Origin of life favors one ‘hand’ of chemical building blocks?
Research from UCLA and NASA finds molecular orientation pattern likely results from factors other than chemical predisposition.
earth sciences
Results
2023 Rolling Hills Estates landslide likely began the winter before
The progressive landslide seemed to come out of nowhere but took months to develop into a catastrophe.
She’s on a journey ‘to bring science to everybody’
From UCLA to Tibet, geology doctoral candidate Abijah Simon keeps finding ways to make an impact in the world.
Shape and depth of ocean floor profoundly influence how carbon is stored there
A new study finds seafloor topography accounts for up to 50% of the changes in depth at which carbon has been sequestered.
The Lab at 10,000 Feet
Welcome to White Mountain Research Center, UCLA’s high-altitude research laboratories some 300 miles north of Los Angeles.
Benjamin Santer wins American Meteorological Society’s Rossby Medal
The award is the society's highest honor for atmospheric scientists.
Stratospheric cooling: The concerning flip side of global warming
UCLA-led research finds human-generated greenhouse gases are responsible for the troubling changes in the upper atmosphere.
UCLA geologists are using artificial intelligence to predict landslides
Their newly developed method could bolster efforts to protect lives and property in some of the world’s most disaster-prone areas.
Earth-like planets may be an inevitability
A UCLA-led study looks at how water might be formed by planets across the galaxy and why Earth-like planets may be common.
A Bruin in the Forecast
UCLA’s Daniel Swain has become one of the nation’s most sought-after experts on the urgency of combating climate change.
How was the solar system formed? The Ryugu asteroid is helping us learn
UCLA scientists have discovered that minerals were being produced through reactions with water more than 4.5 billion years ago.
Increased atmospheric dust is masking greenhouse gases’ warming effect
UCLA researchers say climate change could accelerate slightly if dust levels stop climbing.
When migrating birds go astray, disturbances in magnetic field may be partly to blame
A new UCLA study could help scientists better understand threats to birds — and their ability to adapt.
Violent supershear earthquakes are more common than previously thought
The findings suggest that disaster planning efforts consider whether nearby faults are capable of producing this type of temblor, which can be more damaging.
Her work helped her boss win the Nobel Prize. Now the spotlight is on her
Donna Elbert’s predictions about planetary magnetic fields deserve recognition, say UCLA researchers who have built on her work.
Dead star’s cannibalism of its planetary system is most far-reaching ever witnessed
UCLA-led research on a white dwarf 86 light-years from Earth sheds light on the systemic chaos that occurs when a star dies.
Jean-Luc Margot awarded SETI citizen science grant from the Planetary Society
The professor of Earth, planetary and space sciences will lead a radio astronomy search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
UCLA researchers discover source of super-fast ‘electron rain’
The rapid downpours, which can affect satellites and space travel, result from whistler waves affecting Earth’s magnetosphere, scientists say.
UCLA tops all universities in number of 2022 Sloan Research Fellows
Eight young UCLA professors are among 118 scientists and scholars selected today to receive the awards.
Marilyn Raphael on Climate and Justice
The geographer is exploring how work in her field can help vulnerable people all over the globe.
Increasingly frequent wildfires linked to human-caused climate change, UCLA-led study finds
The research focuses on the factors contributing to a key climate variable called vapor pressure deficit.
UCLA geologist helps solve 50-year-old mystery involving 2 billion-year-old rock
Professor emeritus Bruce Runnegar was part of the team that got to the bottom of the situation.
Climate change definitively linked to increases in extreme rain and snow, UCLA research finds
Scientists used machine learning to analyze decades’ worth of weather data from around the world.
‘Surfing’ particles: Physicists solve a mystery surrounding aurora borealis
Scientists confirm that electrons responsible for the northern lights hitch a ride on electromagnetic waves streaming toward Earth at up to 45 million mph.
Imaging technique could help identify where landslides are likely
The study is the first to combine information about processes both on the surface of the Earth and at the tectonic level.