The San Luis Valley

When farmers must pay for groundwater, they cut use by a third

June 22, 2017

A new study by CU Boulder researchers found that when San Luis Valley farmers imposed a well-pumping tax on themselves, they slashed use by a third and farmed more sustainably.

researchers at the Niwot Ridge research site

Skiing for science at 12,000 feet—in June

June 12, 2017

Earlier this month, INSTAAR researchers took their annual snow survey in the Green Lakes Valley, part of the city of Boulder watershed. The measurements are important for the state's water and fire management agencies.

wind turbines in the North Sea

Offshore wind turbines vulnerable to Category 5 hurricane gusts

June 7, 2017

Offshore wind turbines built according to current standards may not be able to withstand the powerful gusts of a Category 5 hurricane, creating potential risk for any such turbines built in hurricane-prone areas.

Tethered balloon kite above the trees in Portugal

Global wind-mapping project commences in Portugal

June 1, 2017

An international team that includes CU Boulder researchers has begun the world's largest wind-mapping project in Portugal, in hopes of better understanding wind behavior across the globe.

Traffic jam

Diesels pollute more than tests detect; excess emissions kill 38,000 yearly

May 15, 2017

A new study co-authored by CU Boulder researchers has found diesel trucks, buses and cars emit 4.6-million tons more harmful nitrogen-oxide than standards permit. Higher standards and improved emissions tests could save lives, the authors say.

a forest shrouded in fog

Long-term fate of tropical forests may not be so dire

April 28, 2017

Conventional wisdom has held that tropical forest growth will dramatically slow with increasing levels of rainfall. But CU Boulder researchers have turned that notion on its head with an unprecedented review of data concluding the opposite.

Grounds technician Pedro Vasquez uses a machine that provides hot steam to safely kill weeds

CU Boulder employs steam to control weeds on campus

April 26, 2017

Both Housing & Dining Services and Facilities Management are incorporating into their weed-management practices machinery that uses saturated steam to control weeds in landscape beds and natural areas.

A tree swallow perches on a wire.

Wind, rain ruffle migratory birds' breeding patterns

April 26, 2017

Wind and precipitation play a crucial role in advancing or delaying the breeding cycles of North American tree swallows, according to the results of a new CU Boulder study.

a firefighter extinguishing a blaze in California

New era of western wildfire demands new ways of protecting people, ecosystems

April 17, 2017

Current wildfire policy can’t adequately protect people, homes and ecosystems from the longer, hotter fire seasons, new CU Boulder research has found.

a river in the Yukon Territory, Canada

Yukon glacier retreat triggers 'river piracy'

April 17, 2017

The retreat of a massive Yukon glacier a mile up its valley has redirected meltwater from one river basin to another in the first modern case of "river piracy," according to a new analysis co-authored by CU Boulder researchers.

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