Earth & Planetary Sciences

A long-standing idea in planetary science is that water-rich meteorites arriving late in Earth’s history could have delivered a major share of Earth’s water. A new study argues that the Moon’s surface record sets a hard limit on that possibility: even...

In this 2025 Research Year-in-Review, compiled annually by University Communication and Marketing (UCAM), scientists at The University of New Mexico addressed some of the most pressing issues facing New Mexico and the nation—from analyzing a massive...

Understanding the physics of ‘mature’ faults helps us understand the general mechanics of the earth's crust, which improves earthquake hazards models globally The March 28, 2025, Myanmar earthquake is giving scientists a rare look into how some of the...

A new study led by The University of New Mexico researchers has uncovered a surprising pattern in how deserts of the southwestern United States produce dust over long climate cycles. Unlike most of the world—where dust emissions peak during cold, glacial...

Every year, the Taurid meteor shower lights up the night sky from late October through early November. Sometimes called the “Halloween fireballs”, they are named for the constellation Taurus—the bull—from which the meteors appear to radiate, the shower...

A team of researchers at The University of New Mexico has uncovered how a peculiar, prehistoric plant might unlock new ways to reconstruct Earth's ancient climate. Led by UNM Earth and Planetary Sciences Professor Zachary Sharp, the study published in...

The University of New Mexico’s Assistant Professor Marisa Repasch has been awarded the 2025 Early Career TUNDRA Award—short for Toolik Userdays for Naturally Developing Research Abilities—in recognition of her promising field-based research in Arctic...

An international study led by researchers at The University of New Mexico has produced the first detailed images of the Queen Charlotte fault system off the coast of northern British Columbia, confirming that the region is capable of generating powerful...

Geology is full of detective stories about Earth’s history, and a new paper in Geology by University of New Mexico Distinguished Professors Emeritus Karl Karlstrom and Laurie Crossey, along with their co-authors, links two iconic geologic landmarks of...

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon, and in the last five decades since that historic event, research and exploration into all things lunar have not waned. Focusing on...