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Stanford Earth Matters

Aerial view of meandering river

Arctic river channels changing due to climate change, scientists discover

Researchers have tracked the migration pace of large meandering rivers in permafrost regions – a natural process that impacts the amount of organic carbon released into the ocean.

Camp fire wildfire

A Burning Issue: Stanford scholar testifies on rising costs of wildfire

Stanford climate and energy policy expert Michael Wara addressed the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget about the economic risks of climate-fueled wildfire. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment)

Wind turbines

Testing the winds

Anna-Katharina von Krauland’s research on potential wind farm development in the US and India could help ease the transition to renewable energy. (Source: Stanford King Center on Global Development)

Kim Nicholas

Q&A: How to incorporate meaningful climate actions into your life

Stanford alumna and visiting scholar Kim Nicholas discusses obstacles and strategies for what she calls “everyday climate action.” (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment)

burned forest

Zombie forests

Researchers created maps showing where warmer weather has left trees in conditions that don’t suit them, making them more prone to being replaced by other species. The findings could help inform long-term wildfire and ecosystem management in these “zombie forests.” (Source: Stanford News)

    Coastal erosion

    Climate patterns shape sand deposits in the deep sea

    New findings about how sand deposits form in the deep sea during different climate eras reveal mysterious processes miles beneath the ocean’s surface, and could help future-proof offshore operations like wind farms as the Earth warms and water rises.

    A fish stall with products in boxes and a person standing in the background

    Aquatic food benefits

    Leveraging blue foods can help policymakers address multiple global challenges, a new analysis shows. (Source: Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions)

    rural community in Madagascar

    Forecasting malaria

    A new study integrates climate, land use, and socioeconomic data to explain and predict malaria dynamics at the village level. The approach could inform health care practitioners and make control strategies more efficient and cost-effective. (Source: Stanford News)

      Fin whales and two trawlers intermix in blue ocean

      Trawlers intermix with whale ‘supergroup’ in Southern Ocean

      Scientists observed close to 1,000 fin whales foraging near Antarctica, while fishing vessels trawled for krill in their midst. Without action, such encounters are likely to become more common as this endangered species recovers and krill harvesting intensifies in the Southern Ocean. (Source: Stanford News)

      People in protective suits clean up oil from a shoreline in Mauritius

      Oil spills and coastal resilience

      Two Stanford scientists found hope and lessons for improving disaster response after oil spills hit close to home.

      degraded wetland

      A new chance to protect wetlands

      New analysis shows the U.S. has accounted for more wetland conversion and degradation than any other country. Its findings help better explain the causes and impacts of such losses and inform protection and restoration of wetlands. (Source: Stanford News)

        Green-bearded Helmetcrest hummingbird

        Better biodiversity policies

        Our health and economic stability depend on biodiversity, but our governing policies often fail to address it coherently. An analysis of the world’s second most biodiverse country, Colombia, highlights how policies that span sectors and actors can fit together to govern biodiversity more effectively. (Source: Stanford News)

          Rescue workers navigate a flooded road

          AI predicts global warming will exceed 1.5 degrees in 2030s

          Artificial intelligence provides new evidence our planet will cross the global warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius within 10 to 15 years. Even with low emissions, we could see 2 C of warming. But a future with less warming remains within reach. (Source: Stanford News)

          Flooding water out of heavy rain clouds in the Californian region.

          Whiplash weather: What we can learn from California’s deadly storms

          Stanford and local experts discuss ways to mitigate risk to communities and infrastructure amid dramatic swings between flood and drought.

          A woman shopps for meat in a supermarket

          Is fake meat a real solution? Stanford expert explains

          Plant-based and lab-grown meat substitutes are here to stay, but are unlikely to eliminate livestock agriculture’s climate and land use impacts anytime soon, according to Stanford environmental scientist David Lobell. In the meantime, Lobell says we should also focus on reducing emissions of animal-based systems. (Source: Stanford News)

          Coral with sunlight

          You're stuck with your same old genome, but corals aren't

          A new study of tropical reef building corals shows these very long-lived animals are constantly changing and testing their genes – and some of these changes make it into the next generation. In this way a centuries-old coral might be a cauldron of genetic innovation, and it might help prepare them for climate change. (Source: Hopkins Marine Station)

          Mother helps daughter wash hands at a kitchen sink

          Droughts increase costs for low-income households

          According to a recent study, when providers act to curtail water use or invest in new infrastructure because of a drought, bills can rise for low-income households and drop for high-income households. (Source: Stanford News)

          Mount Bromo

          What’s Earth cooking? Stanford’s Ayla Pamukçu wants to know

          As a young adult, Ayla Pamukçu found herself at a crossroads between college and culinary school. Thanks in part to an influential box of rocks, she chose a research path that eventually led to a career studying the inner workings of the Earth. (Source: Stanford News)

          Top stories 2022

          Our picks: Top 10 stories of 2022

          Our list includes a mix of favorites, high-impact stories, and some of our most-read research coverage from a year of new beginnings.

          Mars dunes

          Curious Martian dunes explained

          Stanford planetary scientists have uncovered how sandy waves form on our sister planet at a scale that previously seemed incompatible with the physics of how ripples and dunes arise on Earth. (Source: Stanford News)

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