Native American youth launch high-altitude balloons for unique perspective on solar eclipse

Students prepare to launch the balloons.

UW-led project hopes to inspire students' interest in science during the solar eclipse.

Total Solar Eclipse Q&A with Earth and Space Sciences' Erika Harnett

The UW Department of Earth and Space Sciences’ Erika Harnett is a geophysicist who studies weather in space. She looks at how solar wind interacts with weakly magnetized planets, like the Moon or Mars. Among other things, Erika is also the is the Associate Director of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium. She’ll be in eastern Oregon for the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, and in advance of the once-in-a-lifetime solar event, we caught up with her.

Earth and Space Sciences' John Booker receives AGU William Gilbert Award

ESS' John Booker, recipient of the AGU William Gilbert Award.

Congratulations to Earth and Space Sciences‘ Emeritus Professor John Booker, who recently received the prestigious William Gilbert Award from the American Geophysical Union. This top honor is given by the AGU’s Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism and Electromagnetism section. It’s presented annually to one honoree in recognition of outstanding work in magnetism of Earth materials and of the Earth and planets. Booker, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University and Ph.D.

Could spraying particles into marine clouds help cool the planet?

The idea of climate engineering is controversial, but as greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in our atmosphere, scientists are beginning to look at possible emergency measures. A new University of Washington study looks at marine cloud brightening, which is being investigated by an on-campus group as a promising strategy to offset global warming. The idea, which could be a short-term measure to offset global warming in a future extreme emergency, is to spray saltwater into the air to make marine clouds reflect more incoming solar rays.

Rob Wood, recent AGU Ascent Award winner, to serve as the College’s Associate Dean for Research

The College is pleased to announce that Rob Wood, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, has agreed to serve as the UW Environment’s Associate Dean for Research effective September 16, 2017. In this role he will foster multidisciplinary collaborations, promote and support the range of basic and applied research programs across the College and University, and help faculty identify opportunities to partner and collaborate with universities and research organizations around the U.S.