National Science Foundation

A wildfire followed by an intense rainstorm is often a recipe for disaster. Without vegetation to cushion rainfall, water runoff can turn into a fast-moving, highly destructive landslide, called a “debris flow,” which often has the power to wipe out cars, homes and highways — sometimes resulting in casualties. Northwestern University researchers supported by the U.S. National […]

We hear a lot about how climate change will change the land, sea and ice. But how will it affect clouds? “Low clouds could dry up and shrink like the ice sheets,” said Michael Pritchard, an Earth system scientist at the University of California, Irvine. “Or they could thicken and become more reflective.” These two […]

As Earth’s climate continues to warm, researchers predict that wild animals will be forced to relocate their habitats — likely to regions with large human populations — dramatically increasing the risk of a viral jump to humans that could lead to the next pandemic. The link between climate change and viral transmission is described by […]

One of the most contentious questions in evolutionary biology is: how did the Amazon become so rich in species? A new study focused on birds examines how the movements of rivers in the Amazon have contributed to the area’s exceptional biological diversity. The U.S. National Science Foundation-funded team, led by American Museum of Natural History scientists, found that […]

Washington, D.C.  –  During a press conference hosted by the U.S. National Science Foundation with the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration in Washington, D.C. today, astronomers unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole […]

Microplastics can deposit and linger in riverbeds for as long as seven years before washing into the ocean, a new study has found. The research was supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Because rivers are in near-constant motion, researchers previously assumed that lightweight microplastics quickly flowed through rivers, rarely interacting with riverbed sediments.  […]

Two new studies led by North Carolina State University researchers offer a preview of what electricity consumers on the West Coast could experience under two different future scenarios: one where excessive heat due to climate change strains power supplies, and one where the grid shifts toward renewable energy while the climate follows historic trends. In […]

Antarctica’s massive Thwaites Glacier is melting because of climate change, and a collapse of the glacier could raise sea levels significantly around the world. To glaciologists, it’s “the glacier of greatest concern” and the focus of the largest-ever joint U.S.-U.K. Antarctic field research program – the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration. The U.S. National Science Foundation and […]

February 8, 2021 – Humans have always looked to the stars and studied them. Over the past century, science has revealed the fundamental role stars play for nearly everything in existence, including the elements on the Periodic Table. The birth, life and death of every star creates and disseminates the elements of the Periodic Table throughout […]

June 25, 2019 – Plants need nutrients to grow. So scientists were surprised to learn that giant kelp maintains its impressive growth rates year-round, even in summer and early fall when ocean currents along the California coast stop delivering nutrients. Clearly something else is nourishing the kelp, but what? A team of NSF-supported scientists at UC […]

Dec. 10, 2018 – With fierce winds and flooding rains, hurricanes can be disasters for people — and for ecosystems. These devastating storms have major effects on tropical forests, demolishing tree canopies and leaving behind debris that piles up in watershed streams and on forest floors. Scientists at the National Science Foundation (NSF) co-located Luquillo […]

July 20, 2018 – On August 11, 2018, the WE-CAN team will host a research aircraft media event at the Boise Airport, featuring two aircraft: the NSF/NCAR C-130 and the University of Wyoming King Air. This summer, a four-engine cargo plane laden with scientists and sophisticated equipment will make flights straight into hazy smoke from Western wildfires. […]

February 27, 2018 – A little-studied, underground layer of rock may provide a vital reservoir for trees, especially in times of drought, report scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and affiliated with The University of Texas (UT) at Austin and the University of California, Berkeley. The study, published today in the journal Proceedings […]

October 13, 2016 – Birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs and considered “living dinosaurs” by scientists. “This finding helps explain why no such organ has been preserved in a non-bird dinosaur or crocodile relative,” said Julia Clarke, a paleontologist at The University of Texas at Austin’s Jackson School of Geosciences. Clarke, whose research is funded […]