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.
Scientists find ‘knob’ to control magnetic behavior in quantum material
04/11/2022
04/11/2022
Researchers led by Penn State and the university of California, San Diego have discovered a new 'knob' to control the magnetic behavior of one promising quantum material, and the findings could pave the way toward novel, efficient and ultra-fast devices.
Flavored tobacco sales restrictions impact availability, advertising
03/31/2022
03/31/2022
Flavored tobacco products play a large role in leading youth into addiction, and it is estimated that three out of four youth smokers will continue to smoke well into adulthood, according to the U.S. surgeon general.
Meltwater drainage, break-away icebergs linked at shrinking Helheim Glacier
03/31/2022
03/31/2022
Dark patches of open sea that appear in the ice-choked water around Helheim Glacier may reveal new clues about how a rapidly changing Greenland glacier loses ice, according to a Penn State-led team of scientists.
Reevaluation puts mid-Phanerozoic oxygen levels higher than previously reported
03/23/2022
03/23/2022
Oxygen levels in the atmosphere during the mid-Proterozoic -- about 1.4 billion years ago -- were higher than previously thought, according to an international team of researchers who looked at oxygen combined with sulfur to determine that previous numbers were probably lower limits, not maximums.
Novel theory of entropy may solve materials design issues
03/16/2022
03/16/2022
A challenge in materials design is that in both natural and manmade materials, volume sometimes decreases, or increases, with increasing temperature.
From museum to laptop: Visual leaf library a new tool for identifying plants
03/15/2022
03/15/2022
A large, open-access visual leaf library developed by a Penn State-led team provides a new resource to help scientists recognize and classify leaves.
New screening system may point the way to clean, renewable hydrogen power
02/28/2022
02/28/2022
A new, highly sensitive system for detecting the production of hydrogen gas may play an important role in the quest to develop hydrogen as an environmentally friendly and economical alternative to fossil fuels, according to Penn State scientists.
Researchers to study possible links between fracking, water contaminants
02/23/2022
02/23/2022
Unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD), commonly known as fracking, has helped Pennsylvania retain its status as a leading energy exporter, but UOGD processes come with a host of environmental and public health concerns.
Grant to reduce, eliminate toxicity of coal mine dust
02/15/2022
02/15/2022
Penn State has been awarded $327,849 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to fund research targeting ways to reduce or eliminate the toxicity of respirable coal mine dust.
Air chemistry data from South Korea field study puts models to the test
02/14/2022
02/14/2022
An international effort to measure air quality in South Korea, a region with complex sources of pollution, may provide new insights into the atmospheric chemistry that produces ozone pollution, according to a team of scientists.