Putting Science Into Practice: Preparing for Volcanic Eruptions

Coordinating the emergency response to an erupting volcano is an all-hands-on-deck affair that leaves little time for extra work, such as answering boatloads of inquiries from researchers who want to collect rock samples. On the other hand, science done during eruptions provides essential data for understanding and forecasting future volcanic flare-ups.

Dwarf Planet Vesta Is a Window to the Early Solar System

The dwarf planet Vesta is helping scientists better understand the earliest era in the formation of our solar system. Two recent papers involving UC Davis scientists use data from meteorites derived from Vesta to resolve the "missing mantle problem" and push back our knowledge of the solar system to just a couple of million years after it began to form. The papers were published in Nature Communications Sept. 14 and Nature Astronomy Sept. 30.

Isabel Montañez Wins UC Davis Teaching Prize

Distinguished Professor Isabel Montañez’s commitment to undergraduate learning and development was recognized today (May 4) with the 2021 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement.

Dating the Dinosaur Pompeii

Northeastern China is home to one of the world’s most remarkable collections of dinosaur fossils. The Jehol biota contains fossils of dinosaurs, plants, insects and fish, many of them preserved in unusual detail with traces of skin and feathers, dating back to the Early Cretaceous period 101 to 143 million years ago.

Professor Tessa Hill Elected AAAS Fellow

Professor Tessa Hill, a leading expert in marine geochemistry and a strong advocate for public outreach and education access, has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the world’s largest general scientific society.

AGU Honors UC Davis Earth Scientists

Distinguished Professor Isabel Montañez and Professor Qing-zhu Yin of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences have been named fellows of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Crystallized Climate

California Cavern, in Calaveras County east of Stockton, is one of hundreds of caves hidden beneath the Sierra Nevada foothills. By cracking open stalagmites from these caves, Distinguished Professor Isabel Montañez and her students have teased out a timeline of Northern California’s climate history stretching back nearly 20,000 years.

Deep Past Is Key to Predicting Future Climate

An international team of climate scientists, including Professor Isabel Montañez at the UC Davis Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, suggests that researchers using numerical models to predict future climate change should include simulations of past climates in their evaluation and statement of their model performance.