University of Arizona in the News

A video posted to social media by a climate change skeptic with ties to the mining industry minimizes the significance of modern concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which stand at roughly 420 ppm as of last month. However, all 40 glacial cycles (i.e. "ice ages") over the last roughly 2.6 to 2.7 million years likely began with CO2 concentrations below that threshold, according to University of Arizona professor of hydrology and atmospheric science Marcus Lofverstrom.

Over-pumping of groundwater supplies results in significant subsidence in many areas. Arizona, for example, has 169 miles of mapped earth fissures, according to the Arizona Geological Survey, an office at the University of Arizona.

The final rehearsal for the University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx mission takes place this week in Utah as a team from the university's Lunar and Planetary Lab, along with NASA and military specialists, prepare to collect samples from an asteroid after seven years of work.

Among nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. surveyed across 150 studies, just 29% reported completed a living will that detailed their care wishes, and only 33% designated a health care power of attorney, according to a 2017 review of previous research. University of Arizona professor of communication Jake Harwood recommends families shore up issues surrounding elder care and end-of-life issues when parents reach their 70s.

State and federal agencies find themselves scrambling to combat rising deaths and injuries among people who work in triple-digit temperatures. Protections against extreme heat generally lag as a policy priority at all levels of government, according to University of Arizona assistant professor of planning and sustainable built environments Ladd Keith. But as heat waves get longer and hotter, that could change. "In some ways, we have a very long way to catch up to the governance gap in treating the heat as a true climate hazard," Keith said.

The University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine awarded degrees to its first graduating class on Aug. 24.

On Thursday, the inaugural class of the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine enjoyed their Commencement ceremony at the Tucson Convention Center, marking the end of three years of hard work. More than 100 students received Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will return its long-awaited sample of rocks and dust from the asteroid Bennu one month from today. University of Arizona Regents Professor of Planetary Sciences Dante Lauretta, the OSIRIS-REx principal investigator, discusses the obstacles that nearly thwarted the mission and explains the logistics involved in recovering the sample.

Data make it clear that heat waves have become more frequent and intense due to climate change, posing a significant challenge to U.S. infrastructure. Researchers from the University of Arizona estimate rising temperatures could cost the nation $26.3 billion for road maintenance and replacement by 2040, with Texas, California and Illinois predicted to bear the brunt of the damage.

India on Wednesday landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the moon, becoming only the fourth nation ever to accomplish such a feat. The mission's lander and rover should function for about two weeks while the propulsion module remains in orbit, relaying data back to Earth. University of Arizona assistant research professor of astronomy Angela Marusiak said she's particularly excited that Chandrayaan-3 includes a seismometer that will attempt to detect movement within the lunar interior, which could inform future moon missions.