New simulation reveals how glaciers transported rocks across the Alps 24,000 years ago

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Lausanne

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Corbassières Glacier and erratic boulder

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Credit: Unil / Tancrède Leger

Many of the boulders scattered across the Swiss landscape did not originate where they now stand. Instead, they were carried by ice nearly 24,000 years ago. For the first time, researchers at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have reconstructed the journeys of these giant rocks across the entire Alpine region using a groundbreaking simulation. The model makes it possible to visualize the paths taken by millions of rocks that helped shape today’s landscapes.

► Watch the simulations on YouTube

Why is the city of Lausanne built on a series of terraces? Why did Lake Geneva form where it did? And how did boulders weighing hundreds of tonnes come to be scattered across the Swiss landscape?

Much of today’s landscape was shaped by the major ice ages, the last of which reached its peak around 24,000 years ago. At that time, vast glaciers flowed out from the peaks of the Alps like giant bulldozers, eroding the terrain, transporting huge quantities of rock and sediment, carving valleys, and sculpting the basins that would later become the lakes we know today. Researchers at the University of Lausanne (Unil) have developed the first computer simulation capable of reconstructing and visualizing, across the entire Alpine region, the paths taken by erratic boulders and rock fragments transported by glaciers from the mountain summits down to the valleys. Their findings have been published in the journal Earth Surface Dynamics.

“Until now, extensive field studies have allowed researchers to determine where many of the erratic boulders found across the lowlands originally came from. However, the routes they followed were often counterintuitive and difficult to reconstruct,” says Tancrède Leger, a researcher at Unil’s Faculty of Geosciences and Environment and lead author of the study. “Our simulation shows how glaciers transported rocks across the landscape and, for example, reveals the pathways by which some of them crossed mountain passes.” Alongside the simulations, the researchers have developed a catalogue detailing the origin and transport pathways of glacial deposits across different regions of the Alps. “Geologists planning to investigate moraines or sedimentary basins can submit a query for a specific area, and we can provide information on the likely origin, composition and types of sediments and boulders they may encounter there.”

A unique tool worldwide This research was made possible thanks to a unique tool developed by the team of Guillaume Jouvet, a professor at the University of Lausanne. Named IGM, it enables the simulation of glacier coverage and ice flow under a range of parameters, including topography and past or present climate conditions (see box). “In our case, we fed the model with millions of points representing erratic boulders and sediments, and we computed their trajectories,” explains Tancrède Leger. “The velocity of ice flow influences how it entrains rock material, and the

presence of rock walls upstream affects rockfalls, which are then transported on the ice. All of these factors were taken into account.” The broader aim of this work is to help address major geological questions, including the formation of Alpine environments and lakes, and more generally to improve our understanding of how landscapes form and evolve over long timescales. “This type of high-resolution simulation makes it possible, for the first time, to visualise these processes in a tangible way.”
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Graphics processing units at the heart of progress
Until recently, computing the trajectories of millions of boulders and rock fragments within a numerical model was extremely challenging, as it would have required prohibitive computational power. This has now become feasible thanks to recent advances in graphics processing units (GPUs). Originally designed to render images and power video games, GPUs have become a key tool in scientific computing. Their architecture, composed of thousands of cores capable of performing many calculations in parallel, makes them particularly well suited to training artificial intelligence models. The rise of AI has therefore strongly accelerated the development of these chips. “ We developed at UNIL the first open-source model harnessing the power of graphics cards to simulate glacier evolution — in the past, the future, or under various climate scenarios.” says Guillaume Jouvet, professor at the Faculty of Geosciences and Environment (FGSE). Thanks to GPUs, the model is now up to hundred times faster than before.

Named IGM and developed at Unil, the tool is already used by glaciologists worldwide. It has already led to 18 scientific publications, including Tancrède Leger’s study on erratic boulders, as well as work on modelling the last major glaciation of the Alps.
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Source : T. P. M. Leger, G. Jouvet, S. Kamleitner, B. D. Finley, M. Bernard, B. Allegri, F. Herman, A. Vieli, A. Henz et S. U. Nussbaumer, First Alps-wide reconstruction of LGM glacial sediment transport enabled by GPU-accelerated particle tracking, Earth Surface Dynamics, 2026

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Journal

Earth Surface Dynamics

Article Title

First Alps-wide reconstruction of LGM glacial sediment transport enabled by GPU-accelerated particle tracking

New simulation reveals how glaciers transported rocks across the Alps 24,000 years ago 

Many of the boulders scattered across the Swiss landscape did not originate where they now stand. Instead, they were carried by ice nearly 24,000 years ago. For the first time, researchers at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have reconstructed the journeys of these giant rocks across the entire Alpine region using a groundbreaking simulation. The model makes it possible to visualize the paths taken by millions of rocks that helped shape today’s landscapes

Credit

Unil

 

Feline fleas carry bacteria linked to human disease In South Texas, study finds

Researchers have identified the murine typhus pathogen in fleas found in the Rio Grande Valley, highlighting the importance of flea prevention for both pets and people.

Texas A&M University

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Dr. Sarah Hamer (left), a professor in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, and Dr. Sujata Balasubramanian, an associate research scientist, review research data as part of a study examining flea-borne pathogens in South Texas cat populations.

