Earth Sciences
- December 26, 2022
Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during last ice age, study finds
By reconstructing the sea level history of the Bering Strait, scientists found that the strait remained flooded until around 35,700 years ago, not long before humans began migrating into the Americas.
- December 14, 2022
Breaking up is hard to do: Separation of Fiji and Vanuatu tied to Samoan seamounts
New analyses of volcanic rock samples collected in the 1980s link the geologic histories of these South Pacific islands to explain their current locations and character.
- November 07, 2022
Report outlines plans for major research effort on subduction zone geologic hazards
An ambitious interdisciplinary initiative aims to advance understanding of the processes that trigger earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions where tectonic plates converge.
- October 05, 2022
Research on shear strength of rock has implications for carbon sequestration
With a $1.1 million grant from the Department of Energy, seismologist Emily Brodsky will address seismic challenges involved in carbon sequestration, geothermal energy, and other areas.
- September 27, 2022
Frontier Fellows: Peter Nguyen
The Earth Futures Institute’s Frontier Fellows program offers undergraduate research opportunities and funding at UC Santa Cruz. UCSC student Peter Nguyen studies a federally listed endangered flowering plant—Lupinus nipomensis.
- September 16, 2022
Saturn’s rings and tilt could be the product of an ancient, missing moon
A “grazing encounter” may have smashed the moon to bits to form Saturn’s rings, a new study suggests.
- September 15, 2022
Record of Antarctic ice sheet response to climate cycles found in rock samples
The effects of global climate cycles on Southern Ocean temperatures drove cycles of melting and freezing in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet every few thousand years, according to a new study.
- August 22, 2022
Missing carbon monoxide in planetary disks was hiding in the ice
In planetary disks, carbon monoxide is lurking in large chunks of ice, solving the decade-old question, ‘Where is the CO?’
- July 13, 2022
Seismologist Emily Brodsky awarded Nemmers Prize in Earth Sciences
Professor Emily Brodsky has received the 2022 Nemmers Prize in Earth Sciences, awarded by Northwestern University for achievement and work of lasting significance in the field of Earth sciences.
- March 28, 2022
Methane could be the first detectable indication of life beyond Earth
A new study assesses the planetary context in which the detection of methane in an exoplanet’s atmosphere could be considered a compelling sign of life.
- March 28, 2022
Seed funding grants for early-stage research, creative projects given to 19 awardees
The UCSC Office of Research has awarded funds this month to 19 projects through its inaugural Seed Funding for Early Stage Initiatives program
- March 16, 2022
Effects of ancient carbon releases suggest possible scenarios for future climate
New findings reveal a precursor event before the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, giving scientists a fresh perspective on future global climate scenarios.
- March 10, 2022
California Sea Grant funds graduate research fellows at UCSC
California Sea Grant has awarded funding to four UC Santa Cruz graduate students for marine science research projects that address the agency’s priority themes of resilient coastal communities and economies, sustainable fisheries, and healthy coastal ecosystems.
- February 28, 2022
A slow-motion section of the San Andreas Fault may not be so harmless after all
A study of rocks drilled from nearly 2 miles under the surface suggests that the central section of the San Andreas fault has hosted many major earthquakes, including some that could have been fairly recent.
- February 21, 2022
A surprising heat source is melting the Greenland Ice Sheet from the bottom up
Researchers have observed extremely high rates of melting at the bottom of the Greenland Ice Sheet, caused by huge quantities of meltwater descending from the surface to the base.
- February 14, 2022
Tilting of Earth’s crust governed the flow of ancient megafloods
Study provides a new perspective on Washington state’s Channeled Scablands, carved by the Missoula megafloods at the end of the last ice age.
- February 11, 2022
San Lorenzo River was transformed by early logging in the Santa Cruz Mountains
The San Lorenzo River cut a deep channel and abandoned its floodplain in the Felton area around the time of intensive clearcutting in the surrounding mountains, according to a study by UCSC researchers.
- January 26, 2022
Two UCSC professors elected 2021 AAAS Fellows
Biologist Suzanne Alonzo and Earth scientist James Zachos have been awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
