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.
Biodiverse 'keystone food spaces' can help meet UN’s ‘Zero Hunger’ goal
05/31/2022
05/31/2022
Small farms and home gardens where landholders raise multiple species of culturally important crops can have a significant impact when it comes to meeting the United Nations’ goal to end global hunger and malnutrition, according to an international team of researchers.
Ultrahigh piezoelectric performance demonstrated in ceramic materials
05/17/2022
05/17/2022
The ability of piezoelectric materials to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa makes them useful for various applications from robotics to communication to sensors.
Florida Keys offers foray into marine research for spring breakers
05/17/2022
05/17/2022
For several Penn State students taking a course on marine biogeochemistry, the coastal waters of the Florida Keys became an extension of their laboratory.
Decoding the leaf: scientists search for features to ID modern, fossil leaves
05/12/2022
05/12/2022
Machine learning programs that can classify leaves and place them in biological families may unlock new clues about the evolution of plant life, but only if scientists understand what the computers are seeing.
Upcycling plastic waste into graphite provides possible alternative to landfills
05/11/2022
05/11/2022
Upcycling plastic waste into graphite, used in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, could positively contribute to the global economy, preserving resources, saving energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, according to Penn State researchers.
Novel cross phenomena theory could predict most effective materials
05/06/2022
05/06/2022
A novel theory of cross phenomena could be applied to predict whether a new material would be effective for use in various applications from improved medical ultrasounds to more efficient refrigerators, according to a Penn State researcher.
A prehistoric forest grows in Brunei
04/26/2022
04/26/2022
The first study of leaf fossils conducted in the nation of Brunei on the island of Borneo has revealed that the current dominant tree group, the dipterocarps, has dominated the rainforests for at least four million years, according to an international research team led by Penn State in partnership with Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
Beetle in the coconut: Fossil find sheds new light on Neotropical rainforests
04/25/2022
04/25/2022
Tiny beetles that feed on fruit from the palm family may have developed their taste for coconuts long ago, according to a Penn State-led team of scientists studying suspected insect damage in a 60-million-year-old fossil.
African dust crosses the Atlantic
04/20/2022
04/20/2022
A beautiful sunset over the Atlantic off the Florida coast, or an orangey glow in the Texas sky at dusk may be caused by dust from West Africa, according to researchers who are looking at the paths of particulate matter in the skies over the Sahara desert and the semi-arid Sahel.
Strong tides, vanishing lakes may prove beneficial to Antarctic ice shelf
04/18/2022
04/18/2022
The lakes that form on Antarctica's ice shelves can drive vertical cracks deep within the ice, increasing the chance of ice shelf collapse and sea level rise.