Latest research

As climate change drives mountain-dwelling pikas to higher altitudes, the animals can dial certain genes up or down to make the most of their cooler home’s limited oxygen.

Why did the first big, complex organisms spring to life in deep, dark oceans where food was scarce? A new study finds great depths provided a stable, life-sustaining refuge from wild temperature swings in the shallows.

Volcanic carbon dioxide vents off the coast of Italy are rapidly acidifying nearby waters. This natural laboratory provides a crystal ball-view into potential future marine biodiversity impacts around the world.

Nuclear security expert Rod Ewing discusses new recommendations for solving the U.S. nuclear waste problem, why conventional risk assessments don’t go far enough and what makes this challenge more difficult than putting a man on the moon.

Scientists have debated until now what made Earth's oceans so inhospitable to life that some 96 percent of marine species died off at the end of the Permian period. New research shows the "Great Dying" was caused by global warming that left ocean animals unable to breathe.

Scientists discovered a protein that modifies a microbe’s membrane and helps it survive in hot, acidic environments, proving a long-standing hypothesis that these structures have a protective effect.

Renewable energy capacity has hit record levels and global coal use may have already peaked. But the world's carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels increased in 2018, and the trend places global warming targets in jeopardy.  

While carrying out scientific research in forest ecology, Stanford’s Lauren Oakes found stories of hope by immersing herself in local communities. In her new book, she explores a journey of loss, adaptation and resilience to climate change.

Odds are rising that warm, dry conditions – the kind that can hurt crop yields, destabilize food prices and exacerbate wildfires – will strike multiple regions at once. A new Stanford study shows just how much the risk is increasing.

Over the last half-century, Canada’s Peace-Athabasca Delta has been slowly drying. A new study shows this loss of habitat is likely responsible for the decline of semi-aquatic muskrat, and could have larger implications.

A new analysis of marine fossils and seismic data offers keys to better modeling of global sea levels and earthquake risk in Southern California – plus the last word in a century-long debate over the motion of Catalina Island.

Polluted air caused by drifting wildfire smoke is choking the Bay Area. It’s the norm for many people around the world. Globally, long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution is responsible for millions of deaths.

Data is reshaping our knowledge about many things, including earthquakes: how we measure them, what causes them and how we can better prepare for them.

California’s wildfires have destroyed homes and communities, and even people hundreds of miles away are feeling the effects of smoke. Stanford faculty weigh in on the health effects and increasing frequency of fires.

New rules and new technology are giving farmers and managers a better look at groundwater supplies.

New opportunities for environmental protection and serious discussions about infrastructure could be among the ripple effects of the midterm election results.  

Stanford civil engineers are working with the city to assess high-rise safety and mitigate any disruption, downtime or lost economic activity should downtown buildings be damaged.

A new study shows strong evidence for unique regions that divide plant and animal communities – a major development in a centuries-long debate.

New research shows how fish can act as an early warning sign for climate change impacts. 

Stanford researchers show how warmer winters and booming demand for one of the world’s most expensive medicinal species may hurt ecosystems and communities in the Himalayas.

Obscured behind the better-known impacts of climate change are a host of potentially more serious effects global leaders have yet to reckon with.

A new study suggests certain management practices can enhance the viability of livestock operations while also maximizing wildlife abundance and health on the same lands.

A new method for observing water within ice has revealed stored meltwater that may explain the complex flow behavior of some Greenland glaciers, an important component for predicting sea-level rise in a changing climate.

​In addition to reusing water, we'll have to augment the supply from reservoirs with recycling, stormwater capture, desalination and other strategies.