earth and environmental sciences
Newly discovered fossils strengthen proposition that world’s first mass extinction engineered by early animals
Jul. 29, 2016—New fossil evidence strengthens the proposition that the world’s first mass extinction was caused by ‘ecosystem engineers’ – newly evolved organisms that radically altered the environment.
Super-eruptions may give only a year’s warning before they blow
Jul. 20, 2016—A microscopic analysis of quartz crystals from an ancient California super-eruption indicates that the process of decompression preceding the eruption took place less than a year before.
Fossils at the Fort is March 19
Mar. 10, 2016—Fossils at the Fort is a free annual event providing young and old with an opportunity to journey into Middle Tennessee's astonishing ancient past.
Growth rings on rocks provide new insights into past climates
Jan. 15, 2016—Application of new micro-analytical techniques have transformed rocks and gravel buried in a special type of soil into a rich source of data about past climates that can help scientists understand how the climate will change in the future.
Paris Climate Agreement subject of public lecture, roundtable at Vanderbilt Wednesday, Jan. 13
Jan. 8, 2016—The Paris Climate Agreement is the subject of a lecture by a Columbia University law professor and a roundtable discussion to be introduced by Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. Both events will be held at Vanderbilt Law School Jan. 13.
The most popular research stories of 2015
Dec. 28, 2015—With discoveries ranging from the origins of consciousness to the end of the universe, 2015 was a year of incredibly diverse research at Vanderbilt University.
Kudos: Read about faculty, staff and student awards, appointments and achievements
Nov. 23, 2015—Read about faculty, staff and student awards, appointments and achievements.
New ‘geospeedometer’ confirms super-eruptions have a short fuse
Oct. 20, 2015—A new "geospeedometer" that can measure the amount of time between the formation of an explosive magma melt and an eruption confirms that the process took less than 500 years in several ancient super-eruptions.
Vanderbilt glacier expert to give library talk on Antarctica
Oct. 5, 2015—The history of Antarctic exploration and the role that the coldest continent on Earth plays in global earth systems will be discussed at a Williamson County Public Library talk by Vanderbilt researcher Dan Morgan Oct. 9.
A VU Inside: Professor explores caves for clues to climate change
Sep. 3, 2015—Jessica Oster is a member of a small group of earth scientists pioneering the use of mineral cave deposits in stalagmites, collectively known as speleothems, as proxies for the prehistoric climate.
Evidence that Earth’s first mass extinction was caused by critters, not catastrophe
Sep. 2, 2015—The Earth's first mass extinction event 540 million years ago was caused not by a meteorite impact or volcanic super-eruption, but by the rise of early animals that dramatically changed to prehistoric environment.
A VU Inside: Professor explores caves for clues to climate change
Sep. 1, 2015—VIDEO» For Vanderbilt Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Jessica Oster, getting data means getting dirty. Oster and her team are collecting mineral deposits deep inside caves to find clues to climate change.