Earth Environmental and Planetary Sciences

Voyage reveals wonder and beauty of ‘long-dead ocean dwellers’

Rice Ph.D. student Debadrita Jana is part of a scientific voyage exploring deep beneath the Indian Ocean.

Environmental champions win Rice grants

The Rice University Sustainable Futures Fund backs six projects to help bolster the planet’s environmental health.

Black and Hispanic communities bore disproportionate share of Texas’ early COVID-19 deaths

Texas state officials did not publish the race and ages of COVID-19 victims in early 2020, but a county-level statistical analysis spearheaded by Rice University undergraduates in collaboration with university faculty has found deaths statewide were disproportionately concentrated in Black and Hispanic communities.

Data from beneath the South Atlantic Ocean

Rice graduate student Kevin Gaastra is in the South Atlantic Ocean this week, working to process and inspect samples on the scientific drill ship JOIDES Resolution.

Earth isn’t ‘super’ because the sun had rings before planets

Before the solar system had planets, the sun had rings — bands of dust and gas similar to Saturn’s rings — that likely played a role in Earth’s formation, according to a new study.

Air bubbles in Antarctic ice point to cause of oxygen decline

An unknown culprit has been removing oxygen from our atmosphere for at least 800,000 years, and an analysis of air bubbles preserved in Antarctic ice for up to 1.5 million years has revealed the likely suspect.

Sylvia Dee wins fellowship to launch Gulf of Mexico study

Sylvia Dee, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences, wins an early-career fellowship to pursue Gulf of Mexico research.

Sex and the symbiont: Can algae hookups help corals survive?

Scientists have discovered that symbiotic single-celled algae that live inside of and feed corals can reproduce not only by mitosis, but also sexually. Encouraging sex in these algae can accelerate their evolution to produce strains better able to help reefs cope with climate change.

Nature’s archive reveals Atlantic tempests through time

Rice scientists uncover how natural archives can record Atlantic hurricane frequency over the past 1,000 years. SUMMARY: Rice University scientists uncover how natural archives can record Atlantic hurricane frequency over the past 1,000 years. More data is needed to help model how climate change will affect storms in the future.

Biochar helps hold water, saves money

Biochar’s benefits for long-term storage of carbon and nitrogen on American farms are clear, but new research from Rice University shows it can help farmers save money on irrigation as well.

Seismic study will help keep carbon underground

A Department of Energy grant to Rice geoscientists enables development of fiber-optic sensors to find and evaluate small faults at underground carbon dioxide storage reservoirs.

How planets form controls elements essential for life

How a planet comes together has implications for whether it retains the nitrogen, carbon and water that eventually give rise to life.

Unconventional Students at Rice 2021: Madison Morris has her eye on Mars

Madison Morris ’21 knew two things about herself early on in life: She had an interest in space exploration and she loved Rice University.

Seven research teams win Carbon Hub funding

Carbon Hub, Rice University's zero-emissions research initiative, has awarded seed grants for seven projects that will rapidly advance its vision for transforming the oil and gas sector into a leading provider of both clean hydrogen energy and solid carbon products that can be used in place of materials with large carbon footprints.

Rice team forges path toward geothermal future

Rice scientists have joined a federal project to accelerate breakthroughs in geothermal systems for unlimited, inexpensive energy.