Earth Notes

Earth Notes: Mt. Elden's Placoderms

More than eight decades ago, pioneering Museum of Northern Arizona geologist Major L.F. Brady made a surprising find in sedimentary rocks high up on the east flank of Mt.

Earth Notes: Tiny Cactus Holds the Key

A tiny cactus that survives intense wildfire could offer clues about the resilience of ecosystems on the Colorado Plateau.

Earth Notes: Fibonacci Sequence

The spiral pattern in a sunflower’s seeds isn’t random. It follows a mathematical sequence that appears throughout the natural world.

Earth Notes: Wildflower Colors

Monsoon rains bring a torrent of colors to the Colorado Plateau. Yellow sunflowers emerge beside purple asters, blush-colored penstemons, and mauve lupine.

Earth Notes: When Meteors Fall to Earth, Part 2

Annual meteor showers like the Perseids can give lovely shooting star displays – but they don’t produce meteorites. That’s because the tiny particles involved are made of

Earth Notes: When Meteors Fall to Earth, Part 1

On the evening of October 9, 1946, members of the Kaibab Trail crew at the Grand Canyon National Park were watching the sky during a meteor shower caused by the trail of

Earth Notes: Wildlife Width Calculator

New research shows a small change in where homes are built could make a big difference for wildlife like elk, mule deer and pronghorn.

Earth Notes: Hidden Histories of Agave

Ancient agave plants are helping researchers uncover clues about the people who lived in the Southwest more than 1,000 years ago.

Earth Notes: The Scent of Rain

That unmistakable smell after rain has a name: petrichor. It's been signaling the arrival of rain for millions of years.

Earth Notes: Magpies

Magpies have earned a bad rap as the bully in the birdyard — some even call them the birds everyone loves to hate. But the often-misunderstood magpie may deserve a little

Earth Notes: Barrel Cactus Fruit

The barrel cactus won’t slake your thirst on a hot desert day. It’s named for its stout shape, not its contents.

Earth Notes: Coconino Quiet Areas

In the 1980s Coconino National Forest established three designated ‘Quiet Areas.' Recently renamed ‘Seasonal Closures’ they’re intended to provide serene recreational spa

Earth Notes: Three Sisters on Moon and Mars

How will future inhabitants on Mars and the Moon get their veggies? Northern Arizona University doctoral candidate Laura Lee has been seeking the answer to that question.

Earth Notes: Reworking Glen Canyon's Slough

A project below Glen Canyon Dam is targeting invasive smallmouth bass that threaten native fish in the Colorado River.

Earth Notes: Bradford Pear

The Bradford pear was one of the most widely planted ornamental trees in North America. But it's now largely considered invasive and outlawed in several states.

Earth Notes: Density Altitude

High summer temperatures make Flagstaff’s thin air feel even thinner. Density altitude affects your body, turning a simple mountain hike into a tough physical workout.

Earth Notes: Arizona Flora Finders

The San Francisco Peaks volcanic system includes some tiny residents — small, rare plants that grow in difficult terrain. Citizen scientists are trying to document them.

Earth Notes: Velvet Ants

Have you ever noticed a large, fuzzy, brightly-colored ant moving rapidly along the ground? Commonly called velvet ants, these aren’t ants at all. They’re actually wingle

Earth Notes: Cloud Seeding Over Mingus Mountain

Three decades ago, the use of cloud seeding to enhance precipitation over the region was tested as part of a large field experiment.

Earth Notes: Zuni Turtle

Paleontologists exploring the Zuni Basin of western New Mexico in the 1990s uncovered a turtle fossil shell that was later determined to be an entirely new species.