Land & water

Altering livestock grazing could allow soils to store billions more tons of carbon each year, depending on the region. But net climate benefits depend heavily on where supplemental feed comes from. 

A Stanford-led study based on two decades of satellite data finds California could cut deadly pollution from wildfire smoke by 20% in active fire years by expanding use of prescribed fire in conifer forests each year.

PhD student Sierra Castañeda’s research on cover crops could shape policies that protect drinking water and reward farmers for implementing practices that keep pollution out of water supplies.

From collecting soil samples to directing ballet performances, Anneli Chow blends science, creativity, and community.

New analysis shows 85% of carbon emissions from the 2025 Dava Moor Fire in Scotland came from peat combustion, signaling a dangerous shift in how wildfires behave in historically boggy landscapes.

Khalid Osman, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, assesses public perceptions of water infrastructure, water conservation efforts, and the management of existing infrastructure systems.

Researchers have discovered a way to draw potable water from air almost anywhere using solar power and a gel-like material that lasts for eight months or more. 

A Stanford-led effort combines bluefin tuna tag data and historical catch records to reconstruct the evolution of the fishery in the context of extensive movement and mixing. 

With energy costs up and electricity demand climbing, Stanford researchers are leading efforts to make clean power affordable and reliable for all while cutting the emissions that drive climate change. Their work ranges from deep underground heat to solar on farms, renewable fuels, and upgrades for the power grid and batteries.

Although climate models predicted Antarctic sea ice would steadily dwindle, its extent grew for decades until 2016. A new study finds the ice finally receded when wind-driven upwelling unleashed warmer, deeper water.

A new study finds old-growth forests in Sweden store far more carbon than the industrial tree plantations that are rapidly replacing them, with soil accounting for most of the difference. Protecting undisturbed areas could do more to mitigate climate change than previously thought.

By 2050, up to half the world’s urban population will face water scarcity. A new model of water supply, demand, and policies in a drought-prone city of 7 million in India shows how policies could prevent the poor from bearing the heaviest burden.

How vulnerable are school meal programs to price volatility and regional shocks tied to climate change? Learn four key facts about school meals and climate, and ideas for making this increasingly important nutritional backstop more resilient.

While 14% of major companies report carbon emissions, just 9% disclose water withdrawals and only 1% reveal recycled water use. Stanford and Korea University researchers have developed a scoring system that weighs where companies draw water and how they use it.

Emmanuel Codillo recreates geologic processes hundreds of miles beneath Earth’s surface to understand the inner workings of planets, shedding light on magma generation and volcanic activity, earthquakes, and critical mineral deposits.