earth and environmental science Archives
Climate change the likely killer of Australian marsupial lion
Oct. 19, 2018—The extinction of one of Australia’s top predators, the marsupial lion, was likely a result of changing weather patterns and loss of habitat rather than human impacts, a study led by Vanderbilt University paleontologist Larisa DeSantis has found.
Volcano researcher learns how Earth builds supereruption-feeding magma systems
Oct. 11, 2018—After studying layers of pumice, measuring the amount of crystals in the samples and using thermodynamic models, the team determined magma moved closer to the surface with each successive eruption.
Koala teeth provide insights into diet
Aug. 22, 2018—Paleontologist Larisa DeSantis' latest research confirms that the shape of tooth wear best indicates the kind of food koalas and kangaroos ate, not whether it was covered in dust and dirt.
Political leaning influences city water policies as strongly as climate
Jun. 18, 2018—Vanderbilt environmental researchers developed an index of city water policies and gathered data on the climate, water sources, population, economy and political leanings.
Prehistoric people also likely disrupted by environmental change
May. 24, 2018—A prehistoric community in the Mississippi Delta may have abandoned a large ceremonial site after the bayou it sits on began to dry up.
Mississippi River Delta will lose more land than can be reclaimed
Apr. 11, 2018—Before the Industrial Age, the Mississippi Delta grew at a rate of two to three square miles per year, suggesting that, even with current reclamation efforts, it is unlikely that it will be possible to offset the current rate of loss--15 to 20 square miles per year
Professor and student travel to the bottom of the earth, searching for climate clues
Apr. 4, 2018—Vanderbilt geologist Dan Morgan and undergraduate Andrew Grant took immersion to an extreme, trekking all the way to Antarctica to hunt for the oldest ice ever found.
VU Inside: Students dig into super-massive volcanic eruptions
Jan. 25, 2018—A dozen Vanderbilt students went on a monthlong science adventure of a lifetime, studying super-eruptions, glaciers and earthquakes in New Zealand.
Beyond Politics: Private industry needs to step up on climate change
Dec. 5, 2017—Two Vanderbilt experts say evidence shows that progress can continue to be made on environmental issues regardless of what the government is doing.