The Trump administration’s National Science Foundation (NSF) has begun dismantling the infrastructure of a $368 million deep-ocean observing program critical to monitoring marine ecosystems, global currents, marine heat waves, and more, according to a 21 May announcement.
Grace van Deelen
Grace van Deelen, joined Eos in 2023 as a staff writer. She covers all things Earth science and is particularly interested in stories that highlight the intersection of society, the environment, and equity in science. Grace holds a master’s degree from MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing and bachelor’s degrees in biology and anthropology from Tufts University.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Judge Blocks NSF From Dismantling NCAR
“NSF’s failure to provide any explanation for its decision—let alone a reasonable one—thwarts meaningful judicial review and renders the challenged action arbitrary and capricious,” the judge wrote.
Posted inResearch & Developments
White House Proposes Sweeping Changes to Grantmaking Process
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a new rule on 28 May that, if finalized, would give political appointees approval power over scientific grants, reduce support for international collaboration, limit funding for publication fees, and make other extensive alterations to the federal government’s funding review process.
Posted inNews
Weak Faults Play a Strong Role in the Tibetan Plateau’s Deformation
Ten years’ worth of data reveal that two theories about how the Tibetan Plateau deforms are both probably right.
Posted inNews
Warm Waters Disrupt Seagrasses’ Microbial Environment
Microbial communities in ocean sediments become imbalanced as water temperatures rise, harming seagrass growth, a new study suggests.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Why the IPCC Seems Poised to Eliminate Its Most Extreme Emissions Scenario
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body whose mission is to “provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies” will likely update the emissions and land use scenarios used in the models it considers in its bellwether assessment reports.
Posted inNews
A New Approach Can Better Predict Debris Flow Hazards Years After Fires
USGS hazard maps don’t always reflect real landslide risk in the years after wildfires. Fine-tuning assessments of vegetation recovery could help.
Posted inResearch & Developments
2026 Has Already Broken Climate Records. El Niño Could Break More.
As the midpoint of the year approaches, several climate records have already been broken. Arctic winter sea ice extent reached a record low. Several countries saw record-breaking winter heat waves. And more than 150 million acres have already burned globally in wildfires.
Posted inNews
Most of the U.S. West Will Face Above-Normal Wildfire Risk This Summer
The National Interagency Fire Center predicts elevated wildfire potential across much of the West and many Southeast states through August.
Posted inNews
This Arctic Atlas Shows Where Oil and Gas Activities Overlap with Wildlife and Indigenous Communities
To slow climate change, the world must keep its fossil fuels in the ground. New maps of Arctic activities show where resources should stay put.