Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kevin Anchukaitis

@thirstygecko.bsky.social

4.2K followers 650 following 410 posts

Climate scientist, paleoclimatologist, dendrochronologist, University of Arizona | https://kanchukaitis.github.io/ | Opinions are mine and not that of my employer

Videos

Environmental science 51%

Geology 21%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 9 more Brendan Nyhan, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Rosemary A. Joyce, Joseph Schafer, Robert C. Richards, Rebecca Tushnet, Alan Richardson, David R. Miller, Aaron Sojourner, Judith Scott-Clayton, Kate Starbird, Greg Linden

Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 1d

he's going to come after you either way, so you might as well act with integrity

38 1.1K 5.2K

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 1d

Very cool new research from @mekevans.bsky.social and Jamie Yazzie - 'Drought stress detected in tree rings suggests an impending tipping point for forests on the Navajo Nation' www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Drought stress detected in tree rings suggests an impending tipping point for forests on the Navajo Nation

Forests across the southwestern U. S. face escalating challenges from changing climate. The objective of this study, conducted in partnership with the…

www.sciencedirect.com

10 18

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 1d

This is cool - new paper from Hali Kilbourne et al. 'Dating a Medieval Tsunami With Uranium-Series Techniques on Caribbean Corals' agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

Dating a Medieval Tsunami With Uranium‐Series Techniques on Caribbean Corals

Uranium-series analyses provide dates for 15 annually banded coral skeletons on the low Caribbean island of Anegada A subset of the corals was likely washed ashore in a Puerto Rico Trench tsunami...

agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

2 12 40

Reposted by Scott C. Doney, Adam H. Sobel, Benjamin I. Cook , and 1 more Scott C. Doney, Adam H. Sobel, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory @lamont.columbia.edu · 2d

📣 Postdoc opportunity alert! Join our dynamic community of Earth, environmental, and climate scientists as LDEO postdoctoral fellow. Principal criteria: scientific excellence + clear plan to investigate problems at forefront of Earth science. ➡️ Apply by Nov 7: lamont.columbia.edu/about/postdo...

LDEO postdocs traversing a volcanic dike on the Olomana Trail in Oahu. Credit: Brandon Shuck

1 7 9

Reposted by Kevin J. Anchukaitis

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 3d

6/14

In communicating with some of the scientists affected by grant terminations, it was striking (but not surprising) that many felt abandoned by their institutions and the scientific establishment at large. This was fueled, in part, by the contrast between this acquiescence and the rapid institutional responses, including lawsuits, after the administration had proposed a cap on the rate of reimbursement for so-called indirect costs of research. The scientific establishment had the capacity to push back vigorously when some of their values (financial viability) were threatened but could not seem to muster much energy when other principles were under assault.

1 5 16

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 4d

🧐

Reposted by Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Julie L. Lockwood

Susan Cosier @susancosier.bsky.social · 6d

USGS scientists tell us about the effects of invasive species & climate change. Yet their fate, like many other federal employees who work in science & the environment, is unknown. My latest for @nrdc.org. Thank you to @meadekrosby.bsky.social, John Organ, Ed Arnett, and others for speaking with me.

The Attacks on Science Continue—This Time at the USGS

From sea level rise to bee populations, the agency’s wildlife and climate programs shed light on the world around us.

www.nrdc.org

3 29 71

Reposted by Gavin L. Foster, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Juan Rocha

Science Magazine @science.org · 6d

Anticipating steep cuts to its budget, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world’s leading climate research centers, has laid off 29 employees and decided not to fill 21 vacant positions. https://scim.ag/46yaM9g

Renowned U.S. climate center trims staff ahead of expected budget cuts

NSF-funded National Center for Atmospheric Research is already shuttered during shutdown

scim.ag

1 38 48

Reposted by Kevin J. Anchukaitis

Beth Tellman @socialpixel.bsky.social · 7d

great writeup U Arizona did on my student Alex Saunders' new lead authored paper with @arbennett.bsky.social @thirstygecko.bsky.social @benamie.bsky.social + S. Islam, J. Giezendanner, S. Houssain news.arizona.edu/news/u-resea... paper here: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

U of A researchers reveal the importance of data choice in effective flood insurance

After testing five sources of flood data, their analysis found that combining or comparing data could improve disaster response and recovery.

news.arizona.edu

1 4 14

Reposted by Kevin J. Anchukaitis

Simons Foundation @simonsfoundation.org · 7d

At our Presents event "Life on Earth Over Deep Time," microbiologist Arpita Bose and paleoclimatologist Jessica Tierney joined Quanta Magazine's Hannah Waters to discuss how life and climate have co-evolved across geologic time. #science #biology

Three people sit in front of an auditorium

1 6

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Graeme S. Cumming, Stefan Rahmstorf , and 7 more Richard S.J. Tol, Graeme S. Cumming, Stefan Rahmstorf, Peter Thorne, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Brian J. Harvey, Richard Davy, Anthony Burke, Ryan K. Brook

Dr. Crystal A. Kolden @pyrogeog.bsky.social · 7d

Published today: our new paper showing a 44-year trend of increasing global wildfire disasters (fatalities and economic losses) due to climate change-induced extreme weather. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires

Climate change and land mismanagement are creating increasingly fire-prone built and natural environments. However, despite worsening fire seasons, evidence is lacking globally for trends in socially ...

www.science.org

7 200 400

Reposted by Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis , and 1 more Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Peter Jacobs

Tess Wei-Ping Jacobson @tessweiping.bsky.social · 7d

⚠️new(-ish) paper in Journal of Climate⚠️ i evaluated CMIP6 models' Pacific decadal SST variability and teleconnections... big takeaway is that models under-simulate temporal PDO/IPO variability on decadal timescales, likely affecting precip trends in the Southwest
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...

journals.ametsoc.org

6 10

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 7d

Very cool work (with a very sobering result) led by Andy Jones (a paleoCAMP alumnus!) in Science Advances: 'Glaciers in California’s Sierra Nevada are likely disappearing for the first time in the Holocene' www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Glaciers in California’s Sierra Nevada are likely disappearing for the first time in the Holocene

The projected loss of glaciers in California’s Sierra Nevada is likely unprecedented in at least the past 30,000 years.

www.science.org

1 18 32

Reposted by Brian J. Enquist, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Samantha Brennan , and 2 more Brian J. Enquist, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Samantha Brennan, Ann Bartow, Raúl Pacheco-Vega

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 7d

Here is the full document that universities are being asked to sign. It's well worth your time to read.

