Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences | Weinberg College News

Study co-authors Yarrow Axford, Everett Lasher and Jamie McFarlin collect sediment samples at Wax Lips Lake in northwest Greenland in 2014. Photo by Alex P. Taylor

Ancient plant wax reveals how global warming affects methane in Arctic lakes

Warming led to an intensified methane cycle, lasting thousands of years, study finds By studying fossils from ancient aquatic plants, Northwestern University and University of Wyoming (UW) researchers are gaining a better understanding of how methane produced in Arctic lakes might...

A Pink Line train traveling along 21st Street in Lawndale. According to the new study, neighborhoods on Chicago's West Side, including North and South Lawndale, have 32% higher concentrations of nitrogen dioxide than the rest of the city.

Science & Technology / Community Engagement / Faculty / Research / Social Impact / Society & Policy / Environment & Sustainability

New study provides further evidence of environmental inequities in the city

Chicago’s West Side is air pollution hotspot The western edge of Chicago — including the North and South Lawndale, East Garfield Park, Archer Heights and Brighton Park neighborhoods — experiences up to 32% higher concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution...

Science & Technology / Climate / Faculty / Research / Social Impact / Environment & Sustainability

Electrifying heavy-duty vehicles could reduce environmental inequalities

New study examines air quality, health implications at equity-relevant geographic scales If the region surrounding Chicago — North America’s largest freight hub — shifted just 30% of its current on-road heavy-duty vehicles to electric versions, it would substantially reduce pollution and...

Society & Policy / Research / Science & Technology

Chicago pollution varies by neighborhood, Northwestern study finds

In a new study, Northwestern Earth scientists Daniel Horton and Anastasia Montgomery developed a high-resolution simulation of air pollution for the southern Lake Michigan region. This simulation is the first to create neighborhood-scale estimates of air quality over Chicago by...

Science & Technology / Awards & Honors / Faculty / Faculty Awards & Honors

Professor Daniel Horton receives prestigious NSF CAREER Award

Geologist Daniel Horton has received the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the foundation’s most prestigious honor for junior faculty members. Horton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences...

Patricia Beddows scuba diving and collecting information on a clipboard

Science & Technology / Awards & Honors / Faculty / Research / Water / Environment & Sustainability / Life & Physical Sciences

Underwater Achievements: Environmental-Earth scientist Patricia Beddows continues shaping the future of underwater science

Patricia Beddows speaks of scuba diving with an undeniable enthusiasm. She smiles when detailing the joys of being underwater. Her eyes gleam when she talks about democratizing underwater scientific research. Her energy rises when discussing the “complex and challenging” natural...

Science & Technology / Faculty / Research / AI & Data / Life & Physical Sciences / Math & Computation

New earthquake probability model improves prediction of seismic events

Northwestern University researchers have developed a new model to help seismologists better predict when the next big earthquake will occur on a fault. The study, conducted by a team of seismologists and statisticians, aims to address the major problem of...

Science & Technology / Climate / Faculty / Research / Environment & Sustainability / Life & Physical Sciences

Northwestern-Led Teams Uncover Findings on Prehistoric Environmental Disruption

Two teams of geoscientists from Northwestern University have uncovered new findings on the chronology and character of events that led to an extreme environmental disruption that occurred nearly 100 million years ago. This event, known as the Ocean Anoxic Event...

Society & Policy / Alumni & Students / Water / Global

Northwestern students travel abroad to learn how Israel manages its water resources firsthand

Israel is one of the world’s most forward-looking countries when it comes to water management, which is why 16 Northwestern students toured the country in September to learn how it has coped with a hotter, dryer world, and to glean...

Faculty / Research

New study finds a significant increase in rainfall across the United States

A new study published in the Geophysical Research Letters found that rainfall has become more intense across the United States over the past few decades. The study, titled “Observed changes in daily precipitation intensity in the United States,” compared rainfall over...