Forest in San Juan mountains

Combined bark beetle outbreaks and wildfire spell uncertain future for forests

Feb. 8, 2021

Bark beetle outbreaks and wildfire alone are not a death sentence for Colorado’s beloved forests—but when combined, their toll may become more permanent, new Ƶ Boulder research shows.

Researchers walking on sea ice at sunset

Ƶ Boulder a host to new national Arctic research initiative

Feb. 4, 2021

Ƶ Boulder, Alaska Pacific University and the University of Alaska Fairbanks are hosting the National Science Foundation's Navigating the New Arctic Community Office. Over the next five years this partnership will provide leadership and support to researchers and Arctic communities.

Bleached coral reefs

Marine heatwaves becoming more intense, more frequent

Feb. 3, 2021

When thick, the surface layer of an ocean acts as a buffer to extreme marine heating—but a new study from Ƶ Boulder shows this “mixed layer” is becoming shallower each year.

Image of a riverbed during drought

New website a 1-stop resource for all things drought

Jan. 22, 2021

NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System has launched a redesigned drought portal to better serve stakeholders, decision makers, journalists and the public. Several Ƶ Boulder researchers contributed to the project.

Hand holding a corn cob

Soil degradation costs U.S. corn farmers a half-billion dollars every year

Jan. 12, 2021

Researchers have found that a whopping one-third of the fertilizer applied to grow corn in the U.S. each year simply compensates for the ongoing loss of soil fertility, costing farmers a half-billion dollars.

Two pairs of cyanobacteria cells dividing under the microscope.

Modern microbes provide window into ancient ocean

Jan. 6, 2021

Roughly two billion years ago, microorganisms called cyanobacteria fundamentally transformed the globe. Researchers are now stepping back to that pivotal moment in Earth's history.

A polar bear on a small patch of sea ice

Scientists aim to fuse Earth data to help classify, map sea ice

Dec. 18, 2020

A Ƶ Boulder geographer leads colleagues from the National Snow and Ice Data Center and Ƶ Denver in an effort to leverage artificial intelligence for harmonizing large Earth observation datasets and mapping sea ice.

Student plays a musical instrument with a mask and a face shield on.

10 research discoveries from 2020 you won’t want to miss

Dec. 17, 2020

From diving Neanderthals to saliva-based COVID-19 tests, we remember the year in research at Ƶ Boulder.

Electric solar panels

Report outlines solutions for curbing U.S. carbon emissions

Dec. 16, 2020

Researchers at Ƶ Boulder’s Renewable & Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) on Thursday released a report outlining key steps the U.S. can take to drive CO2 emissions to zero in the key sectors of electricity, building, transportation and industry.

WHOTS buoy off the coast of Hawaii

Impacts of COVID-19 emissions reductions remain murky in the oceans

Dec. 10, 2020

While greenhouse gas emissions dropped significantly in the first half of 2020, new research finds ocean acidification remains unchanged—yet the world's oceans can respond quickly in other ways to reduced emissions.

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