Earth & Planetary Sciences News
Hydrothermal vents on seafloors of ‘ocean worlds’ could support life, new study says
June 24, 2024
Many lines of research suggest that some ocean worlds release enough heat internally to drive hydrothermal circulation under their seafloors. This heat is generated by radioactive decay, as occurs deep in the Earth, with additional heat possibly generated by tides.
Ph.D. student leads effort to open Kosovo's first observatory
June 13, 2024
Earth’s newest observatory will open to the public on June 20, 2024, coinciding with the summer solstice, thanks in large part to a UC Santa Cruz student from Kosovo who discovered her love of astronomy as a child amidst the chaos of the country’s brutal war for independence over 20 years ago.
Francis Nimmo elected to prestigious fellowship of UK's Royal Society
May 16, 2024
Francis Nimmo, professor of earth and planetary sciences, has been named a fellow of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences. The society announced today the election of 90 researchers from around the world as new fellows, citing their "invaluable contributions to science."
The Science Division announces recipients of Distinguished Alumni Awards
April 2, 2024
Dr. José de Jesús González, Dr. Maximiliano Mateo Cuevas, and Dr. Charles A. Lawson are this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients for the Science Division.
UC Santa Cruz joins consortium advancing Earth system science programs
March 27, 2024
UC Santa Cruz has joined a nonprofit consortium of 126 North American colleges and universities focused on research and training in Earth system science.
Closer water monitoring needed as wildfires increase
February 23, 2024
UC Santa Cruz researchers warn that wildfires can change the chemistry of nearby streams that people and wildlife depend on for drinking water. But they found that the baseline water-chemistry data needed to detect such changes aren’t always available.
Student Gabriella Goss wins $500 Alumni Leadership Award from Ecology Project International
February 14, 2024
Her project draws inspiration from her Ecology Project International (EPI) course experience in the Galapagos Islands, where she witnessed the thriving wildlife in an ecosystem largely spared from human interference. This prompted her to explore the negative impact of human activities on animal habitats, specifically focusing on the millions of animals killed annually by vehicles.
Institute of Arts and Sciences announces new interdisciplinary initiative on climate change
January 24, 2024
A new multi-year initiative will bring together arts and science to start a conversation about marine biology and the effects of climate change. The new exhibit is set to premier in 2025, and the project is already in progress as the Friedlaender lab collaborates with nationally recognized artists.
Institute of the Arts & Sciences announces inaugural artists in the Coha Nowark Art + Science Residency Program
January 22, 2024
Rebates can offer solutions to California’s groundwater woes
October 18, 2023
Many aquifers in California and around the world are being drained of their groundwater because of the combined impacts of excess pumping, shifts in land use, and climate change. However, a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley, published on Oct.18 in Nature Water, may offer a solution - it describes the development and operation of a novel incentive program that uses water rebates to pay for some of the costs of getting stormwater runoff into the ground. The program is called recharge net metering (ReNeM).
