Tag Geology
Storing carbon dioxide underground may be feasible for helping achieve climate goals
A new study shows that underground reservoirs currently have capacity to store enough atmospheric carbon dioxide to limit planetary warming to under two degrees Celsius (35.6 degrees Fahrenheit) relative to pre-Industrial temperatures by the year 2100.
In uncertain times, you can lean on rocks … and The Rock
Stephen Meyers calls his last Geosci 100 lecture of the semester “Living in an Uncertain World.” This year, he and his team have created a multimedia production that features a Twitter conversation with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson about his favorite rock, a special video message from Chancellor Blank and a musical performance from local band Mr. Chair.
Complex local conditions keep fields of dunes from going active all at once
New research on dunes in China describes how even neighboring dunes can long remain in different and seemingly conflicting states — confounding the assessment of stabilization efforts and masking the effects of climate change.
Hard as a rock? Maybe not, say bacteria that help form soil
New UW–Madison research shows how bacteria can degrade solid bedrock, jump-starting a long process of alteration that creates the mineral portion of soil.
Student commencement speaker: Scholarship opened a rewarding academic path
Lisa Kamal says she auditioned to be the student speaker for winter commencement because she believes she has something to say about keeping an open mind and adapting to one’s circumstances.
Human migration out of Africa may have followed monsoons in the Middle East
A new study provides evidence that summer monsoons from Asia and Africa may have reached into the Middle East for periods of time going back at least 125,000 years, providing suitable corridors for human migration.
Professor’s study of ancient crystals sheds light on earth’s early years
“If we can analyze melt inclusions, that will provide the first data on rock chemistry for the Earth’s ‘Dark Ages,’ the first 500 million years of earth history,” John Valley says. “This is a critical time that we know almost nothing about.”
Seeking basic info on “basement rocks”
Geologist Esther Stewart makes a living poking around in the geologic basement beneath Wisconsin, which provides many clues to the land's history.
Earth’s last magnetic field reversal took far longer than once thought
A reversing field might significantly affect navigation and satellite and terrestrial communication, but the study suggests that society would have generations to adapt to a lengthy period of magnetic instability.
Small Wyoming dinosaur helps rewrite the evolutionary story of birds, flight
A dinosaur found in Wyoming is helping UW–Madison researchers rewrite the family history of dinosaurs and modern birds.
Ancient poop helps show climate change contributed to fall of Cahokia
A study provides a direct link between changes in Cahokia’s population size as measured through a unique fecal record and environmental data showing evidence of drought and flood.
As Lake Michigan rises, bluffs collapse and geologists explore
UW-Madison researchers are more than one year into a project sponsored by Wisconsin Sea Grant aimed at a better understanding how the bluffs erode, and what triggers their collapse.
Humans may be reversing the climate clock, by 50 million years
According to a new study, Earth climates by 2150 could compare to the warm and mostly ice-free Eocene, an epoch that characterized the globe 50 million years ago.
“Ring around bathtub” at giant volcano field shows movement of subterranean magma
It’s a major task to understand a Laguna del Maule mountaintop region that has erupted 50 times over the past 20,000 years. But the starting point of a UW–Madison study is simple: It’s the ring that standing water leaves on a bathtub.
Thank the moon for Earth’s lengthening day
A new study that reconstructs the deep history of our planet’s relationship to the moon shows that 1.4 billion years ago, a day on Earth lasted just over 18 hours.
In ‘Origins,’ UW–Madison and South African scientists tackle mysteries of our shared beginnings
The quest to understand our beginnings — of our universe, of life on Earth, of our species — inspires people all over the world. At UW–Madison, researchers have forged partnerships with colleagues in South Africa and are uncovering answers and opening new scientific frontiers.
More homes built near wild lands leading to greater wildfire risk
New research out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows that a flurry of homebuilding near wild areas since 1990 has greatly increased the number of homes at risk from wildfires while increasing the costs associated with fighting those fires in increasingly dense developments.
Scouting the eagles: Evidence that protecting nests aids reproduction
Reproduction among bald eagles in a remote national park in Minnesota was aided when their nests were protected from human disturbance, according to a new study.
Oldest fossils ever found show life on Earth began before 3.5 billion years ago
Critics argued they were just odd minerals that only looked like biological specimens. However, geoscientist John Valley says the new findings put these doubts to rest. “I think it’s settled,” he says.
Cool idea: Magma held in ‘cold storage’ before giant volcano eruption
It’s not just morbid curiosity that attracts geoscientists to places like Long Valley, California. It’s a desire to understand where and when super-eruptions are likely to occur again.