Advertisement · 728 × 90

Posts by Joel Thornton

Post image Post image

This thunderstorm produced a waterspout over Puget Sound! Photo via Reddit.

1 week ago 242 68 9 16
That's home. That's us.

That's home. That's us.

This image of home just came down from the Artemis II crew.

Taken after their translunar injection burn, there are aurorae at top right and lower left, and zodiacal light at lower right.

Credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman

2 weeks ago 21960 7450 292 1004
Person walking on a forest trail surrounded by tall trees and lush greenery. The path is winding and natural.

Person walking on a forest trail surrounded by tall trees and lush greenery. The path is winding and natural.

Why is contact with nature good for our mental and physical health? Scientists are now beginning to understand the mechanisms at play inside us that cause us to respond positively to nature.

https://bit.ly/47HVNKa

2 weeks ago 7 5 1 1
A group of wolves walking in single file across a snowy landscape, followed by two birds flying nearby.

A group of wolves walking in single file across a snowy landscape, followed by two birds flying nearby.

A black raven perched on a wooden post, with an open beak as if cawing. The background features a wide, open landscape with sparse trees and patches of snow on distant hills.

A black raven perched on a wooden post, with an open beak as if cawing. The background features a wide, open landscape with sparse trees and patches of snow on distant hills.

A wolf stands near a carcass on a snowy landscape, surrounded by a flock of black and white birds. Sparse vegetation is visible, and a snow-covered hill rises in the background.

A wolf stands near a carcass on a snowy landscape, surrounded by a flock of black and white birds. Sparse vegetation is visible, and a snow-covered hill rises in the background.

Researchers tracked ravens and wolves in Yellowstone National Park for 2.5 years to show that ravens do not follow wolves to scavenge their prey but instead remember where wolves often kill and monitor these sites for fresh meat.

https://bit.ly/3NcRcIV

@uwnews.uw.edu @science.org

1 month ago 3 4 1 0
Collage of first generation college students at a professional networking event.

Collage of first generation college students at a professional networking event.

We held the first networking event for students in our Valiant Near Peer Mentoring Program. The program supports first gen college students in @uwenvironment.bsky.social As a first gen college student myself, I enjoy being able to develop these types of programs. environment.uw.edu/about/inclus...

1 month ago 2 2 0 0
Post image

That storm made a nice dent in the WA state snowfall deficit.

However, it wasn’t enough to get up to the 10th percentile line. Snowpack remains low, but at least we’re well clear of historic lows.

A warm atmospheric river next week will be a net negative for snowpack.

1 month ago 12 5 2 0
Dale Durran

Dale Durran

Congratulations to Dale Durran, professor of atmospheric and climate science, who has been named a 2026 NVIDIA Research Faculty Fellow.

https://bit.ly/4soXJyY

1 month ago 3 2 0 0
Stress-testing the Cascadia Subduction Zone reveals variability that could impact how earthquakes spread A new study examining 13 years of ground motion data from sites near the Cascadia Subduction Zone shows that the entirety of the fault may not be as tightly locked as researchers thought, which could....

A new #UWEnvironment study shows that the entirety of the Cascadia Subduction Zone may not be as tightly locked as researchers thought. This could change our understanding of how a big #earthquake might hit the #PNW.

https://bit.ly/4biTqPU

@uwnews.uw.edu @uwess.bsky.social @pnsn1.bsky.social

1 month ago 5 6 0 1
Preview
University of Washington launches the Paros Geohazards Center The College of the Environment has launched the Paros Geohazards Center, establishing a world-class center of research excellence to understand and mitigate environmental and geologic hazards, with an...

The new Paros Geohazards Center at UW aims to better understand and mitigate environmental and geologic hazards. Its focus will be on developing new and emerging technologies that can help save lives in our communities.

https://bit.ly/4kKu8xs

@uwnews.uw.edu @uwess.bsky.social @pnsn1.bsky.social

2 months ago 6 4 0 2
Preview
UW researchers use satellite data to quantify methane loss in the stratosphere A University of Washington study shows that existing models underestimate methane loss in the stratosphere and generate uncertainty in the global methane budget -- a key metric for tracking climate...

