Earth & Climate
The Guardian: Weatherwatch: Hotter, drier summers may mean more forest fires
The research of SMU fire anthropologist Christopher I. Roos was covered by the United Kingdom’s widely read newspaper The Guardian.
In his August 10 “Weatherwatch” column, “Hotter, drier summers may mean more forest fires,” science journalist David Hambling discussed the record-breaking megafires burning now in New Mexico. Continue reading
CBS This Morning: Heat Wave Headaches and SMU Fire Research
The research of SMU fire anthropologist Christopher I. Roos was covered June 12 by CBS This Morning‘s science and environmental contributor M. Sanjayan.
Sanjayan, who is lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, discussed the record-breaking megafires burning now in New Mexico and referenced new ancient fire research by Roos. Continue reading
Dallas Observer: Has the “God Particle” Been Found? Let’s Ask the SMU Prof Who’s Been Looking.
Dallas Observer science writer Brantley Hargrove interviewed SMU physicist Ryszard Stroynowski in advance of the announcement from CERN in Geneva about whether scientists have discovered the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle theorized to explain why matter has mass.
Stroynowski and other SMU faculty and students have played a role in the recent findings as participants in the experiments.
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Climate Central: New Mexico Wildfire Now a Record-Setting ‘Megafire’
The research of SMU fire anthropologist Christopher I. Roos was covered by the popular Climate Central blog. In a June 2 entry, Climate Central science journalist Andrew Freedman wrote about the record-breaking megafires burning now in New Mexico and referenced new ancient fire research by Roos. The study by Roos found that U.S. megafires in the U.S. Southwest region are unique and exceptional for the past 1,500 years. Continue reading
UPI: U.S. megafires put down to human activity
The new ancient fire research of SMU fire anthropologist Christopher I. Roos was covered by the international wire service United Press International. In a May 18 entry, UPI reported that Roos found that U.S. megafires in the U.S. Southwest region are unique and exceptional when compared to the past 1,500 years. Continue reading
Ancient tree-ring records from southwest U.S. suggest today’s megafires are truly unusual
Today’s mega forest fires of the southwestern U.S. are truly unusual and exceptional in the long-term record, suggests a new study that examined hundreds of years of ancient tree ring and fire data from two distinct climate periods, says study co-author and fire anthropologist Christopher I. Roos, SMU. Continue reading
Dark matter search may turn up evidence of WIMPS: SMU Researcher Q&A
SMU physicist Jodi Cooley leads SMU students as part of a global team searching for elusive dark matter — the “glue” that represents 85 percent of the matter in our universe but which has never been observed.
Cooley is a member of the scientific consortium called SuperCryogenic Dark Matter Search (SuperCDMS), which operates a particle detector in Minnesota. Located in an underground abandoned mine, the detector is focused on detecting WIMPS, which some physicists theorize comprises dark matter. WIMPS are particles of such low mass that they rarely interact with ordinary matter, making them extremely difficult to detect. Continue reading
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Unconventional geothermal techniques a potential game changer for U.S. energy policy
SMU Geothermal energy expert David Blackwell gave a Capitol Hill briefing Tuesday, March 27, on the growing opportunities for geothermal energy production in the United States.
Blackwell’s presentation outlined the variety of techniques available for geothermal production of electricity, the accessibility of unconventional geothermal resources across vast portions of the United States and the opportunities for synergy with the oil and gas industry. Continue reading
National Geographic: Andrés Ruzo, geothermal researcher
National Geographic has launched its new Explorers web site, which includes SMU doctoral student Andrés Ruzo.
The Explorers site acknowledges the work of the world’s scientists whose research is made possible in part through funding from National Geographic. Continue reading