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Editors’ Highlights are summaries of recent papers by AGU’s journal editors. Source: AGU Advances

In a new study, Schnaubelt et al. [2025] examine how ‘atmospheric rivers’—bands of storms that carry large amounts of moisture through the atmosphere—impacted the Greenland Ice Sheet during a past warm period called the Last Interglacial, about 130,000 to 115,000 years ago. Using detailed computer models of Earth’s climate, the researchers find that changes in Earth’s orbit and atmospheric moisture controlled the timing and intensity of these storm systems reaching Greenland.

Early in the Last Interglacial, more atmospheric rivers occurred during summer months, causing significant melting around the ice sheet’s edges. Later in the period, atmospheric rivers became more frequent in winter, bringing increased snowfall instead.

The authors also find that conditions during that ancient warm period were similar to what scientists expect in future climate scenarios. This suggests that increased atmospheric moisture in the Arctic and more summertime atmospheric rivers will accelerate Greenland’s ice sheet melting in the coming centuries. By comparing past and future climates, this research shows how large-scale storm patterns and moisture transport influence ice sheet stability in a warming world.

Citation: Schnaubelt, J. C., Tabor, C. R., Otto-Bliesner, B. L., & Lora, J. M. (2025). Atmospheric river impacts on the Greenland ice sheet through the Last Interglacial. AGU Advances, 6, e2025AV001653. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025AV001653

—Francois Primeau, Editor, AGU Advances

Text © 2025. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Except where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.

Author(s): Louis Richard, Sergio Servidio, Ida Svenningsson, Anton V. Artemyev, Kristopher G. Klein, Emiliya Yordanova, Alexandros Chasapis, Oreste Pezzi, and Yuri V. Khotyaintsev

We analyze the deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) of the ion velocity distribution function (iVDF) in collisionless plasma turbulence. Using data from the magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission, we examine the non-Maxwellianity of 439 685 iVDFs in the Earth's magnetosheath. We fi…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, L053201] Published Mon Nov 03, 2025

Some videos have emerged from Afghanistan this morning, reportedly showing landslides and rockfalls triggered by the M=6.3 earthquake.

At 12:59 am on 3 November 2025 (local time, which is 20:29 UT on 2 November 2025), an M=6.3 earthquake struck near to Mazar-E Sharif in Afghanistan. Initial reports suggest at least 20 fatalities have occurred, but the USGS PAGER estimate is a 40% probability of fatalities in the range of 100 – 1,000, and a 37% probability of fatalities of >1,000. That this earthquake has struck as winter approaches is likely to increase the impact over the coming months.

There are some initial reports and images of landslides. Of course, at this stage these are unconfirmed. But on social media there are two reports of particular interest. The first purportedly shows a large failure in in Marmal district of Balkh province. I have stopped using Twitter, but Jahanzeb Khan, who is an independent journalist for women and human rights violations in Afghanistan, has posted this video there:-

#URGENT: The situation in Marmal district of Balkh province after the earthquake is extremely concerning. Local residents are in difficult conditions and in urgent need of medical and humanitarian assistance.

The situation is worsening in many other districts and provinces. pic.twitter.com/Xo7o2eyKPw

— Jahanzeb Khan (@Jahanzeb_Khan20) November 3, 2025

This appears to show a large, complex landslide, possibly rotational in nature:-

A landslide reportedly triggered by the 3 November 2025 earthquake in Afghanistan. Image from a video posted to Twitter by Jahanzeb Khan.

Meanwhile, another journalist, Abdulhaq Omeri, has posted a video that appears to show a road severely damaged by rockfalls. There appears to be some injured people from these events:-

په افغانستان کې وروستۍ زلزلې زیانونه اړولي دي. #earthquake #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/dhHhigSLQh

— Abdulhaq Omeri (@AbdulhaqOmeri) November 3, 2025

There are reports that the road between Kabul and Mazar is blocked by landslides. The USGS initial map of intensity and landslides looks like this:-

USGS MMI and landslide forecast map for the 3 November 2025 earthquake in Afghanistan. Map as of 07:20 UTC on 3 November 2025.