A new University of Washington study shows that existing models underestimate methane loss in the stratosphere and generate uncertainty in the global methane budget — a key metric for tracking climate change.

https://bit.ly/3O4lU77

@uwnews.uw.edu

2 months ago 4 3 0 0
Advertisement
A map of Lumen Field in Seattle, showing the seismic stations HWK1 at the ground level, HWK2, HWK3, HWK4, and HWK 5 at each corner of the stadium, and HWK6 up in the Hawk's Nest area.

A map of Lumen Field in Seattle, showing the seismic stations HWK1 at the ground level, HWK2, HWK3, HWK4, and HWK 5 at each corner of the stadium, and HWK6 up in the Hawk's Nest area.

Six PNSN staff members smile and pose on a deck in front of an empty stadium with the Seattle skyline in the background.

Six PNSN staff members smile and pose on a deck in front of an empty stadium with the Seattle skyline in the background.

Curious about how the fans are going to shake the stadium at the Seahawks vs 49ers game this Saturday? Check out our blog on pnsn.org on how the seismometers PNSN installed in Lumen Field will monitor & report data live during the game! pnsn.org/blog/2026-se...

3 months ago 33 13 0 3

One of those days in Seattle where you should probably cancel your afternoon meetings and take an extended lunch because it might be a while before we have sunshine and nearly 60 degree temperatures again.

(by the way, the record high for the date is 58)

3 months ago 15 3 1 0
Preview
The vast majority of US rivers lack any protections from human activities, new research finds Rivers cover more than 4 million miles of the U.S., but protections for rivers are piecemeal, accounting for less than 20% of total river length and varying widely by region, shows a new study co-led...

Rivers cover more than 4 million miles of the U.S., but protections for them are piecemeal. Check out more on this new study co-led by University of Washington.

https://bit.ly/4qMlCzQ

@americanrivers.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwnews.uw.edu

3 months ago 7 3 0 0
Preview
Crows murdering your lawn? Or are they looking for the real killers? The crows picking at your lawn might actually be signaling a deeper environmental imbalance.

#Seattleites: Have you noticed #crows tearing up the grass in parks and lawns around the area? 🐦‍⬛ These birds are actually doing "some natural pest control,” says UW emeritus professor John Marzluff.

https://bit.ly/4aN6WLX

@seattletimes.com @uwnews.uw.edu

3 months ago 2 3 1 1
Preview
How a collaborative partnership is restoring balance to kelp forest ecosystems, one lab-raised sea... On a bright afternoon on San Juan Island's west side, just a few hundred feet from the iconic Lime Kiln Point, parkgoers and anglers...

If you're looking for a hopeful comeback story, check out this piece by WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. It's about how UW scientists at Friday Harbor Labs, with support from Samish Indian Nation and WDFW, are reintroducing sunflower sea stars back into West Coast waters.

https://bit.ly/3MUfJSv

3 months ago 4 2 0 0
Portraits of five AGU Honors Awardees with diverse expressions and attire, arranged around a central purple banner that says 'Congrats to our AGU Honors Awardees'.

Portraits of five AGU Honors Awardees with diverse expressions and attire, arranged around a central purple banner that says 'Congrats to our AGU Honors Awardees'.

We are thrilled to celebrate five #UWEnvironment researchers who received awards from @agu.org this year! Clockwise from top left: Michelle Muth, Joshua Krissansen-Totton, Fang-Zhen Teng, Christopher Kenseth and Dale Durran.

https://bit.ly/4j7Ilna

@uwess.bsky.social @uwnews.uw.edu #AGU25

3 months ago 8 4 1 0
Aerial view of a cityscape with a "WE ARE HIRING" text overlay.

Aerial view of a cityscape with a "WE ARE HIRING" text overlay.

Come join us at #UWEnvironment! @uwsafs.bsky.social and UW Friday Harbor Labs are hiring an assistant professor who specializes in marine invertebrate organismal biology. About the job and how to apply: https://bit.ly/44sItYr

4 months ago 12 11 0 1
Advertisement

NCAR does a whole lot more than just climate research, and I think calling it a climate research lab paints an incomplete picture. Atmospheric chemistry, severe thunderstorms, radar, software and tools, etc.

4 months ago 81 26 1 1

Before you start getting distracted by the holiday season, plan for 2026 by noting that we are again convening this session on atmospheric organics at #EGU26.

4 months ago 4 2 0 0
Preview
PostdocAd-FarmFlux Postdoctoral Associate: aircraft-based measurements of atmospheric ammonia Join our team! The atmospheric chemistry group at the University of Minnesota (UMN) seeks applications for a Postdoctoral A...

