Climate change

A group of students, faculty, and staff traveled in Paris for the UN climate summit, COP21. (Courtesy of UConn@COP21)

Blogging from Paris: UConn@COP21

Two UConn undergraduates reflect on the Paris climate conference, which is wrapping up its deliberations this weekend.

An aerial view of homes inundated by water along the Connecticut shorleline in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Researchers Tackling Flood Maps

Current maps used to assess flood risk are like a paint roller compared to UConn's "fine brush,"

A student rests under a tree on the Great Lawn at the Storrs campus. (UConn File Photo)

Climate Change Could Affect Fall Foliage Timing

A century from now, autumn in New England may happen earlier in some places and later in others, according to a new UConn study.

Lake Melville from Rigolet.

The Human Cost of ‘Clean’ Energy

UConn and Harvard researchers have shown that hydroelectric energy may be more damaging to northern ecosystems than climate change.

Ship's log of Brig Chenamus. (Courtesy of Newburyport Maritime Society Inc.)

Historical Sources Offer Clues for Conservation

UConn historian Matthew McKenzie is using non-traditional sources of data to complement scientific inquiry.

Industrial landscape with different energy resources. Sustainable development. (iStock Photo)

Clean Power Plan a Major Step Toward Lower Carbon Future

UConn Law professor Joseph MacDougald discusses the proposal announced this week by President Obama to combat climate change.

SEA Semester students on the SSV Robert C. Seamans had an opportunity to climb the rigging of the ship for an unobstructed view. (Photo courtesy of Tim Bateman '16 (CLAS))

Setting Sail for Science

Three UConn marine sciences students spent a semester at sea, conducting scientific research and learning hands-on sailing skills.

More than two-thirds of the mountain ranges in the world are not pyramid-shaped, a new study finds. In addition to pyramid-shaped mountains like the Alps (top left), mountains may be diamond-shaped like the Rockies (top right), hourglass-shaped like the Himalayas (bottom right), or even shaped like upside-down pyramids, like the Kunlun mountains of Asia (bottom left). (Images courtesy of Morgan Tingley, Paul Elsen, and Nature Climate Change)

Mountain Shape Affects Species’ Response to Climate Change

A new study by researchers at UConn and Princeton turns our idea of what mountains look like literally upside-down, with consequences for species extinctions.

Mark Urban with a sheet of aufeis in Alaska. aufeis in northern Alaska. Aufeis is ice that forms as layers on streams in winter, and is declining as the region becomes warmer. (Photo courtesy of Mark Urban)

Regions at Greatest Risk for Species Extinction the Least Studied

Most previous studies have centered on North America and Europe, whereas South America, Australia, and New Zealand are at greatest risk for species loss.

Plants Aren’t in Lockstep When Responding to Environmental Changes

A UConn study shows that trait diversity in plants may result from individual responses to the environment, rather than – as is often assumed – being uniform across species.