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Stanford researchers learn why aquatic mammals need to be big, but not too big
Examining body sizes of ancient and modern aquatic mammals and their terrestrial counterparts reveals that life in water restricts mammals to a narrow range of body sizes – big enough to stay warm, but not so big they can’t find enough food.
Stanford law and water quality experts discuss possible offshore oil expansion
If federal plans move ahead, most U.S. coastal waters would be open to offshore oil drilling. Stanford professors look at the issues from California's perspective.
Learning through fieldwork on Pacific coral reefs
Stanford undergraduates study links between human and natural systems through an interdisciplinary seminar in Palau.
New Study Reveals Strong El Niño Events Cause Large Changes in Antarctic Ice Shelves
Matthew Siegfried, a postdoctoral researcher working with Dustin Schroeder in the Stanford Radio Glaciology Group, co-authored a study showing oscillations of water temperature in the tropical Pacific Ocean can induce rapid melting of Antarctic ice shelves.
Top 10 Stanford Earth research stories of 2017
From laying the groundwork for a billion-sensor quake network to finding lithium deposits around supervolcanoes, these were our favorite research stories of 2017.
Q&A: Loss of protections for marine sanctuaries could threaten oceanic environment and fisheries
Researchers who have studied marine national monuments and adjacent areas discuss their value and the potential impacts of a change in protected status.
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."
Q&A: The history and future of the global plastics economy
Stanford chemist Robert Waymouth discusses changes in incentives and technologies to create a more sustainable future for plastics.
First oceans may have been acidic
A model of ion flux in the oceans shows carbon dioxide driving ocean acidity.
Greenland’s summer ocean bloom likely fueled by iron
Iron-rich meltwater from Greenland’s glaciers are helping fuel a summer bloom of phytoplankton.
Frozen secrets: Geophysicist explores glaciers with radar
Stanford Earth’s Dustin Schroeder researches new ways of observing, understanding, and predicting the configuration of ice sheets using ice-penetrating radar data.
Poor outlook for biodiversity in Antarctica
A comparison of Antarctic biodiversity and its management with global trends finds that it is more similar to the rest of the world than previously believed.
How China is poised for marine fisheries reform
China has introduced an unprecedented policy platform for stewarding its fisheries and other marine resources.
Does the new La Niña forecast mean a dry winter for California?
Stanford Earth's Daniel Swain explains that the expected La Niña could end up being fairly weak and open up the possibility for normal rainfall in Southern California.
Protecting Coral Reefs with Bubbles
Bubbles – yes, bubbles – could help protect coral reefs, oyster farms, and other coastal ecosystems from increasing ocean acidification, according to new Stanford research.
Oxygen-starved oceans held back life's recovery after the 'Great Dying'
Analysis of ancient seabed rocks from disparate locations reveal that life did not rebound until anoxia had fully ebbed.