Get Stanford Earth Matters stories delivered to your inbox each month.
How the weathering of rocks cooled the Earth
Earth’s climate entered a long phase of cooling 15 million years ago, resulting in an ice age. A team of researchers has now found new indications as to what initiated this cooling and kept it going.
Steering wind power in a new direction: How to improve production
On a working wind farm, Stanford researchers have shown that angling turbines slightly away from the wind can boost energy produced overall and even out the otherwise variable supply.
2015 Nepal earthquake offers clues about hazards
Stanford geophysicist Simon Klemperer discusses how the 2015 Gorkha earthquake that shook Kathmandu, Nepal gave researchers new information about where, why and how earthquakes occur.
Goodbye, Clean Power Plan: Stanford researchers discuss the new energy rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency replaced the Obama-era Clean Power Plan this week with one that focuses on efficiency improvements at generating stations. Stanford experts discuss potential impacts.
Atmospheric rivers getting warmer along U.S. West Coast
New research shows that atmospheric rivers – plumes of moisture that deliver much of the west’s precipitation – have gotten warmer over the past 36 years.
Summer reading: Sparking curiosity and conversations about our planet
Faculty at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences recommend these 22 books for your summer reading.
Modeling Earth’s chemistry: Making the invisible visible
Kate Maher discusses how researchers use computer modeling to better understand the chemical reactions in Earth’s subsurface that impact water supplies, energy waste storage, climate change and more.
What to expect from wildfire season this year and in the future
The new normal for Western wildfires is abnormal, with increasingly bigger and more destructive blazes. Understanding the risks can help communities avert disaster.
Does climate change cause armed conflict?
As global temperatures climb, the risk of armed conflict is expected to increase substantially. Extreme weather and related disasters can damage economies, lower farming production and intensify inequality.
Finding and fixing natural gas leaks quickly and economically
Natural gas leaks claim lives, damage the climate and waste money. Research teams at Stanford are working on better ways to find and fix gas leaks quickly and inexpensively.
How deep-ocean vents fuel massive phytoplankton blooms
A new study suggests vents in the seafloor may affect life near the ocean’s surface and the global carbon cycle more than previously thought.
New process rinses heavy metals from toxic soils
An experimental chemical bath and electrochemical filter could now extract heavy metals from the soil and leave fields safe.
Can California better use winter storms to refill its aquifers?
With new rules for groundwater management coming into effect, engineers are looking to harness an unconventional and unwieldy source of water: the torrential storms that sometimes soak California.
Wildfire smoke worse for kids' health than smoke from controlled burns
Immune markers and pollutant levels in the blood indicate wildfire smoke may be more harmful to children’s health than smoke from a controlled burn, Stanford researchers found.
When food waste becomes a pollutant
Forty percent of food produced for consumption never gets eaten. Instead, it fills landfills and releases greenhouse gases. California now aims to drastically reduce the amount of food that ends up in the ground.
Lessons from Pohang: Solving geothermal energy's earthquake problem
A geothermal project triggered a damaging earthquake in 2017. A new analysis suggests flaws in some of the most common ways of trying to minimize the risk of such quakes when harnessing the Earth's heat for energy.
When 100% renewable energy doesn't mean zero carbon
As power grids move away from fossil fuels, companies seeking to cut out carbon emissions will have to go beyond commitments to renewables. The type and timing of renewable energy used can have a big effect on envir
Will investors pay a premium for being green?
Despite the surging focus on environmental sustainability, a new study suggests investors still care about the old kind of green.
Domino droughts: How droughts travel across continents
New research finds one drought can amplify or trigger another. Decreased moisture recycling and transport impacts how droughts form and move across continents.