Ian Dalziel of The University of Texas at Austin has been honored with the Polar Medal — the United Kingdom’s top award for polar exploration. The medal recognizes Dalziel’s contributions to Antarctic geology, including discoveries about the icy continent’s ancient past and the fragility of its ice sheet today. The award will be presented by King Charles… Continue Reading Highest Honor in Antarctic Exploration Goes to Ian Dalziel – banner

Scientists have long puzzled over what happens when seamounts — mountains and volcanoes on the seafloor — are pulled into subduction zones. Now, new research from The University of Texas at Austin shows that when seamounts sink, they leave behind a trail of soft sediments. The researchers think the sediment patches help tectonic pressure escape… Continue Reading Sinking Seamount Offers Clues to Slow Motion Earthquakes – banner

In May, the Jackson School of Geosciences’ Marine Geology and Geophysics Field Course travelled to Port Aransas to gather data on coastal processes in and around Corpus Christi Bay. The class included several field course firsts, including use of a landing craft for deploying instruments in the bay’s shallows, a LIDAR-equipped drone, and extra days for lectures,… Continue Reading Extended Field Course Helps Students Gain New Insights into Texas Coastal Geology – Banner

The oceans help to limit global warming by soaking up carbon dioxide emissions. But scientists have discovered that intense warming in the future could lessen that ability, leading to even more severe warming. The discovery comes from a study led by The University of Texas at Austin in which researchers analyzed a climate simulation configured… Continue Reading Ocean Surface Tipping Point Could Accelerate Climate Change – Banner

An everyday quirk of physics could be an important missing piece in scientists’ efforts to predict the world’s most powerful earthquakes. In a study published in the journal Science, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin discovered that a frictional phenomenon could be key to understanding when and how violently faults move. That’s because… Continue Reading Earthquake Scientists Have a New Tool in the Race to Find the Next Big One – Banner