Latest research

Do tiny underground tremors provide clues that a big earthquake is coming? A new study suggests foreshocks are just like other small quakes, not helpful warning signs as previously thought.

New software targets the most abundant fishing grounds and reduces catch of unwanted or protected species using satellite data, maps and observations.

A new study shows that tall and older Amazonian forests are more resilient to drought than shorter and younger forests, but more vulnerable to the effects of a dry atmosphere and heat.

A recent outbreak of Nipah in South India has renewed interest in the virus, which has a mortality rate of up to 70 percent and has no vaccine or cure. Stanford epidemiologist Stephen Luby explains risk factors and potential interventions.

Geothermal engineer Roland Horne discusses geothermal energy in the face of natural hazards and a way to tap the earth’s heat far from volcanoes in the future.

Stanford scientists found that the global economy is likely to benefit from ambitious global warming limits agreed to in the United Nations Paris Agreement.

Stanford experts agree that the world needs to be less reliant on fossil fuels for energy. Getting there will remake the world’s largest economic sector – energy – into one that is more sustainable, secure and affordable for everyone.

Geologists assume when they find molecules called sterols in soils or rocks they indicate the presence of plants, animals or fungi in ancient environments. But discovering how some bacteria also produce and modify sterols could change those interpretations.

A new study suggests people people can quickly, if unwittingly, learn visual cues for a product's environmental friendliness.

A federal court has ruled that wildlife officials ignored their own best science when they decided not to offer endangered species protections to the bi-state sage grouse.

A wastewater treatment plant under construction in Redwood Shores will be the largest to test a technology that significantly reduces the cost of cleaning water. The key: bacteria that eschew oxygen while producing burnable methane.

Geophysicist and volcanologist Paul Segall discusses what makes Hawaii's Kilauea volcano unique and the future of volcano forecasting.

In a proof-of-principle study, Stanford scientists and their colleagues used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system to modify genes in coral, suggesting that the tool could one day aid conservation efforts.

With recent tax credits and other policies, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it underground is not only possible but profitable for U.S. biofuel refineries.

Fossil study finds early human activity — not climate shifts — led to the systematic decline of large animals around the globe that predated human migration out of Africa. The findings add to concerns about continued biodiversity loss and the impact on ecosystems.

Zooplankton may create enough turbulence to redistribute ocean waters – an effect that may influence everything from the distribution of ocean nutrients to climate models.

Super salty water beneath ice may be analogue for habitat for life on other planets

The U.S. EPA recently announced plans to scale back federal regulations to reduce emissions from cars and trucks, a sector responsible for the most greenhouse gas emissions nationally. Stanford law and policy experts examine how the decision could affect the national economy and policy landscape.

Stanford researchers examine a federal trial pitting two cities against major oil companies. It could reshape the landscape of legal claims for climate change-related damages.

Examining body sizes of ancient and modern aquatic mammals and their terrestrial counterparts reveals that life in water restricts mammals to a narrow range of body sizes – big enough to stay warm, but not so big they can’t find enough food.

New study examines the potential for biomass growing sites, CO2 storage sites, and co-location. In the near term, the technology could remove up to 110 million tons of CO2, or 1.5% of total U.S. emissions annually. 

If federal plans move ahead, most U.S. coastal waters would be open to offshore oil drilling. Stanford professors look at the issues from the perspective of the California coastline.