an oil well in Colorado

Older oil and gas wells at higher risk of causing groundwater contamination

March 1, 2017

Older vertical oil and gas wells are more likely to cause groundwater contamination than newer wells, new CU Boulder research shows.

the Soberanes fire in California

Humans have dramatically increased extent, duration of wildfire season

Feb. 27, 2017

Humans have dramatically increased the spatial and seasonal extent of wildfires across the U.S. in recent decades and ignited more than 840,000 blazes over a 21-year period, according to new University of Colorado Boulder-led research.

Three research collect data on a snowy Niwot Ridge.

Long-term ecological study to continue at very special site, Niwot Ridge

Feb. 22, 2017

Thanks to a six-year $6.8 million renewal grant, decades-long data collection will continue on Niwot Ridge. It is the only site of its kind on the continent comprising alpine and sub-alpine environments, and CU Boulder researchers sometimes brave harsh weather conditions to get there.

Collecting spectral reflectance measurements of surface snow with corresponding snow samples in Northern Svalbard

Coal mine dust hastens Arctic snow melt

Feb. 1, 2017

Dust released by an active coal mine in Svalbard, Norway, reduced the spectral reflectance of nearby snow and ice by up to 84 percent, according to new University of Colorado Boulder-led research.

black and dead trees at the site of the Hayman fire

Colorado's wildfire-stricken forests showing limited recovery

Jan. 30, 2017

A study of Front Range forests burned by wildfires between 1996 and 2003 shows they are not regenerating as well as expected and large portions may become grasslands or shrub lands in coming years.

a map showing recent snow totals in California's Sierra Nevada range

Recent storms recouped 37 percent of California’s five-year snow-water deficit

Jan. 27, 2017

The recent “atmospheric river” weather pattern that pummeled California with storms from late December to late-January may have recouped 37 percent of the state’s five-year snow-water deficit.

collared pika shown in a rocky habitat

Rapid trait evolution crucial to species growth, CU Boulder study finds

Jan. 27, 2017

Rapid evolution at the edges of a given species habitat may play a larger role in population expansions than previously suspected, according to the results of a new University of Colorado Boulder-led study.

Greg Rieker, project with team members while atop their mobile laboratory in rural Colorado

CU Boulder team to track methane leaks using lasers

Jan. 26, 2017

A team of University of Colorado Boulder researchers has secured a $1.3 million grant from the Department of Energy to monitor potentially dangerous emissions from natural gas storage facilities across the U.S.

a traditional cookstove in rural India

Targeting cookstove pollution using supercomputers and NASA satellites

Jan. 23, 2017

New air quality research is investigating a major, but often overlooked contributor to outdoor pollution and climate: burning of solid fuel for cooking and heating.

A Doppler radar system sits on the flatbed of a truck.

Cloud seeding aims to increase mountain snowfall, power generation

Jan. 13, 2017

A joint research project involving what's called cloud seeding aims to beef up mountain snowfall and, subsequently, power generation. The results hopefully will be applicable to many mountain ranges in the western U.S.

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