Rochester researchers uncover key clues about the solar system’s history
Researchers have used magnetism to determine, for the first time, when asteroids that are rich in water and amino acids first arrived in the inner solar system.
New data about asteroid surfaces will help explorers touch down safely
Using sand, marbles, and mathematical modeling, Rochester researchers from across departments worked to improve the accuracy of data collected from the surfaces of asteroids.
Rochester researchers unlock clues to a dramatic chapter of Earth’s geological history
New Rochester research indicates that the global glaciation period known as Snowball Earth began earlier than previously thought, work that adds to the understanding of how the planet’s climate changes.
Cleaner air a ‘short-term’ silver lining of COVID-19
Environmental scientist Lee Murray tells City Newspaper that the area’s nitrogen dioxide concentrations in March were 30 percent lower than in March 2019. But the benefit won’t last, he says.
To combat climate change, human activities more important than natural feedbacks
Permafrost in the soil and methane hydrates deep in the ocean are large reservoirs of ancient carbon. But even if methane is released from these large natural stores, new Rochester data shows that the bigger concern is methane released from human activities.
Methane emitted via human fossil fuel use ‘vastly underestimated’
Reducing emissions from human activities like fossil fuel extraction and use will have a greater impact on curbing future global warming than scientists previously thought, a new Rochester study suggests.
New research unlocks clues about Earth’s magnetic field
Professor John Tarduno has analyzed zircon crystals collected from sites in Australia—the oldest known terrestrial materials—to construct a timeline of Earth’s magnetic field, finding that the field was stronger than previously believed.
Using machine learning to understand climate change
In a vast ocean where direct observational data is scarce, Rochester researchers are using data science to understand how shallow coastal waters and deep oceans contribute to the methane found in the atmosphere.
Researchers solve ‘hot spot’ debate
Volcanic hot spots such as the ones that created the Hawaiian Islands have long been considered stationary points, but new data analyses provide conclusive evidence that hot spots are not fixed but are moving.
3 questions: 50 years after the moon landing
The lunar rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts still inform research today, including the work of Rochester professor Miki Nakajima, who studies the formation and evolution of the Earth, the moon, and other planetary bodies.