“It’s rare to get this many sporangia with well-preserved spores that you can measure,” said Andrew Leslie, referring to a new species of ancient plant. “We just kind of got lucky in how they were preserved.”

Marshall Burke discusses how the current situation gives insight into the costs of polluting economies and how they might be changed to improve health outcomes.

Mark Zoback and former PhD student Jens-Erik Lund Snee scientists have produced a comprehensive map of the tectonic stresses acting on the North American continent.

Mathieu Lapôtre shows the targeted landing site for NASA's Perseverance rover may be a great place to look for signs of life.

"If we drive less … we'll save time and make things healthier," says Rob Jackson. "It doesn't have to be shelter at home or clean air, it can be clean air every day."

Marshall Burke discusses the environmental impact of billions staying at home worldwide.

“The images really drew attention to a system that’s out of balance,” says Rosemary Knight, who uses geophysical techniques to find promising areas for groundwater recharge.

The coronavirus isn't just a public-health crisis. It's an ecological one. The article cites Stanford professor Marshall Burke's estimates of lives saved by the reduction in pollution from the shutdown of factories in Wuhan, China.

“We see the animals as infecting us, but the picture that’s coming from the study and other studies is we really go to the animals,” says Stanford's Eric Lambin.

“Lives we lose absent a pandemic are also really important, and are lives we shouldn’t lose,” says Stanford Earth's Marshall Burke.

As people stopped commuting and traveling, the Earth’s surface vibrated less – and seismologists tracked the change. Stanford Earth's Nate Lindsey and Siyuan Yuan comment.

Stanford Earth's Marshall Burke estimates that the reduction in PM2.5 pollution from the coronavirus lockdown in China has saved tens of thousands of lives. How long will these reductions last?   

The coronavirus pandemic has not only quickly changed the livelihoods of millions of people around the globe, but also the environment. The reduction in emissions from COVID-19 countermeasures has saved tens of thousands of lives in China alone, according to Marshall Burke. 

Experts say that the conronavirus could hurt climate change action in the long run. Companies that are currently hurting financially will be likely to delay or cancel climate-friendly projects, says Stanford's Rob Jackson.  

Greenhouse emissions are lower than before, but experts say it won't last. "We need sustained declines. Not an anomalous year below average,” says Rob Jackson.

Stanford Earth professor Marshall Burke explains what we can learn from the pollution drop during China's COVID-19 lockdown.