Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Science

FSU geologist available to comment on Mauna Loa eruption

Published: December 2, 2022 | 11:55 am | Posted in: Expert Pitches

The Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on the planet, is erupting for the first time since 1984. Vincent Salters, director of the Geochemistry Program at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University, is available to speak to media about the geology behind this eruption. Vincent Salters, professor in the […]

FSU researchers find decrease in crucial trace element preceded ancient mass extinction

Published: November 22, 2022 | 11:31 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

The research group collecting samples. (Photo by Ben Gill)

A decline in the element molybdenum across the planet’s oceans preceded a significant extinction event approximately 183 million years ago, new research from Florida State University shows. The decrease may have contributed to the mass extinction, in which up to 90% of species in the oceans perished, and it suggests that much more organic carbon […]

FSU researchers: Rapid fluctuations in oxygen levels coincided with Earth’s first mass extinction

Published: November 18, 2022 | 2:42 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Nevin Kozik during fieldwork to investigate how rapid changes in marine oxygen levels may have played a significant role in driving Earth’s first mass extinction. (Courtesy of Nevin Kozik)

Rapid changes in marine oxygen levels may have played a significant role in driving Earth’s first mass extinction, according to a new study led by Florida State University researchers. About 443 million years ago, life on Earth was undergoing the Late Ordovician mass extinction, or LOME, which eliminated about 85% of marine species. Scientists have […]

FSU assistant professor earns early career award from Geological Society of America

Published: October 13, 2022 | 11:57 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

When Florida State University Assistant Professor Richard Bono was deciding what part of geology to focus on, he learned about the field of geophysics and geodynamics — the science of how the Earth changes over time. “I knew that was something I could keep coming back to,” Bono said. “It’s like a puzzle that changes […]

Mystery in the Gulf: FSU researcher leads team to study conditions for plant survival in ocean desert

Published: August 1, 2022 | 5:03 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

West of St. Petersburg in the Gulf of Mexico is an area called the West Florida Shelf. It’s a marine desert, cut off from many of the elements that are essential for life. But in this nutrient-deficient region, some forms of phytoplankton — microscopic plants that float through the water — are thriving and supporting […]

Fertility of the sea: FSU researchers study how nutrient sources make it to the base of the food web

Published: July 21, 2022 | 1:19 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Angela Knapp is an associate professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science.

Virtually all marine life — fish, turtles, sharks, whales and more — depend on the marine food web for survival. The foundation of this immense flow of energy, however, rests on the shoulders of the microscopic, but mighty, phytoplankton. Without vital nutrients such as phosphorus, the growth of these tiny floating ocean plants is limited, […]

Katherine Henning

Published: July 19, 2022 | 12:01 pm | Posted in: Student Stars

A Tallahassee native, Katherine Henning decided to attend Florida State due to its quality of education, strength of its Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science and strong undercurrent of engagement and social activities. “While many of the schools I considered had good academics and opportunities for involvement, I found that at FSU, I not […]

Study: Humans responsible for over 90% of world’s oil slicks

Published: June 16, 2022 | 2:41 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

The Taylor Energy platform, about 10 miles off the coast of Louisiana, was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and started leaking oil immediately. Oil slicks, like this picture from 2013, were commonly seen over the site until a containment system was installed in 2019. (Courtesy of Ian MacDonald)

A team of U.S. and Chinese scientists mapping oil pollution across the Earth’s oceans has found that more than 90% of chronic oil slicks come from human sources, a much higher proportion than previously estimated. Their research, published in Science, is a major update from previous investigations into marine oil pollution, which estimated that about […]

Five questions: FSU sea turtle research informs environmental policies

Published: June 13, 2022 | 12:28 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

June 16 is World Sea Turtle Day, an occasion to consider the role these creatures play in the marine ecosystem. Florida State University Associate Professor Mariana Fuentes researches sea turtles and looks for ways to help turtles and humans coexist. She answered five questions about her work and how science can help inform public policy. […]

World Oceans Day: FSU researcher shares insight into importance of the ocean

Published: June 6, 2022 | 12:19 pm | Posted in: Expert Pitches

The United Nations marks June 8 as World Oceans Day, an opportunity to celebrate the ocean and how it supports life on Earth. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The United Nations marks June 8 as World Oceans Day, an opportunity to celebrate the ocean and how it supports life on Earth. As director of Florida State University’s Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS), Eric Chassignet leads investigations into the physical processes that govern the ocean and its interactions with the atmosphere. He spoke […]

European Geosciences Union names FSU assistant professor Outstanding Early Career Scientist

Published: May 12, 2022 | 9:53 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Richard Bono, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science.

A Florida State University faculty member has been named a 2022 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist by the European Geosciences Union (EGU). Richard Bono, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, received the award in the EGU’s Earth magnetism and rock physics division. “Richard is a fantastic example of a […]

FSU-led research team receives $9M from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to improve forecasts of ocean currents

Published: April 4, 2022 | 11:15 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Florida State University researchers have received nearly $9 million from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program to improve predictions of water currents in the Gulf of Mexico that impact critical oil and gas infrastructure, fisheries management, and extreme weather events as well as the spread of ocean pollution. The five-year […]

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