Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin will embark from Galveston on April 14 in search of sunken treasure that holds the key to protecting Texas from storms and rising seas: sand. About 80% of Texas’ Gulf shoreline is critically eroded, and the state is running out of easily accessible sand to rebuild and… Continue Reading UT Begins Offshore Search for Sand Resources to Protect Texas from Coastal Erosion
Hunting for Sand Resources in the Gulf of Mexico
Sand is in the concrete that holds up our buildings and lines our roads. It’s in the screens of our phones and the glass of our windows. And billions of tons of it are used to protect coastal communities from erosion, sea level rise and the impact of major storms. But you can’t just use… Continue Reading Hunting for Sand Resources in the Gulf of Mexico
Evolution Imposes “Speed Limit” on Recovery after Mass Extinctions
It takes at least 10 million years for life to fully recover after a mass extinction, a speed limit for the recovery of species diversity that is well known among scientists. Explanations for this apparent rule have usually invoked environmental factors, but research led by The University of Texas at Austin links the lag to… Continue Reading Evolution Imposes “Speed Limit” on Recovery after Mass Extinctions
Life Recovered Rapidly at Impact Site of Dino-Killing Asteroid
About 66 million years ago, an asteroid smashed into Earth, triggering a mass extinction that ended the reign of the dinosaurs and snuffed out 75 percent of life. Although the asteroid killed off species, new research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that the crater it left behind was home to… Continue Reading Life Recovered Rapidly at Impact Site of Dino-Killing Asteroid