This is a very dangerous and rapidly evolving situation for the communities in and around Spokane. Please heed evacuation orders, be ready to go, and protect yourself and others from the smoke. A special thanks to those working hard to contain these fires.

Daniel Swain@weatherwest.bsky.social · 4d ago

A dangerous wind shift (visible on radar imagery) has just occurred in #Spokane, WA, where major wildfire disaster is currently unfolding. Three separate major fires (circled) near or within city limits have already caused major structure loss & chaotic, expanding evacs. #WAwx

Could there be life on... Titan? @uwess.bsky.social Prof. Baptise Journaux discusses exploring moons like Saturn’s Titan for evidence of life and the 2028 NASA mission on the debut episode of the “Pocket Science” podcast by @kuow.org. 🎙️ https://bit.ly/45sr2XR Photo credit: NASA

We are now accepting applications for GeoFutures, a conference based mentoring program that provides full travel support for geoscience undergrads attending the 2026 @agu.org meeting. Application link below. Apps due Aug 21. @uwenvironment.bsky.social environment.uw.edu/about/inclus...

We’re here in Cal Anderson Park sharing information about earthquake hazards and ShakeAlert earthquake early warning at the 2026 Seattle Disaster Relief Trials, a cargo bike competition and exercise showing how micromobility can contribute to community disaster response.

🎉 We’re excited to announce new leadership changes across the College: Becky Alexander has been named the chair of @uwatmossci.bsky.social Phil Levin will be the director of @uwsmea.bsky.social Susan Dickerson-Lange is stepping in as interim director of EarthLab. https://bit.ly/4b02ybT

Join us at #PNWClimateWeek! Cecilia Bitz, the Jerome M. Paros Endowed Chair in Atmospheric and Climate Hazard Research and expert on Arctic climate change, will talk about the importance of sea ice to protect coastline communities and cool the planet, and how it can be saved. https://bit.ly/3QzQBCJ

My personal take-home: always test the "null" hypothesis when it comes to palaeoclimate. Eric Mei, @bayesicallyalex.bsky.social, @cristiproist.bsky.social, et al., www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... Fun times working with Eric on this as part of @fetch4.bsky.social

Multidecadal preindustrial methane variability can be explained by noise in the source–sink imbalance | PNAS

Ice core records of preindustrial methane indicate variability of ±30 ppb (±5%) on multidecadal-to-centennial timescales. Previous work has attribu...

pnas.org

FIRST GOAL USA! #USMNT is up 1-0 after an Australia own goal off Folarin Balogun's cross. Here's the seismogram of the Seattle Stadium crowd reaction on PNSN's HWK5 station. #WorldCup2026 #FIFAWorldCup #SportsSeismology

Undergraduate student Hailey Smith got to work with 5 million-year-old ice from Antarctica as part of a #UWEnvironment mentorship program that connects undergraduate students interested in research with graduate student mentors in the geosciences. https://bit.ly/4e06RFZ

No slip condition

Adam Tranter@adamtranter.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Bicycles are hugely space efficient, which is why they make a lot of sense in congested cities. This video demonstrates why there aren’t traffic jams in bike lanes. Just imagine the traffic queues if every bicycle here was a car.

There are more opportunities than ever for ocean science students to build meaningful careers in the field. That’s why 130+ students, industry professionals and researchers recently gathered at #UW for a first-ever conference to connect students with marine tech careers. https://bit.ly/4uDtGov

A near-miss tsunami in Alaska during tourist season last Aug. highlights increasing environmental instability. A new study in @science.org describes how glacial retreat caused by global warming primed a fjord or a colossal wave. https://bit.ly/4wi0rZI @uwnews.uw.edu @uwess.bsky.social Photos: USGS

I really love this series from the NYT and this is an all-timer www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/a...

5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Ron Carter

nytimes.com

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

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

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

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

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...

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.

Congratulations to Dale Durran, professor of atmospheric and climate science, who has been named a 2026 NVIDIA Research Faculty Fellow. https://bit.ly/4soXJyY

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

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

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...

bit.ly

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

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...

bit.ly

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...

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)

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

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...

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#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

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.

bit.ly

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

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...

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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

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