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Droughts boost emissions as hydropower dries up
Recent droughts caused increases in emissions from power generation in several western states as fossil fuels came online to replace hampered hydroelectric power. A new study quantifies the impact.
As California's groundwater free-for-all ends, gauging what's left
New rules and new technology are giving farmers and managers a better look at groundwater supplies.
Coping with water demands in an era of scarcity
In addition to reusing water, we'll have to augment the supply from reservoirs with recycling, stormwater capture, desalination and other strategies.
How machine learning can aid environmental monitoring
Cash-strapped environmental regulators have a powerful and cheap new weapon. New research suggests machine learning methods more than double the number of violations detected.
Diverse forests are stronger against drought
Diversity reigns when water gets scarce. New research suggests the most resilient forests are made up of trees that have a wider variety of rates for water moving up from the soil.
Do plastic straws really make a difference?
Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change.
Who owns the aquifer?
A Stanford study reveals the changing scope of Native American groundwater rights – and opportunities for better freshwater management.
Natural chromium sources threaten California groundwater
A study shows natural sources of hexavalent chromium are affecting more people and wells in California than industrial sources. But groundwater pumping may accelerate release of this carcinogen.
Strawberry fields forever? Baja turning to seawater to grow lucrative crop
In an arid region south of Tijuana, strawberries grown for export have become so valuable, farmers keep trying to grow more, and are allowed to use more groundwater than nature replenishes.
Purifier creates disinfectant from water and sunlight
The system could one day be adapted into solar-powered water purification stations for use in developing regions where fresh water is a precious commodity.
Arsenic unlocked: Overpumping may up contamination risk
Pumping an aquifer to the last drop squeezes out more than water. A new study suggests it can also unlock dangerous arsenic from buried clays. Sinking land may provide an early warning and measure of contamination.
Wastewater project harnesses anaerobic bacteria to save energy
A wastewater treatment plant under construction in Redwood Shores will be the largest to test a technology that significantly reduces the cost of cleaning water. The key: bacteria that eschew oxygen while producing burnable methane.
Inadequate regulations threaten groundwater
Inconsistent or vague definitions in oil and gas regs leave water supply vulnerable
Extinct Lakes of the American West
Extinct lake landforms provide clues of climate change over millions of years and inform our understanding of rainfall patterns and water management in the arid American West.
Share the Wealth: A Cap-And-Trade System of Water Conservation and Resiliency?
In order to meet the California’s future water needs, researchers propose a cap and trade approach to water conservation based on local supply and demand realities.
21st-century Earth science is computer intensive and data driven
If asked to imagine a geologist, you might envision a tanned and dusty figure, hardy and weathered like the ancient rocks that he or she spends days studying out “in the field."
Media attention to drought linked to household water savings
With a new web-scraping and search algorithm and real water utility data, Stanford researchers have shown a relationship between media coverage of the recent historic California drought and household water savings.
Visualizing California’s drought
A new web portal puts four years of California drought data into an interactive format, showing where regions met or missed water conservation goals. The idea is to motivate awareness and conservation.
Jordan faces more frequent long and severe droughts
A new analysis of regional drought and land-use changes in Syria suggests water conditions in downstream Jordan could get significantly worse.