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Land Surface News

Articles, resources, and announcements from Land Surface.

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This stovepipe tornado formed on May 31, 2010, near the border between Colorado and Oklahoma.

The Dirt on Tornadoes

Moisture on the ground may fuel more violence in the sky.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Researchers Matthew Pritchard and Gabriel Gonzalez examine a large crack caused by an earthquake in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

Shake, Rattle, and Sink

Volcanoes find earthquakes quite unsettling.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Scientists and citizen volunteers are observing first bloom and first leaf dates of lilacs and other plants to gather data on the timing of spring.

Seeing Climate through the Lives of Plants

Ground observers and satellites monitor plant life cycles and the timing of seasons.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Invasive tamarisk trees like this one continue to gain footholds in the West, changing habitats and pushing out native species.

Pinpointing an Invasive Plant's Next Move

Vegetation data helps researchers and resource managers develop a new approach to stopping species invasions.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Photograph of people crossing a crosswalk at night

Paving a New Lifestyle

As rapid urbanization transforms India's landscape, doctors face a new set of challenges in protecting public health.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

This cleared hillside in Haiti now lacks the vegetation that used to stabilize its slopes.

On Shaky Ground

The major earthquake in Haiti shifts thinking about disaster planning.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Thermophilic bacteria give Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park its many hues.

Not So Big, Not So Hot

Yellowstone is a kind of tutorial for volcano monitoring.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Researcher Michel Verstraete pauses while a laser scanner records the geometric properties of a savanna landscape in Kruger National Park, South Africa

New Angles

Scientists teach an old satellite new tricks.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

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