News From and About Earth System Science

In addition to frequent updates on facebook and twitter, ESS faculty, staff, grad students and alumni are often the subject of more in-depth stories.

  • Antarctic drilling to recover methane

    Mystery of the missing methane — solved?

     

    The powerful greenhouse gas methane is considered a big player in the warming of Earth’s climate, but its unexpected leveling off at the end of the 20th century stumped the scientific community.

    Aug 10, 2011
  • Fertilizers in a Wet Field

    New theories over methane puzzle
    Scientists say that there has been a mysterious decline in the growth of methane in the atmosphere in the last decades of the 20th century.

    Researchers writing in the journal Nature have come up with two widely differing theories as to the cause.

    Aug 10, 2011
  • New Theories over Methane Puzzle

    New theories over methane puzzle
    Scientists say that there has been a mysterious decline in the growth of methane in the atmosphere in the last decades of the 20th Century.

    Researchers writing in the journal Nature have come up with two widely differing theories as to the cause.

    One suggests the decline was caused by greater commercial use of natural gas, the other that increased use in Asia of artificial fertiliser was responsible.

    Both studies agree that human activities are the key element.

    And there are suggestions that methane levels are now on the rise again.

    Methane is regarded as one of the most potent greenhouse gases, trapping over 20 times more atmospheric heat than carbon dioxide.

    Aug 10, 2011
  • Volcanic Ash

    Study: volcanoes curbing warming

    Volcanic particles high in the atmosphere might have had a cooling effect over the past decade, perhaps easing global warming, a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows.

    Volcanic particles high in the atmosphere might have had a cooling effect over the past decade, perhaps easing global warming, a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows.

    The finding could have important implications for projections of future warming as well, the study's authors say.

    The scientists examined satellite measurements of sulfuric acid droplets called aerosols in the upper atmosphere, most of which come from volcanic eruptions.

    Aug 1, 2011
  • R/V Knorr

    ESS Research Team participates in a research cruise in the North Atlantic

    Where in the world are Tom and Cyril? And, what are they doing?  

    Jun 27, 2011
  • The Asian monsoon system

    Paleoclimate: Long-distance relationship
    Oxygen isotope variations in Chinese cave deposits have been interpreted as proxies for the East Asian summer monsoon. Numerical simulations suggest the deposits may instead record remote climate changes over India and the Indian Ocean.

    Jun 20, 2011
  • Tom Wagner at the IceBridge Meeting

    Polar melting: UCI hosts global ice project planning meeting

    Climate scientists from across the nation are gathering at UC Irvine this week to plan the next phase of an ambitious campaign: using planes to map the planet’s dwindling polar ice.

    The prognosis is bad. Sea levels already are rising in part because of ice loss; the losses at both poles appear to be accelerating; and projections strongly suggest that it’s only going to get worse.

    Jun 16, 2011
  • Famiglietti in front of research images

    Groundwater Depletion Is Detected From Space

    IRVINE, Calif. — Scientists have been using small variations in theEarth’s gravity to identify trouble spots around the globe where people are making unsustainable demands on groundwater, one of the planet’s main sources of fresh water.

    May 30, 2011
  • Tornado Near Joplin, Missouri

    Clouds here, tornadoes there: is it warming?

    Southern California is unusually cool, while tornadoes are tearing up parts of the Midwest – including Joplin, Missouri, where a devastating tornado Sunday caused at least 126 deaths.

    Oddly, there is a connection. The jet stream is dipping much farther south than normal, delivering cold, northern air to California and allowing it to mix with warm, moist air in the Midwest.

    May 26, 2011
  • Ralph J. & Carol M. Cicerone

    2011-2012 Cicerone Fellowship

    Applications are now being accepted for the 2011-2012 Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Graduate Fellowship in Earth System Science.  This fellowship provides support for an ESS doctoral student to broaden his or her training by cutting across traditional disciplinary boundaries.  See http://ess.uci.edu/opportunity/ciceronefellows for more information

    Previous recipients include Ray Anderson and Francesca Hopkins.  

    May 13, 2011