Discovery of organic compounds bolsters case that Saturn's moon Enceladus could support life
A new analysis of data from the Cassini space probe has identified organic compounds within jets of water ice erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Some of the compounds, which likely originated in Enceladus’ subsurface ocean, have never before been identified on another world beyond Earth. The study, conducted in part by UW researcher Fabian Klenner, contributes to mounting evidence that Enceladus could support life.
Read more at UW NewsMajor climate change indicators broke records in 2024
Physics Today reports on the BAMS Annual State of the Climate report many broken records for temperature, humidity, glacier melt, and a section written in part by, and quoting Prof. Robert Holzworth's work on lightning climatology.
Read more at Physics TodayHow a Graham farm helped detect a swarm of earthquakes at Mount Rainier
Explore the crucial role of the Garrison Hill seismic station. PNSN field technician and seismology lab coordinator Doug Gibbons shares how it not only records local earthquake data but also transmits signals from the STAR station on Mount Rainier to the UW PNSN server.
Read more at Tacoma News Tribune
Researchers find key to Antarctic ice loss blowing in the north wind
Antarctic ice is melting at a startling pace, and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate projections. Researchers thought westerly winds were accelerating ice loss, but a new study from UW flips the narrative by 90 degrees, pointing instead to winds from the north.
Read more at UW NewsAn earthquake warning in your hand
Rumblings started underground - and phones lit up. For the first time ever in Washington, ShakeAlert sent real-time warnings just seconds before the shaking began. PNSN Director Harold Tobin is quoted.
Read more at UW News
Mount Rainier looks less snowy as climate change melts glaciers worldwide
On clear days, when Mt. Rainier is visible from Seattle and Tacoma, locals say "The mountain is out." But lately, melting glaciers have made that iconic view look rockier and less snowy. ESS Associate Research Professor TJ Fudge is quoted.
Read the story on KNKX
How oxygen made the deep ocean home to animals, spurring rapid evolution
New research shows deep-ocean oxygenation supported animal evolution, but only after 390 million years when above-ground plants increased woody biomass, altering atmospheric and aquatic oxygen levels. This trend closely correlates with the rise of modern vertebrates. ESS Graduate student Kunmanee "Mac" Bubphamanee is lead author.
Read more on UW News
'Revolutionary' seafloor fiber sensing reveals how falling ice drives glacial retreat in Greenland
A UW-led team of researchers, including ESS postdoc Dominik Gräff and Assistant Professor Brad Lipovsky, used a fiber-optic cable to capture calving dynamics across the fjord of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier in South Greenland. This allowed them to document — without getting too close — one of the key processes that is accelerating the rate of glacial mass loss and in turn, threatening the stability of ice sheets, with consequences for global ocean currents and local ecosystems.
Read the full story on UW NewsUW professor on threats to glaciers, impact on western Washington
UW Associate Research Professor TJ Fudge talks about the status of glaciers in the Pacific Northwest and the dangers of shrinking glaciers.
Read more on King5Scientists say new government climate report twists their work
Assistant Professor Joshua Krissansen-Totton told Wired that "his work on ocean acidity billions of years ago has 'no relevance' to the impacts of human-driven ocean acidification today, and that calcium carbonate saturation is quickly diminishing in the ocean alongside rising acidity." The DOE report's section on ocean acidification cites research by Krissansen-Totton.
Read more on Wired