“Liquid water near to the surface of the ice shell is a really provocative and promising place to imagine life having a shot," says Stanford Earth geophysicist Dustin Schroeder. "The idea that we could find a signature that would suggest a promising pocket of water like this might exist, I think, is very exciting." 

Billions of people could be lifted out of poverty without boosting global energy consumption, according to a new Stanford study that has deep implications for climate change. 

How much energy does it take to have a good and healthy life? A new study led by Earth system science professor Rob Jackson has found that the answer is far less than the average American is using.

Human well-being is strongly tethered to energy access, but a new Stanford-led study finds high-consuming countries could scale back consumption without sacrificing health and happiness.

Geologist George Hilley comments on the approach taken by scientists who simulated landslide risks in the Austrian Alps under various climate scenarios in order to better prepare and adapt for future landslides.  

A new comprehensive survey by Stanford Earth's Yuanlei Chen, Evan Sherwin, and Adam Brandt shows active wells and pipelines in New Mexico are emitting methane at rates double the previous estimates.

Stanford Earth professor George Hilley and coauthors write about a new initiative bringing together scientists to address fundamental questions about subduction zone geohazards, using the latest advances in observation technology and computational resources.

A Stanford-led study used sophisticated airborne imaging to analyze methane leaks on the New Mexico side of the prolific Permian Basin region. The results suggest leaks are far above the amount that nullifies the climate advantage over coal.

Startlingly large amounts of methane are leaking from wells and pipelines in New Mexico, according to a new analysis of aerial data from Stanford Earth's Yuanlei Chen, Evan Sherwin and Adam Brandt. “Aerial technology found high methane emissions,” Chen said, “but can also help fix them cost effectively.”

The state pumps too much groundwater, especially during droughts. Now it's learning to refill the overdrawn bucket. "It's the simplest math in the world," says Stanford professor Rosemary Knight.

“New technologies that may enable deep drilling are exciting, but they will likely encounter surprises as they go deeper than we have been before," says Stanford geophysicist William Ellsworth.

Research by Page Chamberlain and PhD student Tyler Kukla presents a new hypothesis for the cause of a major forest dieback episode in the western U.S. It shows forests depended on winter moisture for millions of years. 

"Clearly, a nuclear reactor is not a nuclear bomb – reactors are designed to avoid runaway chain reactions," Stanford nuclear security expert Rod Ewing writes in an op-ed. But there are three vulnerabilities that can have serious consequences, he explains.

“We are in the middle of a war with great devastation and human suffering and deaths and adding a nuclear event – even if it is minor releases of radioactivity – to the present situation, that is really a heavy burden,” says Stanford Earth professor Rod Ewing.

Stanford geologist George Hilley discusses the process and purpose of creating a computational model to demonstrate mountain formation. 

New analysis by Rob Jackson and PhD student Sam Abernethy emphasizes that a reduction in global methane emissions is critical to meeting short-term climate targets.