In ancient Earth history, the sun burned as much as 30 percent dimmer than it does now. Theoretically that should have encased the planet in ice, but there is geologic evidence for rivers and ocean sediments between 2 billion and 4 billion years ago. Scientists have speculated that temperatures warm enough to maintain liquid water were the result of a much thicker atmosphere, high concentrations of greenhouse gases or a combination of the two.
Read more at UW Today »UW's Tony Irving is the go-to man in the red-hot world of meteorites - Seattle Times
A chance meeting between a pair of treasure-hunting brothers and Tony Irving, an affiliate professor in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, has led to the discovery of some the most extraordinary and valuable meteorites in history. Read more here.
Read more »UW Professor Norbert Untersteiner remembered - Seattle Times
Professor Norbert Untersteiner – Department of Atmospheric Sciences in UW’s College of the Environment – passed away earlier this month; he was 86. Read about his remarkable life and legacy – from his childhood in Austria to his adventures and work in the Arctic – in this Seattle Times piece.
Read more »Fisheries researchers to examine the effects of NOAA Catch Shares program - Phys.org
UC Santa Barbara resource economists Christopher Costello and Robert Deacon, and SAFS‘ Ray Hilborn and Trevor Branch will be undertaking an examination of the ongoing effects of a West Coast fisheries management system implemented by NOAA in January 2011. This effort is funded as part of a $1 million West Coast Sea Grant social science initiative, funded by NOAA Sea Grant and its partners.
Read more »Could cherry blossoms one day be blooming in winter? - The Washington Post
Washington DC’s cherry blossoms are busting out early this year. A UW research paper, authored by Professor Soo-Hyung Kim, suggests that global warming could move up the budding by as much as a month. Read more here.
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