Research
- Climate scientist Alton Byers takes a close look at three recent and poorly understood glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalaya. The stored lake water that is suddenly released can cause enormous death and devastation downstream.
- The giant bird Genyornis newtoni disappeared from Australia 45,000 years ago, and researchers have long puzzled over whether human hunters or climate change was the culprit. Now, a new analysis of ancient eggshells—the leftovers of a prehistoric feast—suggests humans were responsible. Study led by Giff Miller. Illustration by Nobu Tamura.
- A new study led by Giff Miller suggests that the 500-pound <em>Genyornis newtoni<em> laid the eggs marked by cooking fires in Australia, and not a smaller bird. The study could shed light on an even bigger scientific mystery, of why megafauna went extinct shortly after the advent of humans on the continent.
- New research from the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Boulder is the first to show that agricultural sulfur has a unique fingerprint that can be traced from application to endpoint. Led by Eve-Lyn Hinckley, who is transitioning her research team from INSTAAR to ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥, the study paves the way to protect waterways downstream from unintended impacts of anthropogenic sulfur application.
- 25 students from diverse backgrounds are in SEEC completing the CSDMS Spring School, a week-long coding camp designed to build students’ cyberinfrastructure skills needed in Earth science careers.
- On May 3, members of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ congressional delegation joined leaders and scientists from ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Boulder, including INSTAAR Director Merritt Turetsky, to showcase university research and federal partnerships.
- Keith Musselman was interviewed for this CBS Denver news story on the effects of climate change on deep snowpack.
- As climate change fuels the spread of wildfires across the West, researchers want to know how the dual effect might disrupt water supplies. Noah Molotch is among those interviewed.
- Researchers from Imperial College London have performed new measurements using data from INSTAAR's Stable Isotope Lab (Sylvia Englund Michel). They found London produces 30-35% more methane than previously thought. Previous estimates suggested 25% of London's methane is from natural gas leaks, but the new study says it's up to 85%.
- A warmer, drier alpine is impeding water quality for streams and rivers used for snowmaking, like the Snake River that runs through Keystone. Diane McKnight is interviewed in this ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Sun story.