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.
News
Data assimilation method offers improved hurricane forecasting
A new approach developed at Penn State’s Center for Advanced Data Assimilation and Predictability Techniques can more accuraetely forecast the intensity and trajectory of Hurricane Harvey, according to researchers at Penn State and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Forest carbon still plentiful post-wildfire after century of fire exclusion
Forests in Yosemite National Park hold more carbon today than they did 120 years ago despite burning in a severe wildfire in 2013, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers.
Researchers seismically image Shale Hills water catchment
Penn State researchers take part in one of the largest studies ever conducted using more than 2,000 geophones. The group is seismically imaging the Shale Hills water catchment near the Penn State University Park campus.
Undergraduates map subsurface at Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory
The processes that happen in the first few feet of soil can have large impacts on agriculture and water resources. To better understand these processes, a team of graduating Penn State geoscience majors mapped the subsurface at a research site in Rothrock State Forest.
Careful analysis of volcano's plumbing system may give tips on pending eruptions
A volcano will not send out an official invitation when it’s ready to erupt, but a team of researchers suggest that scientists who listen and watch carefully may be able to pick up signs that an eruption is about to happen.
Clues on how soils may respond to climate change found
Rock core samples from a period of warming millions of years ago indicate soils contributed to a rapid rise in atmospheric greenhouse gas and suggest modern climate models may overestimate Earth’s ability to mitigate future warming, according to an international team of scientists.
Penn State partners with University of Freiburg on center for living materials
A new strategic partnership between Penn State and the University of Freiburg in Germany will propel the development of a new class of engineered living materials with potential applications in sustainable infrastructure, robotics technologies, and next-generation medical care.
Reducing farm greenhouse gas emissions may plant the seed for a cooler planet
By adopting a few beneficial management practices, farms — and particularly dairy farms — can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, according to a team of researchers.
Meteorology graduate student wins NSF fellowship to study tornado formation
Shawn Murdzek, a graduate student studying meteorology and atmospheric science, received a 2019 Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. He is one of seven EMS students and 24 Penn State students to receive the honor.
2D perovskite materials found to have unique, conductive edge states
A new class of 2D perovskite materials with edges that are conductive like metals and cores that are insulating was found by researchers who said these unique properties have applications in solar cells and nanoelectronics.