Postdoc opening: airborne NH3 measurements

Join our team! The UMN atmospheric chemistry group is recruiting a postdoc to collect and analyze airborne NH3 measurements as part of NASA FarmFlux.

See z.umn.edu/aw67 for details, & contact Julieta (junco004@umn.edu) and I (dbm@umn.edu) with questions!

5 months ago 11 11 0 1
Session AS3.2

If you work on sources and impacts of VOCs (biogenic or anthropogenic) from measurement to modeling perspectives please submit an abstract to our atmospheric organics session at #EGU26! Our invited speakers are @dbm.bsky.social and @jacquirickard.bsky.social See you in Vienna! tinyurl.com/55vda8u7

5 months ago 14 9 0 2
Preview
Space dust reveals Arctic ice conditions before satellite imaging A new University of Washington-led study shows that space dust sandwiched between layers of sediment tells scientists where and when ice covered the Arctic, and what happened to marine life when it...

A new University of Washington-led study in Science shows that space dust sandwiched between layers of sediment tells scientists where and when ice covered the Arctic, and what happened to marine life when it disappeared.

https://bit.ly/4orvD4q

@science.org @uwnews.uw.edu

5 months ago 3 2 0 0
Video

Happy #Halloween! 🎃 🐟 👻 Check of some of our favorite creepy creatures in our UW Fish Collection.
@uwsafs.bsky.social @burkemuseum.bsky.social

5 months ago 4 1 0 0

"The idea, Yedvab explained, is that “instead of displacing the particles out to the stratosphere and start following them, to do the other way around — to suck air from the stratosphere and to conduct in situ experiments, without dispersing essentially.”

5 months ago 2 0 1 0

It is taking into account that the Blue Jays will lose to the Mariners

6 months ago 2 0 0 0

Cosmic crisp are generally even better than honey crisp, IMHO. I will pay almost anything for them.

6 months ago 14 1 3 0
Preview
Coral skeletons left by a medieval tsunami whisper warning for Caribbean region A new collaborative study led by scientists at the University of Washington and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science proposes that a tsunami struck the Caribbean island of...

A new study proposes that a tsunami struck the Caribbean island of Anegada between 1381 and 1391, carrying huge coral boulders inland and leaving behind a valuable record of geologic and climatic history.

https://bit.ly/4nUN90N

@uwess.bsky.social @uwnews.uw.edu

6 months ago 5 4 0 1
Advertisement
Seismogram showing ground motion at T-Mobile Park for game-winning single by Seattle Mariner Jorge Polanco, JP Crawford scores!

Seismogram showing ground motion at T-Mobile Park for game-winning single by Seattle Mariner Jorge Polanco, JP Crawford scores!

MLB poster for PostSEAson 2025 that reads Seis the Moment with a small seismogram between the Seis and the The.  Has website for PNSN seismograms of the game. mariners.pnsn.org

MLB poster for PostSEAson 2025 that reads Seis the Moment with a small seismogram between the Seis and the The. Has website for PNSN seismograms of the game. mariners.pnsn.org

You feel that Seattle?! Check out that Polanco P-Wave! Polanco Game Winning Single, Crawford Scores, MARINERS WIN!! @Mariners are Toronto Bound! @Tmobilepark @FoxSports
#SeisTheMoment #SeizeTheMoment

6 months ago 346 146 5 11
Preview
UW Atmospheric and Climate Science alum Ángel F. Adames Corraliza named 2025 MacArthur Fellow University of Washington Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science alum and University of Wisconsin–Madison atmospheric scientist Ángel F. Adames Corraliza has been awarded a prestigious MacArthur...

Congratulations to Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, @uwmad-aos.bsky.social associate professor and UW Atmospheric and Climate Science alum, for being named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow!

https://bit.ly/3IIHxHQ

@uwnews.uw.edu @macfound.org

6 months ago 12 3 0 0
Preview
Homepage - Ren + Homes As the urgency to combat climate change intensifies, RENPLUSHOMES takes the lead in developing a universal methodology for Positive Energy Homes and residential districts. This approach addresses the ...

the work underway to produce positive energy buildings (buildings that produce more energy than they consume) is really quite rad

renplushomes.eu

6 months ago 99 16 2 2