Our Blog
New Study Traces Indigenous Population Shifts in North America Before Europeans
DRI’s Erick Robinson, Associate Research Professor of Climate and Archaeology, co-authored a new study that provides insight into North America’s Indigenous communities prior to European contact. The research found that although Indigenous populations varied regionally, the continent saw a population peak around 1150 A.D. before experiencing declines, likely stemming from drought, disease, emigration and warfare. A brief recovery around 1500 A.D. was followed by a sharp decrease upon the arrival of Europeans.
Floods, Droughts, Then Fires: Hydroclimate Whiplash is Speeding up Globally
DRI’s Christine Albano co-authored a new study that examines how a warming climate is creating an atmosphere more prone to extreme weather. This “hydroclimate whiplash” is evident in California’s recent weather, with winters filled with repeated atmospheric river storms driving the plant growth that the dry summers then parched, providing plentiful fuel for explosive wildfires.
What We Know About Wildfire Risk and Prevention
DRI scientists conduct a wide range of research on wildfire related topics to help policymakers, fire managers, and community members navigate challenges to public safety and health. In this Q&A, a selection of our scientists answer some of the most pressing questions about the environmental conditions that lead to the most devastating blazes and offer previews into some of their most relevant research.
New Climate Projections Released for Tribal Lands
Earth’s climate future is often discussed in terms of degrees of warming, but for farmers and ranchers, temperature is not the only metric that matters. Other variables such as the number of frost-free days, timing of first snowfall, or changes in spring and summer precipitation are critical to planning future planting, growing, irrigating, and harvesting activities. To help Native agricultural producers prepare for the changes to come, Native Climate has compiled detailed local climate projections for 633 tribally controlled areas in the United States, including Alaska Native Villages and State Designated Tribal Areas, and climate divisions for the State of Hawai‘i.
Volunteer Scientists Validate Rain and Snow Estimates
DRI scientists Guo Yu, Meghan Collins, Monica Arienzo, and Anne Heggli co-authored a new study that examines how Mountain Rain or Snow is helping improve weather forecasting models. The citizen science project collects observations of precipitation from community volunteers across the country to further scientific understanding of the environmental variables impacting where precipitation falls as either rain or snow. This information is critical for informing avalanche forecasting, road safety, and water resources management.
DRI Launches Statewide Science Storytelling Series
DRI announces the launch of a series of community-based events in Las Vegas and Reno that celebrate how science shapes our lives, fuels creativity, and deepens our understanding of the world by underscoring the transformative power of curiosity and knowledge. Curiosity Lab by DRI will feature DRI scientists and other guests to address some of the world’s most urgent concerns while also telling the tale of what it means to live in Nevada on the front lines of a changing climate.
DRI Internships Offer Nevada Students Experience with Research and Insight into STEM Careers
This summer and fall, DRI brought twelve students from Nevada’s community and state colleges to the Las Vegas and Reno campuses for a paid, immersive research experience. Over the course of the 16-week program, students worked under the mentorship of DRI faculty members to learn about the process of using scientific research to solve real-world problems. This unique internship program welcomes all students, not only those pursuing majors in science, who are in their first or second year of enrollment at local state and community colleges.
Ice Patches on Beartooth Plateau Reveal How Ancient Landscape Differed From Today’s
DRI scientists Joe McConnell and Nathan Chellman co-authored a new study that examines a 6,000-year-old forest preserved in a Rocky Mountain ice patch. The research, which was led by the USGS and Montana State University, used the fossil wood to develop tree-ring based temperature estimates of the mid-Holocene period. The study can provide insight into the future elevational movement of forests under climate change, the scientists say.
DRI Raises Funds to Ensure Groundbreaking Science can Continue in Perpetuity
Thank you to the generous donors who supported the Innovation Research Program Endowment through DRI’s 2024 year-end giving campaign. These gifts brought us significantly closer to raising the $5M needed to fully fund the IRP Endowment and ensure support for innovative research is available to DRI scientists for generations to come.
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