News

New research from CU Boulder confirms that there are not, in fact, multiple species of Redpoll Finches, as previously thought. Instead, the three recognized species are all just one with a “supergene” that controls differences in plumage color and morphology, making them look different.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a highly competitive grant to a team of scientists building OpenEarthScape, a set of models and simulations to help anticipate changes in river flow, beach erosion, landslides and more. The $2.56M grant will support five years of work by earth surface scientists, including modelers, who are determined to better understand the forces that re-shape our landscapes over hours to epochs. Eric Hutton, Albert Kettner, Irina Overeem, Mark Piper are co-PIs on the grant.

Biogeochemist Julio Sepúlveda (INSTAAR & GEOL) is one 17 CU Boulder faculty members selected by the Research and Innovation Office as their 2022 RIO Faculty Fellows cohort. The program supports faculty in achieving their research/innovation goals and promotes collaboration, all through tailored training, experiential learning and leadership development opportunities. Sepúlveda and his cohort kick off 2022 with an intensive three-day retreat in January, followed by several more focused retreats and a variety of informal networking activities.

The art of INSTAAR Affiliate Diane Burko includes images of melting glaciers and dying coral reefs that are not just pictorially impressive; they have strong emotional impact.

University’s highest faculty honor awarded to 11 professors for 2021, including INSTAARs Diane McKnight and Giff Miller.

A first-of-its-kind study by Garrett Rue and Diane McKnight suggests that warmer weather and less snowpack are causing higher concentrations of rare earth elements in the river.

Hotter, drier mountains leach more metal into streams from abandoned mines and natural deposits, finds a study by INSTAARs Garrett Rue and Diane McKnight.

But the window for discovery is slender and shrinking. Craig Lee's ice patch archaeology is mentioned.

With the help of strong ocean currents, mountains on the floor of the Southern Ocean play a key role in bringing dissolved carbon to the surface, where it can be released to the atmosphere, a new study led by University of Colorado Boulder scientists finds. The study led by Riley X. Brady and Nicole Lovenduski is the first to detail how carbon travels within and escapes from the Southern Ocean—and has implications for global climate change.

The health of the ocean is fundamental to life on the planet—yet much remains unknown about how the ocean and marine life will cope with a rapidly changing climate. An award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help Julio Sepúlveda start solving that crucial puzzle.