Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Archives - News Center

University of Rochester scientists Lee Murray, John Kessler, Vasilii Petrenko, and Thomas Weber pose with equipment used to study methane in the environment.

From the Magazine

The methane hunters

October 29, 2026

How URochester scientists are tracking the elusive greenhouse gas—and why it matters.

Science & Technology

What tiny fossils tell us about Earth’s changing oceans

October 13, 2026

For paleoceanographer Chiara Borrelli, microscopic fossils buried beneath the seafloor are a window into the oceans of the past—and a changing planet.

Solifluction-formed wave patterns on an Alaskan hillslope with a house a pickup truck at the base.

Science & Technology

Why icy landscapes can behave like oobleck

September 25, 2026

URochester researchers use mathematical modeling to explore how wave-like soil patterns form—and what they could reveal about landscape stability.

Aerial view of ocean waves swirling over rocks.

Science & Technology

Hidden ocean feedback loop could accelerate climate change

Researchers identify how warming oceans may trigger increased methane emissions, adding a key insight for current climate models.

Illustration of a super-earth shown with cross-sections revealing the deep layer of molten rock known as the basal magma ocean that could produce magnetic fields for super-earths.

Science & Technology

Hidden magma oceans could shield rocky exoplanets from harmful radiation

January 15, 2026

New research suggests that molten rock deep inside so-called super-earths may generate powerful magnetic fields necessary for sustaining life.

Illustration of Earth, the sun, and the moon, with atmospheric particles flying about them to illustrate how lunar soil ended up with particles from Earth.

Science & Technology

Earth’s atmosphere may help support human life on the moon

December 11, 2025

New research shows that Earth’s magnetic field has helped deliver atmospheric particles to the lunar surface over billions of years.

Two URochester researchers in souped-up kayaks gather samples where the Genesee River and Erie Canal converge.

Campus & Community

Souped-up kayaks become ‘floating laboratories’ on the Genesee River

November 5, 2025

URochester researchers use specially designed kayaks to collect real-time data on methane and carbon dioxide emissions.

The view from the rim of the caldera of Olympus Mons on Mars, the largest volcano in the solar system.

Science & Technology

Mars surface patterns resemble Earth, revealing secrets of its past

Wave-like landforms on Mars offer insights about the planet’s icy past, its potential habitability, and the physics of flowing granular materials.

"Argentum: Double-Positive," a light sculpture by Jim Sanborn, during an evening snowfall.

Campus & Community

January 2025 in Photos

January 31, 2025

The start of a new year brought innovative events, a peek into the past, and a snowy first day of classes. Here’s how we spent January at the University of Rochester.

Kevin Righter in his office, with OSIRIS-REX memorabilia on the walls behind him.

Science & Technology

Rochester’s Kevin Righter kept NASA space rocks free from contamination

January 30, 2025

Precise curation was necessary to discover that the Bennu asteroid sample contains building blocks of life on Earth.