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Two pairs of cyanobacteria cells dividing under the microscope.

Modern microbes provide window into ancient ocean

Jan. 6, 2021

Roughly two billion years ago, microorganisms called cyanobacteria fundamentally transformed the globe. Researchers are now stepping back to that pivotal moment in Earth's history.

A polar bear on a small patch of sea ice

Scientists aim to fuse Earth data to help classify, map sea ice

Dec. 18, 2020

A CU Boulder geographer leads colleagues from the National Snow and Ice Data Center and CU Denver in an effort to leverage artificial intelligence for harmonizing large Earth observation datasets and mapping sea ice.

Student plays a musical instrument with a mask and a face shield on.

10 research discoveries from 2020 you won’t want to miss

Dec. 17, 2020

From diving Neanderthals to saliva-based COVID-19 tests, we remember the year in research at CU Boulder.

Electric solar panels

Report outlines solutions for curbing U.S. carbon emissions

Dec. 16, 2020

Researchers at CU Boulder’s Renewable & Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) on Thursday released a report outlining key steps the U.S. can take to drive CO2 emissions to zero in the key sectors of electricity, building, transportation and industry.

WHOTS buoy off the coast of Hawaii

Impacts of COVID-19 emissions reductions remain murky in the oceans

Dec. 10, 2020

While greenhouse gas emissions dropped significantly in the first half of 2020, new research finds ocean acidification remains unchanged—yet the world's oceans can respond quickly in other ways to reduced emissions.

Niwot Ridge

Colorado mountains bouncing back from ‘acid rain’ impacts

Dec. 8, 2020

Niwot Ridge in the Rocky Mountains is slowly recovering from increased acidity caused by vehicle emissions in Colorado’s Front Range, suggesting that alpine regions across the Mountain West may be recovering. This is good news for the wildlife and wildflowers of Rocky Mountain National Park and for water sources that supply the Front Range and the Mountain West.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP25

Worst-case emissions projections are already off track

Nov. 30, 2020

New research reveals that emissions are not growing as fast as the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's assessments have indicated—and that the IPCC is not using the most up-to-date climate scenarios in its planning and policy recommendations.

Surfaces equipment at an oil and gas extraction site in the San Juan Basin. (Photo: Gabrielle Pétron/CIRES)

Southwest US methane hotspot is snapshot of local pollution

Nov. 24, 2020

A giant methane cloud caught by satellite in 2014 wasn’t a persistent hotspot, as thought at the time. Instead, the cloud was the nightly build-up of polluted air—trapped emissions of the potent greenhouse gas—near the ground.

CT scan of a frog in vivid colors.

Museum spotlights reptiles and amphibians in incredible detail

Nov. 18, 2020

Ever want to see inside an iguana? A new project at the CU Museum of Natural History is collecting incredibly detailed images of specimens in its collection—including CT scans of their internal anatomy.

Bike lanes

How the COVID-19 pandemic can reshape our streets and relationship to cars

Nov. 17, 2020

In the spring of 2020, once-busy streets became quiet and empty. In many cities, pedestrians and bicycles filled city streets instead of cars. What could this mean for the future of our cities and transportation systems?

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