The east-west orientated ridge just to the north of the earthquake epicentre appears to have high landslide potential, and the Kabul-Mazar highway, which cuts through this area, is reported to be blocked. This could impede the delivery of assistance, worsening the impact of building collapses.

Return to The Landslide Blog homepage Text © 2023. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Except where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.

SummaryWith the deployment of dense linear seismic arrays, teleseismic waves are playing an increasingly important role in studying deep structures beneath seismic stations. However, despite significant advancements in high-performance computing, simulating high-frequency teleseismic waves (above 1 Hz) in a 3D model on a global scale remains challenging. To address this issue, previous studies have developed hybrid methods that utilize the displacement representation theorem to equivalently transform stresses and velocities simulated in a 1D or 3D global reference earth model into body force and moment rate density tensor sources for input into a 3D region model. Although previous hybrid methods have incorporated the free surface, the treatment of two types of equivalent sources at this boundary, particularly the equivalent moment rate density sources, has not been fully addressed. Neglecting the influence of the free surface condition and directly adding the equivalent sources at the free surface may lead to spurious waves. To resolve this, we develop a hybrid simulation method considering the effects of the free surface condition. By setting the relevant components of the equivalent sources on the free surface to zero, the method effectively reduces artifacts caused by coupling effects. We then propose the QSSP-CGFD3D hybrid method, which includes this free surface boundary correction, for simulating teleseismic waves in a 3D receiver-side model. We validate the accuracy and effectiveness of the hybrid method for calculating P-waves, S-waves, and surface waves in the AK135 model. We also apply the method to the fault zone region, where the results show that the fault zone causes arrival time delays and amplitude amplifications of teleseismic P-waves. These effects can be used to infer structural parameters of fault zones. Furthermore, we employ the QSSP-CGFD3D hybrid method to simulate the influence of undulated interface within the crustal structure on telesesimic waveforms, demonstrating its potential for receiver function analysis. The proposed hybrid method demonstrates significant potential for studying structures beneath seismic arrays, and holds promise for advancing our understanding of such features.

SummaryBack-projection inversions of teleseismic waveforms for the images of rupture progression in great earthquakes have become a popular tool in earthquake studies. However, verifying the trustworthiness of the obtained images in synthetic tests, in which forward-problem data from known propagating ruptures on finite faults are inverted and compared with the true images, have been disproportionally lacking. Such validations for known rupture geometries in a homogeneous medium provide the best-scenario probe into the theoretical ability of the method to resolve the true faulting kinematics. Unambiguous identification of the true source of radiation is possible if alternative trial subfaults, not representing the real emitter, shift the wave-arrival time by different amounts at different stations, resulting in no significant stack achieved for them. This condition is quantitatively expressed in the value of the dimensionless uniqueness coefficient q, which must exceed unity for the inversion to become unique. The criterion is not satisfied for the faults of finite dimensions, precluding reliable determination of rupture progression and speed for them, no matter how wide the coverage of the azimuths from the fault to the stations and how many stations in the network. Unambiguous determination of the exact location is possible for point-source radiators with widening of the azimuthal coverage: the reduction in ambiguity is seen in the progressive improvement in the correctness of the images as the uniqueness coefficient increases to the values greater than one. Fictitious moving, linearly aligned sources appear, increasing in number, as the value of the coefficient gradually drops.

SummaryOlivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene are the most common minerals in ultramafic rocks, their modal contents and crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs) are main factors determine the total seismic properties (e.g. seismic velocity and anisotropy). Red Hills Massif is the main part of Dun Mountain Ophiolite Belt, and includes all six most typical olivine CPO types (A-E & AG-type) and various ultramafic rock types. In this case study, 6 paired harzburgite and dunite (Series 1 samples) and olivine/clinopyroxene-related ultramafic rocks (3 dunites, 2 wehrlites, 2 olivine clinopyroxenites and 1 clinopyroxenite) are selected to proceed detailed seismic characteristics analysis. Seismic distributions of Series 1 and 2 peridotites are based on their olivine CPO characteristics while the distributions of Series 2 (olivine) clinopyroxenites are based on their clinopyroxene CPO characteristics. Due to the addition of orthopyroxene, almost all harzburgites have slower P-wave velocity and less P/S-wave anisotropy than dunites in the same pair. On the other hand, both olivine & clinopyroxene CPO combinations and modal contents of Series 2 ultramafic rocks are various. With increasing modal proportions of orthopyroxene or clinopyroxene, seismic properties are not necessarily decreasing. When the [001]OL crystallographic axis in harzburgite develops a girdle fabric, or when the [100]OL and [001]CPX orientations exhibit misalignment with respect to the lineation direction, a significant reduction in seismic wave velocities is observed. Concurrently, seismic anisotropy magnitudes demonstrate marked enhancement under orthopyroxene- or clinopyroxene-dominant conditions (>60 per cent modal abundance). The intricate olivine and ortho-/clinopyroxene CPO patterns and related seismic characteristics preserved beneath the Red Hills Massif are thought to pre-date initiation of the Alpine Fault (∼25 Ma). This interpretation is supported by the similarity in olivine grain size between the Red Hills peridotites and the lithospheric mantle beneath West Otago, implying a shared pre-25 Ma mantle domain. Prior to Alpine Fault offset, these two regions were adjacent, and their lithospheric high-velocity seismic signatures remain correspondingly alike. Once the initiation of Alpine Fault kinematics started, the observed anomalous SKS azimuth proximal to the study area may reflect either: (1) the development of protomylonitic textures analogous to those documented in the West Otago lithospheric mantle, or (2) the preservation of pre-existing deformation fabrics. Conversely, lithospheric fast shear wave splitting directions, when combined with gravity data and rock density constraints, can potentially resolve the dominant olivine CPO type(s), the relative proportions of olivine and ortho-/clinopyroxene, and their combined CPO patterns.

Author(s): Guo-Dong Wang, Ke-Wei Tao, Rui Cheng, Wang-Wen Xu, Jun-Yu Dong, Lin-Hua Zhen, Zhao Wang, Ze-Xian Zhou, Lu-Lin Shi, Yu-Peng Chen, Jin-Fu Zhang, Yan-Hong Chen, Xue-Jian Jin, Xiao-Xia Wu, Yu Lei, Yu-Yu Wang, Zhang-Hu Hu, Yan-Shi Zhang, and Jie Yang

In the field of inertial confinement fusion and ion beam-driven high-energy-density physics, the energy deposition along the beam trajectory is a critical physical parameter. Beyond particle collisions, the collective effects of plasma can significantly affect ion transport. The development of two-s…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045219] Published Fri Oct 31, 2025

Author(s): Charles Heaton, Hao Yin, Dimitri Khaghani, Hae Ja Lee, Hannah Poole, Eric Blackman, Nina Boiadjieva, Xiaoqian M. Chen, Celine Crépisson, Gilbert W. Collins, Adrien Descamps, Arianna E. Gleason, Christian Gutt, Alexander N. Petsch, Lisa Randolph, Silke Nelson, Peregrine McGehee, Rajan Plumley, Christopher Spindloe, Thomas Stevens, Charlotte Stuart, Joshua J. Turner, Hussein Aluie, Jessica K. Shang, and Gianluca Gregori

Experimental benchmarking of transport coefficients under extreme conditions is required for validation of differing theoretical models. To date, measurement of transport properties of dynamically compressed samples remains a challenge with only a limited number of studies able to quantify transport…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045218] Published Wed Oct 29, 2025

Author(s): Ali Masoudi, Davoud Iraji, and Chapar Rasouli

Edge localized modes (ELMs) and runaway electrons (REs) pose significant challenges for all tokamak devices. Both phenomena act as potent heat sources, potentially shortening the lifespan of plasma-facing materials (PFMs). These thermal loads can manifest in various detrimental effects, including me…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045217] Published Tue Oct 28, 2025

Author(s): Alejandro Mesa Dame, Hong Qin, Eric Palmerduca, and Yichen Fu

Hall magnetohydrodynamics (HMHD) extends ideal MHD by incorporating the Hall effect via the induction equation, making it more accurate for describing plasma behavior at length scales below the ion skin depth. Despite its importance, a comprehensive description of the eigenmodes in HMHD has been lac…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045216] Published Mon Oct 27, 2025

Author(s): Prabhat Singh and Punit Kumar

A theory for Abelian plasma permeated by photons has been developed considering QED generalized in Podolsky electrodynamics framework for consideration of higher order terms in electromagnetic theory. The theory traces out photonic degrees of freedom in plasma and accounts for plasma dynamics mediat…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045215] Published Fri Oct 24, 2025

Author(s): K. L. Baker et al.

