Ice Patches on Beartooth Plateau Reveal How Ancient Landscape Differed From Today’s

Ice Patches on Beartooth Plateau Reveal How Ancient Landscape Differed From Today’s

DRI scientists Joe McConnell and Nathan Chellman co-authored a new study that examines a 6,000-year-old forest preserved in a Rocky Mountain ice patch. The research, which was led by the USGS and Montana State University, used the fossil wood to develop tree-ring based temperature estimates of the mid-Holocene period. The study can provide insight into the future elevational movement of forests under climate change, the scientists say.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Releases Detailed Urban Heat Data 

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Releases Detailed Urban Heat Data 

The summer 2024 data collection effort provides community members, legislators, and scientists with detailed maps of the region’s urban heat island. The campaign took place on August 10th, a clear and hot day for our region. The measurements and maps produced from the campaign reveal a great deal of variability across the nearly 200 square miles of our study area and between the early morning, mid-afternoon, and early evening time periods of the study. 

Lead Pollution Likely Caused Widespread IQ Declines in Ancient Rome, New Study Finds

Lead Pollution Likely Caused Widespread IQ Declines in Ancient Rome, New Study Finds

Lead exposure is responsible for a range of human health impacts, with even relatively low levels impacting the cognitive development of children. DRI scientists have previously used atmospheric pollution records preserved in Arctic ice cores to identify periods of lead pollution throughout the Roman Empire, and now new research expands on this finding to identify how this pollution may have affected the European population.

New Research Solves 200 Year Volcanic Mystery

New Research Solves 200 Year Volcanic Mystery

DRI scientists Joe McConnell and Nathan Chellman are co-authors on a new study that sheds light on a historical mystery that has plagued historians and scientists alike for nearly two centuries. Using Arctic ice core records, the team identified the volcano responsible for an enormous eruption in 1831 that caused global cooling of around 1°C, leading to crop failures and famines around the world.

Regional, Racial, and Economic Disparities in Cancer Risk from Air Pollution Exposure Persist, But Improving, New Research Suggests 

Regional, Racial, and Economic Disparities in Cancer Risk from Air Pollution Exposure Persist, But Improving, New Research Suggests 

Researchers from DRI and UNR teamed up for this new study, published October in Environmental Science & Technology. Using sociodemographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau and public health and air pollution information from the EPA between 2011 and 2019, the study identified higher estimated cancer risk tied to air toxics in urban communities, those with lower incomes, and those with higher proportions of racial minorities. 

Native Climate Reporter Team Presents, Listens, and Learns at Indigenous Climate Conference in Alaska

Native Climate Reporter Team Presents, Listens, and Learns at Indigenous Climate Conference in Alaska

Along Alaska’s western coastline, 400 miles from the nearest road system, villagers from the Indigenous community of Newtok were scheduled for permanent evacuation in mid-October due to the irreversible threat of rising seas. The story, recounted by Newtok resident Della Carl in September at the National Indigenous Climate Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, embedded itself deep in the hearts and minds of each member of the audience, making it clear not just that sea level rise is happening, but why it matters. Such is the power of a well-told story.

DRI Recruiting Fallon Community Members  for Free Well Water Quality Testing 

DRI Recruiting Fallon Community Members  for Free Well Water Quality Testing 

DRI scientists are recruiting fifteen Fallon residents with private wells to participate in a water quality study. All fifteen study participants will receive free water quality results, and a subset of the well owners will receive water filtration systems. The research will be used to identify the spatial extent and potential sources of contaminants such as pesticides, microplastics, and flame retardants and quantify the efficacy of treatment systems to reduce concentrations in drinking water.

DRI’s STEM Education Program Receives DOE Grant to Support Nevada’s Clean Energy Workforce Pipeline

DRI’s STEM Education Program Receives DOE Grant to Support Nevada’s Clean Energy Workforce Pipeline

DRI’s STEM Education Program has received a grant from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management to support Nevada’s clean energy workforce pipeline. The nearly $2 million in funding will be used to prepare the next generation with the knowledge and technical skills needed for employment in fields such as clean energy, waste management, and environmental remediation.