EPS News

An analysis of shark tooth shapes, a proxy for body size and diet, reveals species with specialized traits are most at risk of extinction. The findings are the latest example of the biodiversity crisis affecting the tree of life’s most distinctive branches. Unless threats like overfishing are addressed, “you end up with a more boring world.”

New analysis of isotopes preserved in ancient seafloor sediments suggests oxygen levels in Earth’s deep ocean stabilized at modern-day levels long after the rapid burst of evolution that gave us most major animal groups.

Scholars across campus are leveraging AI to drive remarkable advancements in fields from robotics to neuroscience to mining, while fostering a cautious approach to the application of the technology.

Eva Scheller designs and plans spacecraft instruments, including Mars rovers and satellites, and analyzes the data to understand the formation, evolution, and habitability of planetary bodies.

Research reveals that unvegetated meandering rivers can geologically masquerade as braided rivers, suggesting they were much more common in the first 90 percent of Earth’s history than previously thought.

Centuries ago, Pliny the Elder marveled at the transformation of volcanic ash. Today, researchers are reinventing cement by harnessing volcanic chemistry to create more sustainable building materials.

Scientists have long known that biodiversity has increased over geological time, but corresponding trends for the sheer abundance of living things have never been calculated, until now. The findings add to data suggesting that conserving biodiversity is essential for the health of humans and our planet.

During the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s 2025 diploma ceremony, Dean Arun Majumdar reminded new graduates that inquiry is the source of innovation. Plus, Centennial Teaching Assistant Awards and EPS Department Studnet Awardees.

New research shows that elevation changes and earthquakes in Italy’s Campi Flegrei volcanic area are caused by rising pressure in a geothermal reservoir – not magma or its gases, as commonly thought. Channeling water runoff or lowering groundwater levels could reduce risks for surrounding communities.

In honor of Earth Day, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability community members share what energizes them about sustainability efforts locally and around the world.

Schaefer discusses the recent excitement over a detection of possible hints of biological life on planet K2-18b.

Sustainability Accelerator Innovations Tackle Greenhouse Gas Removal: At the start of Associate Professor Jane Willenbring’s talk, a crinkling sound filled the room: earthworms burrowing through the soil. She explained how worms sequester carbon and why she believes the project can scale, using the fishing industry’s worm production for bait as a successful model that could be emulated.

For millions of years after the end-Permian mass extinction, the same few marine survivor species show up as fossils all over the planet. A new study reveals what drove this global biological uniformity.

Stanford scientists discuss the social and environmental costs of mining sand from the ocean and sand’s role in climate adaptation.

Ermakov combines planetary science and exploration to learn new – and often surprising – details about the structure and evolution of planetary bodies.

A search for ancient deposits of sandy material expected at continental margins has come up empty. This prominent geological gap hints at poorly understood, powerful, global-scale erosion processes, illustrating profound changes caused by climate upheaval.

The shapes and textures of quartz grains speak to the processes that molded and transported them. A new tool from Stanford researchers enables quick, accurate, insightful analysis of this sand, which can be used in geology, geoarchaeology, forensics, and more.

His research spanned mineralogy, geochemistry, materials science, nuclear materials, physics, and chemistry, leading to the development of techniques to predict the long-term behavior of materials used in radioactive waste disposal.