, mega-earthquakes, and 1 research spotlight

GeoSpace New study maps rate of New Orleans sinking http://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2016/05/16/new-study-maps-rate-of-new-orleans-sinking/ New Orleans and surrounding areas continue to sink at highly variable rates due to a combination of natural geologic and human-induced processes, finds a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.

New research estimates probability of mega-earthquake in the Aleutians http://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2016/05/13/new-research-estimates-probability-mega-earthquake-aleutians/ In the next 50 years, there is a 9 percent chance of a magnitude 9+ earthquake in the Aleutian Islands--an event with sufficient power to create a mega-tsunami especially threatening to Hawai'I, according to a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.

Small headwater streams export surprising amounts of carbon out of Pacific Northwest forests http://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2016/05/12/small-headwater-streams-export-surprising-amounts-of-carbon-out-of-pacific-northwest-forests/ Scientists have tracked a higher-than-expected amount of carbon flowing out of a Pacific Northwest forest through a small headwater stream, suggesting that forested watersheds may not store quite as much carbon as previously thought, in a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.

Eos.org

Creating career paths for African-American students in geosciences https://eos.org/project-updates/creating-career-paths-for-african-american-students-in-geosciences A new initiative teaches marketable skills, engages students in research projects at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and fosters professional career tracks of underrepresented minorities.

Understanding volcanic eruptions where plates meet https://eos.org/project-updates/understanding-volcanic-eruptions-where-plates-meet A new project elucidates the relationships between tectonics and volcanic systems and how they influence hazards on Italy's Mount Etna and Vulcano and Lipari islands.

Research Spotlights

Evaluating the Impact of Maryland's Healthy Air Act https://eos.org/research-spotlights/evaluating-the-impact-of-marylands-healthy-air-act Reducing emissions of short-lived gaseous sulfur pollutants from power plants had an immediate, local benefit, but controlling longer-lasting harmful particulate matter will require regional action, finds a new study in Earth's Future.

Source: American Geophysical Union