Read the latest news about research conducted by investigators in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Our faculty and students are continually advancing technology, creating solutions and expanding knowledge with new and innovative research.
Esri ArcGIS software now more easily accessible to faculty, staff, students
For a project in a geographic information systems (GIS) class in Penn State's Department of Geography, Alexis Fisher sought to spotlight the wage gap in the United States. She had familiarity with the topic, but when she began plotting a story map using Esri’s ArcGIS online tools, the data really came to life.
Nanoporous Antireflection Coatings secures $75,000 in tech tournament
As 12 early-stage startups and inventors took the stage for the 2019 Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference Tech Tournament to make their pitch for up to $75,000 in cash to help their organizations take the next step to commercialization.
Costs of natural disasters are increasing at the high end
While the economic cost of natural disasters has not increased much on average, averages can be deceptive.
Energy and mineral engineering to host annual research showcase Oct. 3
The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering will host its annual research showcase, “Rising to the Challenge,” from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Graduate State College Regency Ballroom in State College.
Model helps choose wind farm locations, predicts output
The wind is always blowing somewhere, but deciding where to locate a wind farm is a bit more complicated than holding up a wet finger. Now a team of Penn State researchers have a model that can locate the best place for the wind farm and even help with 24-hour predictions of energy output.
New research details first days after asteroid strike that killed off dinosaurs
Researchers have found new evidence that supports the theory that an that an asteroid impact led to the demise of the dinosaurs, painting the clearest picture yet of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
Researchers seek to revolutionize catalyst design with machine learning
Researchers from Penn State are participating in a $1.2 million United States Department of Energy (DOE) project using machine learning — a form of artificial intelligence — and data science to design more effective catalysts for chemical processing.
Fossil fuel emissions impact Arctic snow chemistry, scientists find
Perennial sea ice is rapidly melting in the Arctic, clearing the way for new shipping routes and fossil fuel extraction. This increased activity could have unexpected impacts on the natural chemistry of the polar region, according to researchers.
Researchers unearth cost-effective method for finding shale gas
A new method for exploring natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, developed by Penn State researchers, shows potential high yield areas can be found more easily and with lower costs.
Researchers identify five factors for better coastal risk-management strategies
A team of Penn State researchers has identified five factors that can better characterize risk management options to protect coastal populations from rising sea levels and storm surges.