Charles Darwin proposed that life could have emerged in a “warm little pond” with the right cocktail of chemicals and energy. A new study from the University of Washington reports that a shallow “soda lake” in western Canada shows promise for matching those requirements. The findings provide new support that life could have emerged from lakes on the early Earth, roughly 4 billion years ago.
Read more at UW News »
As climate change warms the planet, weather patterns are likely to shift. Even the consistency of snow — how fluffy it is, for example — could change. Researchers also want to know how these changing conditions will affect how predators hunt prey.
Read more at UW News »
New research from the University of Washington and collaborators is the first to document the complex vocal repertoire of the Cook Inlet beluga whale population. It is also the first to quantify how ship noise may be masking specific beluga calls in this region.
Read more at UW News »
From new discoveries in our solar system to insights about how predators and prey interact with humans, 2023 was another impressive year of research in the College of the Environment. Our students tackled new challenges, and we celebrated anniversaries, new honors, new leadership positions and more.
Read more »
The official map that helps gardeners and farmers decide what to plant has undergone a dramatic shift, thanks in large part to climate change. The 2023 update, released in mid-November, shows that about half of the country has moved into a warmer hardiness zone. Overall, the map is about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the previous map from 2012.
Read more »
