Explore recent research from the 91±¬ÁÏ: how climate change is redirecting rivers, what bean plants use to protect themselves from pests, where the water in an atmospheric river comes from and how researchers are making tensegrities tiny.


Explore recent research from the 91±¬ÁÏ: how climate change is redirecting rivers, what bean plants use to protect themselves from pests, where the water in an atmospheric river comes from and how researchers are making tensegrities tiny.

In a new study, 91±¬ÁÏ researchers examine the impact of tilling on soil moisture and water retention using methods designed for monitoring earthquakes. They show that tilling disrupts important soil microstructures and highlight the potential utility of this method for precision agriculture and more.

David Montgomery, a 91±¬ÁÏ professor of Earth and space sciences, discusses soil health, food nutrients and human health. He is co-author of “What Your Food Ate,” being published this month.

An experiment conducted on 10 farms across the U.S. suggests that crops from farms following soil-friendly practices for at least five years have a healthier nutritional profile than the same crops grown on neighboring, conventional farms. Researchers believe soil microbes and fungi boost certain beneficial minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in the crops.

Seven scientists and engineers at the 91±¬ÁÏ have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences, according to an announcement July 15 by the academy.

Recent honors to 91±¬ÁÏ faculty and staff have come from the Association of Asian Studies, the American Society of Public Administration, the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography and Cascade Public Media.

91±¬ÁÏ Notebook visits with the producer of “Crossing North,” a podcast by the Scandinavian Studies Department, and notes other podcasts on campus and an appearance by David Montgomery on the podcast “Undark.”

Over many years, a 91±¬ÁÏ team has shown how logging on the Teanaway River in central Washington caused dramatic changes to the river channel.

“Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life,” is a good-news environment story about how shifts in farming practices can restore health and fertility to soils.

A Science commentary written by 91±¬ÁÏ professor of Earth and space sciences David Montgomery discusses how recent geological findings support the historical basis for traditional tales about China’s Great Flood.

The Geological Society of America has honored two 91±¬ÁÏ professors and other authors of a 186-page report on the causes and consequences of the deadly March 2014 landslide in Oso, Washington.

The large, fast-moving mudslide that buried much of Oso, Washington in March 2014 was the deadliest landslide in U.S. history. Since then it’s been revealed that this area has experienced major slides before, but it’s not known how long ago they occurred. 91±¬ÁÏ geologists analyzed woody debris buried in earlier slides and used radiocarbon dating to map the history of activity at the site. The findings, published online Dec. 22 in the journal Geology, show that a massive…

A new book by 91±¬ÁÏ geologist David Montgomery weaves history, science and personal challenges into an exploration of humanity’s tangled relationship with microbes, perhaps the least loved and most misunderstood creatures on Earth — and in you. “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health” comes out Nov. 16 from W.W. Norton & Co. Montgomery, a 91±¬ÁÏ professor of Earth and space sciences, co-wrote the book with his wife, Anne Biklé, a biologist and…

A 91±¬ÁÏ geologist and geotechnical engineer look back at what the past year has meant, personally and professionally, as they helped recovery efforts from the nation’s deadliest landslide in our own backyard.

A national team jointly led by a 91±¬ÁÏ geotechnical engineer and an engineering geologist will investigate what caused the March 22 mudslide in Snohomish County and what effects the disaster had on the nearby residential communities.

Samples from steep mountaintops in New Zealand shows that rock can transform into soil more than twice as fast as previously believed possible.