New climate models to reveal secret life of water
A project led by Rice and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research will build a new and improved version of the Community Earth System Model, which can trace water across the entire planet from the clouds in the sky to the thick ice sheets deep underground.
Teaching in Paris: Rice faculty reflect on the Global experience
Set in the heart of the city, the Rice Global Paris Center offers more than a space to teach. It’s a framework for courses that draw directly from Paris itself.
Rice scientists launch powerful new online tool to streamline mineral identification
A team of researchers at Rice has developed MIST — Mineral Identification by Stoichiometry — the first online tool capable of automatically identifying hundreds of different mineral species from their chemical composition using a carefully designed rules-based algorithm.
Rice geoscientist honored with Geological Society of America’s Woollard Award
Richard Gordon, the W.M. Keck Foundation Professor of Geophysics, Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice, has been named the 2025 recipient of the George P. Woollard Award from the Geological Society of America.
Vanishing shores: Coastal geologist issues urgent call to save the Gulf Coast
For John B. Anderson, the W. Maurice Ewing Professor Emeritus of Oceanography at Rice, the Gulf Coast is personal.
In a new study published in Nature Astronomy, researchers from Rice and the Planetary Science Institute used complex simulations to show that wide-orbit planets are not anomalies but rather natural by-products of a chaotic early phase in planetary system development.
Jonathan Ajo-Franklin, a leading mind in applied geophysics and Trustee Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice, has been awarded the 2025 Reginald Fessenden Award by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.
Rice helps youth explore Earth and space sciences at ‘first-of-its-kind’ event
Nearly 1,000 Earth and planetary explorers from the greater Houston area attended Rice’s K-12 Earth and planetary open house at Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall May 3. The event was held by the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, the Rice Space Institute’s Center for Planetary Origins to Habitability and the Office of STEM Engagement in partnership with Houston Independent School District and NASA.
Rice experts can address severe weather and flooding risks caused by current omega block
Rice experts can address severe weather and flooding risks caused by current omega block.
A team of researchers from Rice, University of New Mexico, University of Utah and the University of Texas at Dallas have discovered a sharp, volatile-rich cap just 3.8 kilometers beneath Yellowstone’s surface.
Sustainable practices can be based in nature, expert says
Rice biogeochemist Carrie Masiello was a headliner in CERAWeek’s “lyceum” where experts from industry and academia present research and technical expertise at the annual energy conference in Houston.
Research on super-Earths and mini-Neptunes suggests more Earth-like planets may exist
A new study by Rice researchers Sho Shibata and Andre Izidoro presents a compelling new model for the formation of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes — planets that are 1 to 4 times the size of Earth and among the most common in our galaxy.
Rice’s Sylvia Dee battling climate-driven diseases through Texas Virosphere Project
Rice’s Sylvia Dee has joined forces with Peter Hotez and a team of scientists at Baylor College of Medicine on a groundbreaking initiative called the Texas Virosphere Project.
Pioneering geologist and Rice professor emeritus Peter Vail remembered for ‘passion for discovery’
The Rice community mourns the passing of Peter Vail, the W. Maurice Ewing Professor Emeritus of Oceanography, who passed away Dec. 28, 2024, at the age of 94.
New evidence exists for hidden water reservoirs and rare magmas on ancient Mars
A new study explores how variations in Mars’ crustal thickness during its ancient history may have influenced the planet’s magmatic evolution and hydrological systems.