A set of experiments in the SQ-n campaign attempts to increase the compression in layered implosions by reducing the design adiabat from 3.0 down to ∼2.6. The experiments utilize nanocrystalline high density carbon ablators driven by a ramped laser pulse drive. Contrary to expectations, the lower de…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045214] Published Thu Oct 23, 2025

Author(s): Shuai Tang, Jiaqi Wang, Jian Liu, Min Jiang, Zhiyi Yin, Shaojie Wang, Dongjian Liu, and Zhiwei Ma

This study investigates the nonlinear evolution of tearing mode instabilities utilizing a quasiparticle framework integrated with spectral methods. By reformulating the resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations via Galerkin spectral decomposition, a direct connection between MHD and quasiparticl…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045212] Published Wed Oct 22, 2025

Author(s): Y. Chen, R. Ou, H. Wang, S. J. Chen, Y. X. Zhong, Y. G. Chen, S. Tan, Y. X. Li, C. Y. Zheng, Z. J. Liu, L. H. Cao, M. M. Zhang, D. P. Feng, W. J. Zuo, and C. Z. Xiao

We investigate laser amplification in e−−μ−−ion plasmas, where negative muons partially replace electrons. Theoretical results reveal a hybrid plasma wave, called μ wave, that exhibits ion-acoustic behavior in long-wavelength regime and Langmuir-like behavior in short-wavelength regime. Besides, the…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045213] Published Wed Oct 22, 2025

Author(s): Bhavesh Ramkorun, Saikat C. Thakur, Ryan B. Comes, and Edward Thomas, Jr.

Carbonaceous dusty nanoparticles spontaneously grow in nonthermal plasmas from a gas mixture of argon and acetylene. These particles levitate and grow within the bulk plasma for a duration known as the growth cycle (Tc), after which they gradually move away. In experiments operating at 500 milliTorr…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045211] Published Tue Oct 21, 2025

Author(s): Arnas Volčokas, Justin Ball, Giovanni Di Giannatale, and Stephan Brunner

Nonlinear local and global gyrokinetic simulations of tokamak plasmas demonstrate that turbulence-generated currents flatten the safety factor profile near low-order rational surfaces when magnetic shear is low, even when the plasma β is small. A large set of flux tube simulations with different saf…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, L043201] Published Fri Oct 17, 2025

Author(s): Djamel Benredjem and Jean-Christophe Pain

This study investigates the ionization and excitation processes induced by electron impact between two configurations or superconfigurations. Rate coefficients are calculated for transition arrays or supertransition arrays rather than level-to-level transitions. Special attention is given to a serie…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045209] Published Wed Oct 15, 2025

Author(s): Wei-Ping Zhang, Fang-Ping Wang, Lan-Xin Shi, and Wen-Shan Duan

The paper addresses the dynamics of solitary waves in binary complex plasmas, focusing on charge diagnostics for dust particles and its relevance for plasma research, space physics, and fusion applications. The paper uses the reductive perturbation method to derive the Korteweg–de Vries equation for…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045210] Published Wed Oct 15, 2025

Author(s): Min-Seok Kim, Jeong-Hyun Lee, Jung-Eun Choi, and Chin-Wook Chung

The effect of the Ramsauer-Townsend effect, a quantum mechanical phenomenon, is investigated by generating an ultralow electron temperature plasma (Te<1 eV) in a weakly magnetized inductively coupled argon plasma using a dc-biased grid. In the ultralow electron energy regime, the Ramsauer-Townsen…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045208] Published Tue Oct 14, 2025

Author(s): Chinmoy Bhattacharjee

I investigate the formation of multiscale magnetic-field structures in a rotating, self-gravitating dusty plasma comprising electrons, ions, and charged dust grains. By incorporating the gravitomagnetic field, arising from mass currents in rotating astrophysical objects, into a three-component fluid…

[Phys. Rev. E 112, 045206] Published Thu Oct 09, 2025