Superheated rocks deep underground help explain earthquake patterns
By researching tremors under the infamous San Andreas Fault, USC scientists are seeking out what’s brewing beneath a quake’s surface.
Predicting drought in the American West just got much more difficult
A new, USC-led study of more than 1,000 years of North American droughts and global conditions found that forecasting a lack of precipitation is rarely straightforward.
Was there life on Mars? USC experts explore the upcoming NASA mission
With the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover about to launch, USC professors explain what we know about the planet already and what this latest mission can teach us.
Earth scientist uncovers mineral mysteries while promoting academic equity
Emily Cooperdock, professor of Earth sciences at USC Dornsife, is building a lab aimed at revealing new information about the planet’s history.
Happy Leap Day: The fun and folly of having a birthday every four years
USC Dornsife faculty and alumni born on Feb. 29 share stories about this rarest of birthdays.
Earth scientists and AI researchers join forces to better predict our climate future
Paleoclimatology data — which contains the details of our climate history — can be messy. That’s why USC’s scientists and AI experts have teamed up on a new platform to standardize it for research, analysis and prognostication.
Why Are USC Students Going to the Bottom of the Sea?
A USC Earth science doctoral candidate goes deep to see how oceans are reacting to climate change.
What Will Our World Look Like in 2050?
USC researchers say confronting reality and taking local action may help humanity cope — and even spur economies and innovation.
Renowned seismologist joins USC to lead Southern California Earthquake Center
With three decades of experience studying Earth science, John Vidale’s research focuses on anything related to seismic waves and earthquakes.
High schoolers get early glimpse of a career in science
USC grad students give juniors and seniors hands-on research experience and a taste of what a career in STEM fields could bring.
L.A. will see a partial solar eclipse Monday, but experts see a total opportunity for rare research
Scientists eagerly await “The Great American Eclipse” — and remind us to be sure to view it safely.
Wax on: How wheat plants shield themselves during drought
As water supplies decline in major agricultural states, scientists explore how to generate plants that are more drought-resistant.
Rusting pyrite — ‘fool’s gold’ — in glaciers a sign of increased carbon
Widely varying CO2 levels are nature’s way of self-regulating against future runaway glaciation, USC researchers say.
In memoriam: Alfred Fischer, 96, prominent geologist
Professor emeritus became a world leader in sedimentary geology and a devoted teacher whose 1952 book on paleontology endured for more than six decades.
‘Geologic Detective’ Unearths L.A.’s Seismic Secrets
The Southland is being torn apart in ways we are only beginning to understand. Just ask James Dolan.
The Secret Life of Bacteria
In memoriam: Robert Douglas, 78
Professor emeritus of Earth sciences was instrumental in building the department and its scholarship as a revered educator and administrator.
Current climate models misrepresent El Niño
Clues to the fundamental physics of the irregular climate pattern come from millennia-old corals and clams.
Are we ready for El Niño?
USC Dornsife scientist explains why current models aren’t enough to predict future changes in climate and weather patterns.
Newly discovered fossil is the oldest of its kind
The sea urchin fossil found by a USC team had been buried in a rock formation that dates back nearly 270 million years.
A skeptical scientist studies the latest findings on Mars
USC Dornsife’s Kenneth Nealson takes a cautionary approach to new research about potential life on the red planet.
Scientists, musicians and activists to join forces for climate change event
Know Tomorrow will transform McCarthy Quad into an ‘eco-hangout’ where students can learn how to shape national policy and help find solutions for a sustainable future.
A crusty mystery: Scientists dig into the origin of strange earthquakes
Currents of semi-liquid rock are the key to the frequency of quakes away from tectonic plate boundaries, USC study finds.
From earthquakes to landslides and potential floods in Nepal
In hopes of providing hard data to manage recovery, a USC scientist studies the latest in a string of related disasters.