Earth Sciences2
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On Ancient Madagascar, Large Native Herbivores Paid the Price as Introduced Livestock Spread
New analyses of ancient cattle, sheep and goat bones suggest that the rapid spread of introduced livestock 1,200 years ago coincided with forest loss and population declines among large native herbivores.
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A Career Spent Collecting Earth’s Seismic Clues
Göran Ekström tracks incidents like landslides and glacier collapse using tools once used only to monitor earthquakes.
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Robot Sailboats Will Spend Five Years Measuring Carbon in the Southern Ocean
Led by researchers at NOAA and Columbia University, the Constraining Ocean Carbon with Optimized Observing (COCO2) project will use uncrewed surface vehicles to reduce uncertainty in estimates of the ocean carbon sink.
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New Report: Ocean Carbon Removal Shows Promise, But Big Questions Remain
Marine carbon dioxide removal could support climate action but faces major scientific, technical and governance challenges, according to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report.
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August Research Roundup: Select Papers
This month, we covered a long-term analysis suggesting that landfill methane emissions may be far higher than estimated, as well as new research on unexpected trends in U.S. extreme rainfall. Here are additional studies worth noting.
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Wiring the Spirit’s House
Lamont scientists Terry Plank and Einat Lev worked with partners in Chile to install a new suite of sensors on the summit of Villarrica, bringing real-time monitoring to one of Chile’s most active volcanoes.
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Long-Term Study Suggests Landfill Methane Emissions Are Far Higher Than Estimates
A major New Jersey landfill emitted about five times more methane in 2023 than was reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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July Research Roundup: Select Papers
This month, we covered the 2026 Environmental Performance Index; how gas bubbles shaped Kīlauea’s lava flow; and the Pacific’s contrasting effects on wildfires. Here are some additional studies worth noting.
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Interactive: The Heezen–Tharp World Ocean Floor Map
Explore Marie Tharp’s groundbreaking 1977 World Ocean Floor map and discover how it transformed our understanding of the Earth.
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