Regrow, not reuse: How restoring abandoned farms can mitigate climate change
May 25, 2022 ・ B. Rose HuberThe Institute Woods near Princeton University’s campus comprises 589 acres of serene walking trails and a wooden footbridge enjoyed by hikers, runners, and birdwatchers. Like many forests in New Jersey, this local landmark was a patchwork of farm fields and…
Study reveals how inland and coastal waterways influence climate
March 16, 2022“Streams to the river, river to the sea.” If only it were that simple. Most global carbon-budgeting efforts assume a linear flow of water from the land to the sea, which ignores the complex interplay between streams, rivers, lakes, groundwater,…
Future hurricanes likely to pose much greater flood risk to U.S. East and Gulf coasts
February 3, 2022 ・ Adam HadhazyExtreme flooding events spawned by hurricanes are likely to become far more frequent along the Eastern and Southern U.S. coastlines because of a combination of sea-level rise and storm intensification. The findings, contained in new research from Princeton University, show…
Policy interventions could help farmers economically survive in vulnerable regions
December 1, 2021 ・ B. Rose HuberIn the grasslands of Nepal’s Chitwan Valley, local farmers rely on the production of rice and other grains to generate household income. But their livelihoods are under threat, as Nepal is experiencing the effects of climate change at a much…
Princeton, HMEI experts identify priorities for UN climate summit and global actions going forward
October 28, 2021 ・ Liz Fuller-WrightHundreds of leaders and thousands of climate scholars from around the globe will gather in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12. Most experts believe this year’s meeting — the biggest…
Rise and fall of water blisters offers glimpse beneath Greenland’s thick ice sheet
August 20, 2021 ・ Morgan KellyWater “blisters” trapped beneath the thick interior of Greenland’s ice sheet could provide critical insight into the hydrological network coursing deep below Earth’s second largest body of ice — and how it might be destabilized by climate change, according to…
Tropical birds may skip breeding when hot, dry conditions persist
July 20, 2021 ・ Liana WaitDuring the past several years, ecologists have warned that prolonged periods of drought may be leading to declines in tropical bird populations by reducing reproductive success in adults. Now, Princeton researchers report that some tropical birds may not only be…
Resplandy receives NSF CAREER Award to study the formation and future of Pacific and Indian Ocean dead zones
July 8, 2021 ・ Morgan KellyLaure Resplandy, assistant professor of geosciences and the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI), received a five-year, $654,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to examine the complexity of factors that lead to the formation and expansion of oxygen-depleted regions,…
Simple atmospheric dynamics foretell dangerously hot future for the tropics
May 5, 2021 ・ Morgan KellyExtreme heat is among the most concerning and potentially deadly effects of climate change, especially for the rapidly growing and urbanizing populations living in the tropics. Yet, climate models tend to be unclear when projecting how high temperatures will climb…
