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In the News
Tracing past glacial floods in Kangchenjunga
September 21st, 2020Satellite imagery is useful, but involving local people in research can often help fill gaps in research of glacial floods. Article by Alton Byers in the Nepali Times shares some of the detailed knowledge of local residents who witnessed glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) over the last four decades in the Kangchenjunga area of Nepal.
Increase in fresh water in Arctic Ocean could affect global climate systems
August 28th, 2020A new study, led by Alexandra Jahn, shows increased precipitation and ice melt caused by climate change have left Arctic waters less salty. Repercussions will be felt much farther south.
Agriculture replaces fossil fuels as largest human source of sulfur in the environment
August 12th, 2020A new paper in Nature Geoscience identifies fertilizer and pesticide applications to croplands as the largest source of sulfur in the environment—up to 10 times higher than the peak sulfur load seen in the second half of the 20th century, during the days of acid rain. As a result, Eve-Lyn Hinckley, John Crawford, and their coauthors recommend greatly expanded monitoring of sulfur and examining possible negative impacts of this increase, including increasing levels of mercury in wetlands, soil degradation and a higher risk for asthma for populations in agricultural areas.
Increasing Arctic freshwater is driven by climate change
July 30th, 2020New, first-of-its-kind research from CU Boulder shows that climate change is driving increasing amounts of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean. Within the next few decades, this will lead to increased freshwater moving into the North Atlantic Ocean, which could disrupt ocean currents and affect temperatures in northern Europe. The paper, authored by Alex Jahn and Rory Laiho and published in Geophysical Research Letters, examined the unexplained increase in Arctic freshwater over the past two decades and what these trends could mean for the future.
Protect Our Winters advocates for racial justice in climate fight
July 24th, 2020Minority, tribal, and indigenous people are the most vulnerable to climate change. INSTAAR Keith Musselman is quoted in this Powder Magazine story.
Schools scramble to keep students in wake of “devastating” new visa rule
July 9th, 2020The United States has always been a scientific powerhouse, but following a sudden announcement from ICE, some worry that “we’re just going to get so far behind.” Eos story quotes INSTAAR doctoral student Lina Pérez-Angel.