New research suggests that climate change played an important role in the Frasnian–Famennian mass extinction (~372 Ma). UConn Earth Sciences current and former graduate students Jaleigh Pier, Sarah Brisson, and Dr. Andrew Beard and Professors Michael Hren and Andrew Bush generated the new results, which show that a cooling climate was likely responsible for the […]
Author: Tabor, Clay
Arsenic in CT wells linked to pesticide use in orchards
New research published in The Journal of Environmental Quality by Department of Earth Sciences alumni Dr. Mark Higgins and Dr. Meredith Metcalf and Professor Gary Robbins finds a link between arsenic levels in wells and proximity to historic orchards. Although use of arsenic in pesticides was phased out decades ago and many orchards have been […]
Interview with Dept. Head Tracy Frank
Our new department head, Dr. Tracy Frank, discusses earth science careers, her research, and the future of the field in an interview for UConn Today. She discusses how earth scientists are uniquely equip to tackle current and future environmental problems. Link to the UConn Today article
Toxic blooms at the end-Permian mass extinction
New research published today in Nature Communications suggests that during and following devastation of land plant communities at the end of the Permian period, rivers and lakes became hostile to life owing to the proliferation of toxic microbes. UConn Earth Sciences Professors Tracy Frank and Chris Fielding are among the team of geoscientists who generated […]
Earth Blog #5: Earth Environmentalism: Synonym or Euphemism?
For me, the first week of fall semester 2021 culminated with a UConn Today feature article by Elaina Hancock titled: “Rx for Humanity: Whole Earth Environmentalism.” The article’s subtitle “Whole Earth Environmentalism is mine. It popped out accidentally when I was trying to describe what Earth System Science was to an outsider who wasn’t getting […]
Earth Blog #4 – Breakthrough to High Schools
Last year was a breakthrough year for the Department of Earth Sciences. Perhaps you noticed the stronger support by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the addition of two full professors active in paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental research; the dean’s appointment of a new department head (Tracy Frank); a near-doubling of our graduate student group; […]
New Epoch for UConn Earth Sciences!
This summer, two distinguished full professors will be traveling east from Lincoln, Nebraska to usher in a new epoch for UConn earth science. On August 23, Tracy Frank will become the new head of the Department of Earth Sciences within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her husband, Chris Fielding, will become one of […]
Have an Earth Science Question?
Have a question related to the Earth sciences? The experts in the Department of Earth Sciences are here to help. Introducing Ask a Geoscientist! We can help answer questions ranging from “What is this strange rock I found in my backyard?” to “How did this valley form?” to “What led to this unusual cloud?” Simply […]
Paleoclimatology Review Article
An international team of climate scientists, including UConn Department of Earth Sciences assistant professors Ran Feng and Clay Tabor, suggests that research centers around the world using numerical models to predict future climate change should include simulations of past climates in their evaluation and statement of their model performance. Link to the publication Link to […]
Anthropocene Exhibition at the Benton
The human epoch exhibition supports the teaching of a new introductory environmental literacy and science course offered by the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Connecticut, ERTH 1000E The Human Epoch. The Human Epoch: Living in the Anthropocene is curated by Robert Thorson, Department Head and Professor, Earth Sciences, with Amanda Douberley, Assistant Curator/Academic […]