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Newly identified 'landfalling droughts' originate over ocean
Researchers have identified a new type of “landfalling drought” that originates over the ocean before traveling onto land, and which can cause larger, drier conditions than other droughts.
Gravity wave insights from internet-beaming balloons
A better understanding of how gravity waves in the upper atmosphere interact with the jet stream, polar vortex and other phenomena could be key to improved weather predictions and climate models.
Exploring the sustainability of the Indian sugar industry
Researchers analyzed the interconnected food, water and energy challenges that arise from the sugar industry in India – the second-largest producer of sugar worldwide – and how the political economy drives those challenges.
Understanding environmental rollback
In a Q&A, environmental law Professor Deborah Sivas discusses a recent executive order that empowers federal agencies to override legal requirements for environmental reviews and community feedback related to major infrastructure projects.
Accounting for nature in economies
Gross Domestic Product, the standard metric for measuring national economies, doesn’t account for the valuable services provided by nature. A new approach could help fill the gap.
Desalination solution
Desalination – the conversion of saltwater to freshwater – has been limited by high operational costs. A new device capable of turning desalination waste into commercially valuable chemicals could make the process cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Predicting plant water needs in a warmer, drier world
New research suggests dry air and warmer temperatures may prompt bigger than expected changes in how water moves through plants. The adjustment may allow plants to survive with less water in future droughts, while downshifting how much carbon they absorb.
Double-whammy weather
Like an undulating seesaw, weather in some regions swings from drought to heavy rain under the weight of climate-induced changes, a new study finds.
Less water could sustain more Californians if we make every drop count
As climate change and population growth make drinking water costlier, here are six strategies to quench the state’s thirst without busting its budget.
Understanding spread of COVID-19
Much remains unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads through the environment. Environmental engineers describe potential transmission pathways and their implications.
A better way to detect underground water leaks
Stanford researchers propose a new way to locate water leaks within the tangle of aging pipes found beneath many cities. The improvement could save time, money and billions of gallons of water.
Hydropower dams threaten fish habitats worldwide
New research maps the impacts of past and future hydropower development on fish habitats – and points to where restoration efforts may do the most good.
Rust offers a cheap way to filter arsenic-poisoned water
In regions that lack the resources to treat the contaminated water, it can lead to disease, cancer and even death.
More rain and less snow means increased flood risk
By analyzing more than two decades of data in the western U.S., scientists have shown that flood sizes increase exponentially as a higher fraction of precipitation falls as rain, offering insight into how flood risks may change in a warming world with less snow.
Q&A: How wildfires threaten water quality
Stanford hydrologist Newsha Ajami, an appointee to California’s regional water quality board, discusses how wildfires affect water quality, and how we can better prepare for and react to the challenges.
Q&A: Developing new sources for usable water
A five-year project led by a Stanford professor will research and develop cost-competitive and energy-efficient technologies to desalinate nontraditional water sources for diverse end uses from agriculture to municipal drinking water.
Making California’s water supply resilient
Stanford researchers examine effective strategies to rising water scarcity concerns in the context of climate change.
Stanford researchers find smart faucets could aid in water conservation
An experiment with a water-saving “smart” faucet shows potential for reducing water use. The catch? Unbeknownst to study participants, the faucet’s smarts came from its human controller.
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.