All Posts in #Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
3rd Thonis Endowed Professorship Announced: The Multiplier Effect in Philanthropy
On the drive from his home in Wellesley, Massachusetts, to his alma mater in Syracuse, New York, Michael G. “Mike” Thonis ’72 says he counts rock formations, knows all their geological names and notices “as they suddenly become very dark…
Rare Isotopes Help Unlock Mysteries in the Argentine Andes
Every second the Earth is bombarded by vast amounts of cosmic rays—invisible sub-atomic particles that originate from things like the sun and supernova explosions. These high-energy, far-traveled cosmic rays collide with atoms as they enter Earth’s atmosphere and set off…
Rock-Solid Data: Friendship Helps Lead to Discovery of Tectonic History of Subglacial Antarctica
A trove of ancient rocks collected from glacial moraines has literally revealed the deep story of one of the most underexplored environments on the planet—the rocks and mountain belts hidden beneath the East Antarctica Ice Sheet. Before this study, scientists…
Bhattacharya, Patteson Win Sloan Research Fellowships
Two early-career faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences are among 126 researchers being awarded 2023 Sloan Foundation fellowships. Tripti Bhattacharya, Thonis Family Professor and a member of the Earth and environmental sciences faculty, and Alison Patteson, assistant…
Through A&S-VPA Collaboration, Students Gain Unique Opportunity to Draw Modern and Ancient Lifeforms
65,000 years ago, Neanderthals, a ‘sister’ species to modern humans, drew abstract paintings of animals and geometric designs on cave walls. This early art was the first example of nature being documented through illustration. Fast-forward to 200 years ago,…
Seismology Professor Sheds Light on Turkey-Syria Earthquake
With a climbing death toll of more than 5,000 people and thousands still missing, Turkey and Syria have been devastated by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the two countries this week. Joshua Russell is an assistant professor of seismology…
A Warm Winter Welcome to Newest Arts and Sciences Faculty
Continuing its trajectory of robust faculty hiring in fall 2022, the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) announces the following new professors in the humanities and the sciences, whose appointments began in January 2023. “We are pleased and proud that…
Researchers Reject 30-Year-Old Paradigm: Emergence of Forests Did Not Reduce CO2 in Atmosphere
It’s hard to imagine our planet without trees. From providing wildlife habitat to reducing erosion and absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, trees play an important role in maintaining a livable environment. But trees haven’t been around forever. Over…
Environmental Experts Available to Discuss Extreme California Weather
California experienced a siege of storms this month that caused many areas to flood and pushed snowpack levels to record highs. Two Earth and Environmental Sciences professors are available for comment and interviews for stories related to the wet, soggy…
EES Professor Recognized by the Geological Society of America
Christopher Scholz, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES), is the recipient of the 2022 Israel C. Russell Award from the Geological Society of America’s (GSA’s) Limnogeology Division. Presented to only one researcher each year, the award recognizes outstanding research,…