5 40 52

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 8d

Trump's higher ed ransom note is here - everyone would have to acquiesce to their unprecedented demands or not be "given priority for grants," plus they can demand "reimbursement" for "violations" www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy

47 700 1.5K

Reposted by Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Richard Waite

miriam nielsen @zentouro.info · 9d

this can't be good right?

screenshot of a NOAA webpage. the main text says: FACTS has been Discontinued

4 33 80

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Staffan I. Lindberg, Will Jennings , and 10 more Stephan Lewandowsky, Staffan I. Lindberg, Will Jennings, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Steve Peers, Tim Bale, Sanford F. Schram, David R. Miller, Mary L. Dudziak, Mark Rice, Greg Linden, Christina Pagel, David Darmofal

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 9d

An unprecedented violation of our civic and Constitutional traditions. Calling every military leader in the world back to the U.S. to hear a wildly inappropriate partisan campaign speech followed by a fascist call to use the military against Americans.

120 1.2K 3.2K

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 10d

Disentangling climate and policy uncertainties for the Colorado River post-2026 operations www.nature.com/articles/s41... 'under existing policy, both reservoirs will face substantial risks (>80% likelihood) of reaching dead pool before 2060'

Disentangling climate and policy uncertainties for the Colorado River post-2026 operations - Nature Communications

Planning for the Colorado River is critical to secure water and hydropower for the western US under climate change. This study highlights how different policies may reduce but not eliminate the risk of losing water and energy supply altogether.

www.nature.com

1 9 23

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 10d

Microsoft Sharepoint is like 'what if we took something that is already terrible and we make it more terrible?'

Reposted by A. E. Dessler, Peter Thorne, Gavin A. Schmidt , and 3 more A. E. Dessler, Peter Thorne, Gavin A. Schmidt, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, John Hogan, Dana R. Fisher

Jessica McKenzie @jessimckenzi.bsky.social · 10d

In the event of a shutdown, the Office of Management and Budget is recommending reductions in force (layoffs) for “all employees” in all “programs, projects, or activities” that are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”

What does that mean for US Earth and climate science?

‘Wholesale destruction’: Government shutdown or not, critical science programs are at risk

The Trump administration has proposed devastating cuts to federal Earth and climate science programs, and a government shutdown could give them an opportunity to begin implementing those cuts.

thebulletin.org

2 26 43

Reposted by Mark A. Lemley, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Aaron Sojourner , and 1 more Mark A. Lemley, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Aaron Sojourner, Matthew P. McAllister

Lindsay Beyerstein @beyerstein.bsky.social · 10d

Fired for posting "if you think Charlie Kirk was a wonderful person, we can't be friends," on her private facebook. Because it's everyone's duty in this free society to be friends with Charlie Kirk stans.

She Was Fired for a Comment on Her Private Facebook Account

www.nytimes.com

25 190 750

Reposted by Valerie M. Delmotte, Richard Betts, Kevin J. Anchukaitis , and 5 more Valerie M. Delmotte, Richard Betts, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Julie L. Lockwood, Elena Litchman, Karen R. Lips, Mary Jane Curry, Carlos Carroll

Meade Krosby @meadekrosby.bsky.social · 11d

Despite broad political support, one third of the nation's Climate Adaptation Science Centers will wind down in coming days due to lack of funds.

The Northeast, South Central, and Pacific Islands will be left without actionable science on drought, floods, wildfire, sea level rise and other hazards.

Trump officials shut off funding for climate adaptation centers

A third of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers are expected to drastically wind down and possibly close after Sept. 30.

www.washingtonpost.com

2 79 110

Reposted by Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Jonathan Hopkin, Christine Kooi

Erin Lockwood @erinkaylockwood.bsky.social · 12d

Thanks so much for your reporting on this, Ben. I just got an email from my campus's IT office triumphantly advertising free student access to four different AI models -- at the same time as we have a hiring freeze, caps on grad enrollment, and a 7% budget cut -- and wanted to scream.

5 50 370

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 13d

New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

2 110 110

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 14d

That's my understanding

1 1

Reposted by Ben Bond‐Lamberty

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 14d

Nice article talking about our new NSF-funded radiocarbon and stable isotope facility (The TIME Lab - Tree-Ring Innovations in Mass Spectrometry of Earth Systems) in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona! science.arizona.edu/news/univers...

University of Arizona opens groundbreaking TIME Lab to link past and present

Run by a team of distinguished researchers, the lab aims to “date the undateable,” linking natural events like eruptions or droughts to human history. With a focus on student training and public outre...

science.arizona.edu

1 12 35

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 14d

Remembering ecologist Margaret Bryan Davis (1931–2024) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Remembering ecologist Margaret Bryan Davis (1931–2024) | PNAS

Margaret Bryan Davis, a prominent ecologist, died on May 22, 2024. She was a Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota and a member of the N...

www.pnas.org

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · 14d

Congratulations to the legendary dendrochronologist Dave Stahle, for being inducted as a new @agu.org Fellow!

2 10