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.
$1.5 million grant awarded to team studying impacts of land abandonment
11/02/2022
11/02/2022
Two Penn State researchers received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation through the Belmont Forum to study actual and perceived impacts of land abandonment on the sustainability of soil and water resources.
Fighting fire with fire: Study gauges public perception of prescribed burns
11/01/2022
11/01/2022
A new study may fill in gaps in understanding public perception toward prescribed burns in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic, where these fires are increasingly used, according to scientists.
Traces of ancient ocean discovered on Mars
10/27/2022
10/27/2022
A recently released set of topography maps provides new evidence for an ancient northern ocean on Mars.
Electric discharges on leaves during thunderstorms may impact nearby air quality
10/18/2022
10/18/2022
When thunderstorms rumble overhead, weak electrical discharges — called corona — can occur on tree leaves. A new study found coronas create large amounts of atmospheric chemicals that could impact air quality around forests, according to a team of Penn State scientists.
Computer games may be a key to ecological learning, study says
10/11/2022
10/11/2022
Computer games are an effective way to teach ecological issues and build pro-environment policy support, according to published research by an interdisciplinary group of Penn State scholars.
Saltier sea water may predict heavy summer rains in the U.S. corn belt
10/10/2022
10/10/2022
Farmers in the Midwest should care about the saltiness of ocean water thousands of miles from their fields, according to a team of scientists.
Corning honored as Penn State’s Corporate Partner of the Year
10/05/2022
10/05/2022
Penn State has named Corning Inc., one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, as its 2022 Corporate Partner of the Year.
Scientists improve process for turning hard-to-recycle plastic waste into fuel
09/28/2022
09/28/2022
Turning plastic waste into useful products through chemical recycling is one strategy for addressing Earth's growing plastic pollution problem. A new study may improve the ability of one method, called pyrolysis, to process hard-to-recycle mixed plastics — like multilayer food packaging — and generate fuel as a byproduct, the scientists said.
Lack of naloxone led to increased overdose deaths in rural Pa., study finds
09/28/2022
09/28/2022
Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of opioid overdose in the nation, and, according to Penn State researchers, one’s chances of surviving that overdose can depend on where the person lives.
New grant continues Arctic research addressing climate change and communities
09/21/2022
09/21/2022
Climate change in the Arctic is evident as temperatures rise and Alaskan coastal Indigenous communities face severe, urgent, and complex social and infrastructural challenges. A collection of Penn State research in the region, being driven by social sciences and in collaboration with engineering and natural sciences, will address these challenges.