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
Nov. 19 talk to address carbon dioxide removal at sea
Wil Burns, co-founding director of the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal at American University, is the featured speaker for the next Climate Conversation Café, which is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, in 134 HUB-Robeson Center.
Screening of 'Contact' and expert discussion to be held at the State Theatre
The Penn State Eberly College of Science is hosting a free screening of the award-winning film “Contact” on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the State Theatre. A Q&A featuring experts in the field of extraterrestrial intelligence, moderated by Jennifer Macalady, geomicrobiologist in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and director of the Penn State Ecology Institute, will immediately follow the film’s screening.
Mapping a new frontier with AI-integrated geographic information systems
A multi-institutional team led by geography researchers at Penn State built and tested four AI agents in order to introduce a conceptual framework of autonomous geographical information systems and examine how this shift is redefining the practice of GIS.
$13.9M grant to investigate how fire, climate, people shaped Africa’s landscapes
An international team of researchers was recently awarded a six-year, $13.88 million grant from the European Research Council to investigate how human activities, climate and wildfire have shaped landscapes and biodiversity across Africa and Arabia over the past six thousand years.
Defunct Pennsylvania oil and gas wells may leak methane, metals into water
Left uncapped and exposed to air and erosion, legacy oil and gas wells from the 1800s break down, leaching harmful chemicals like methane and dissolved metals into the atmosphere and the groundwater, geosciences researchers found.
Verallia taps LionGlass for low-carbon glass packaging for consumer products
Verallia, the world’s third largest producer of glass containers for food and beverages, has announced a partnership with Penn State to scale up the use of LionGlass, a new family of glass developed by researchers at the University.
Nov. 12 seminar to spotlight sources, perceptions of environmental information
Shotaro Nakamura, an assistant professor of agricultural economics, will lead a seminar exploring some consumer beliefs in developing economies. His free talk — “Beliefs, Signal Quality, and Information Sources: Experimental Evidence on Air Quality in Pakistan” — is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, Nov. 12, in 157 Hosler Building.
Ice Age trees helped stabilize Earth's atmosphere by suffocating
A new study examined chemical fingerprints in subfossil wood, or preserved trees, from across North America to understand how plants responded to the low carbon dioxide levels and cooler temperatures of the last glacial period, about 20,000 years ago.
Fermentation waste used to make natural fabric
A fermentation byproduct might help to solve two major global challenges: world hunger and the environmental impact of fast fashion. The leftover yeast from brewing beer, wine or even to make some pharmaceuticals can be repurposed to produce high-performance fibers stronger than natural fibers with significantly less environmental impact.
Graduate students to share research at Coffee Hour on Nov. 7
Suraiya Parvin and Naser Lessani, two doctoral candidates in Penn State’s Department of Geography, will deliver research talks as part of the department’s Graduate Student “Coffee Hour” series at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7.