Research

“We’re creating a world where these ice sheets are going to melt,” says Tyler Jones, explaining the results of a new study on fossilized plant and insect parts found at the bottom of Greenland's ice sheet.

While fire is a normal part of the ecosystem of the Mountain West, fires that push into urban areas are destructive to those landscapes. The effects of urban fires, known as urban conflagrations, can have long-term effects on our waterways' local ecology. KUNC host Stephanie Daniel speaks with Lauren Magliozzi. They discuss what we should be looking for in the water after a major wildfire.

Glacial ice contains valuable data about climates past. Researchers like Tyler Jones are working to preserve those records for the future. A number of science teams are archiving ice cores in a remote cave in Antarctica, where the average temperature is -54 degrees Celsuis (-65 degrees Fahrenheit).

Lauren Magliozzi joined KOA radio hosts Marty Lenz and Jeana Gondek for a seven-minute conversation on how fire impacts the environment, particularly water systems and their changing sedimentology, geochemistry, hydrology, and ecology. Key differences occur between wildfires in the mountains and urban conflagrations like the Marshall Fire.

As wildfires swept across North America in the past few weeks, the world also broke an all-time heat record on July 22. These disasters and extreme weather events are affecting everything from public health to infrastructure and ecosystem resilience. Laren Magliozzi is one of five CU Boulder experts who are available to media for discussions on a range of issues related to record heat, wildfires and climate change.

Lauren Magliozzi shares her findings from the devastating 2021 Marshall Fire and California’s 2018 Camp Fire, detailing how these fires have impacted aquatic ecosystems. Her team found toxic metals, including copper, lead and zinc from building and car ash, can leach into streams and rivers, threatening water security and the health of aquatic organisms.

A new study found Greenland's "firn" - the spongy layer between ice and snow - is more sensitive to warming than cooling. More specifically, warming temperatures are rapidly changing how efficiently firn can store meltwater, and cooling temperatures may not help it fully recover. Megan Thompson-Munson, a CIRES and ATOC PhD student, led the study alongside her advisors: CIRES Fellow Jen Kay and INSTAAR Fellow Brad Markle.

Why do black-capped chickadees mate with mountain chickadees? And how does the sharp memory of these songbirds serve them over winter? Listen to a 25-minute KGNU science show, with Scott Taylor and host Susan Moran.

The American Ornithological Society announced that the hoary redpoll finch, a small, plump bird commonly found in the Arctic, will be reclassified as the same species as the common redpoll finch, a smaller bird found in similar habitats. This announcement came as a direct result of a 2021 study led by the Taylor Lab which found that, despite their different looks, very few genetic differences exist between the two types of birds.

The melting of the Juneau Icefield in Alaska—one of North America’s largest icefields—has accelerated and could soon reach an irreversible tipping point, according to a paper by Davies et al. published in Nature Communications. Coauthors include Brad Markle of INSTAAR and Geological Sciences. He is also Director of Academics for the Juneau Icefield Research Program.