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Credit: Texas A&M University

As human cases of flea-borne murine typhus continue to occur in South Texas, researchers are working to better understand the role cats and their fleas may play in the disease’s transmission cycle.

In a recent study, researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) detected DNA from Rickettsia typhi — the bacterium that causes flea-borne murine typhus — in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) collected from domestic cats in the Rio Grande Valley, a region that consistently reports some of the highest numbers of human cases of murine typhus in Texas.

The findings provide new insight into the pathogens carried by cat fleas and demonstrate how closely animal, human and environmental health are linked.

Tracking an emerging threat

Flea-borne murine typhus is a bacterial disease that can infect humans when flea feces containing R. typhi enter the body through a bite site or mucous membrane and can typically be treated with antibiotics. Its incidence has steadily increased in Texas over the past decade, particularly in South Texas — with more than 6,700 cases being reported in the region between 2008 and 2023, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.  

“The last time flea-borne typhus was rampant, rats and rat fleas were the main reservoir and vector,” said Dr. Sujata Balasubramanian, an associate research scientist in the VMBS and first author of the study. “Now, there is a layer of cat fleas contributing to this uptick.”

Despite the Rio Grande Valley consistently reporting some of the state’s highest numbers of flea-borne typhus cases, relatively little is known about the prevalence of R. typhi among cats and cat fleas in the region.

“People have cats as pets and often befriend and feed stray cats,” Balasubramanian said. “Despite the awareness that cat fleas can carry and transmit R. typhi, we do not have a good understanding of R. typhi carriage in cats or cat fleas, not even in the areas of higher incidence of flea-borne typhus.”

Fleas reveal multiple zoonotic pathogens

When the research team tested fleas collected from domestic cats for several disease-causing pathogens, it detected R. typhi in fleas removed from six of the 167 cats sampled, providing some of the first data on the pathogen’s presence in cat flea populations in the region.

Researchers also identified Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae in the fleas and cats. Both bacteria are associated with cat scratch disease, a zoonotic infection that can be transmitted from cats to humans.

Although R. typhi was detected in fleas from a relatively small number of cats, researchers say the findings help fill an important knowledge gap about the pathogens carried by cat fleas in an area where human cases of murine typhus continue to occur.

While the study did not directly examine transmission between cats, fleas and people, the findings provide a clearer picture of the pathogens circulating within flea populations in a region where human cases continue to occur.

The study also highlights the importance of a One Health approach, which recognizes the connections among animal health, human health and the environment.

“Like all vector-borne diseases, there are many pieces of the puzzle needed for the successful transmission of murine typhus,” said Dr. Sarah Hamer, a professor in VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences. “We must think about the ecology of the disease, which includes the interactions of the right species of flea with cats or opossums — both of which can serve as hosts for the fleas and bacteria. Humans serve as an accidental host when hungry fleas find us instead of an animal.”

Several factors may be contributing to the continued presence of flea-borne murine typhus in South Texas.

“There are only a few places in the U.S. where murine typhus is recognized to be transmitted with some regularity and, unfortunately, that includes South Texas,” Hamer said. “The increased abundance of pet cats and stray or feral cats, socioeconomic conditions that prevent access to affordable flea protection on cats, and warming temperatures likely all promote flea infestation of cats and transmission of the bacteria that causes typhus.”

Because the disease depends on interactions among fleas, animals, people and the environment, researchers say understanding those relationships is essential for identifying risks and developing effective prevention strategies.

Protecting pets and people

Although cats typically do not become seriously ill from R. typhi, controlling flea infestations remains an important step in protecting both animal and human health.

“If we can help to control flea infestations on cats, we also reduce the chance that fleas will become infected with the bacteria and reduce the chance that infected hungry fleas will hop onto a human instead of a cat,” Hamer said. “What we do to help animal health can also protect human health.”

Rather than indicating that cats themselves post a threat to people, the findings highlight the importance of controlling flea populations.

“Fleas and other ectoparasites can spread disease agents that not only make our pets sick, but they can make us sick as well,” she said. “Keeping cats indoors where they can’t interact with wildlife and working with your veterinarian to provide flea and tick control for cats can help minimize chances of disease transmission.”

Continuing the search for answers

Researchers say the study is only the beginning of efforts to better understand how flea-borne murine typhus circulates among animals, fleas and people in South Texas.

“We know rats, rat fleas, cats, cat fleas and opossums can carry R. typhi,” Balasubramanian said. “More sampling and more studies are imperative.”

Future work would focus on identifying factors that influence its circulation and determining how risks vary among pet, stray and feral animal populations.

“Because of all the changes in wildlife populations, climatic conditions and human land use, continued surveillance and research is the only way we can gather data to understand these changing risks for human and animal health,” Hamer said.

By Camryn Haines, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

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Cat fleas collected as part of a Texas A&M study are examined for the presence of disease-causing bacteria, including Rickettsia typhi, the pathogen responsible for flea-borne murine typhus.

Credit

Texas A&M University

Journal

Parasites & Vectors

DOI

10.1186/s13071-026-07421-1 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Rickettsia typhi, Bartonella henselae, and related zoonotic agents in fleas from domestic cats (Felis catus) from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas

 

Giving drones a sense of “pain”: a new way to predict instability before it happens

Using climate science method of critical slowing down drones can now fly safer

Delft University of Technology

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A drone flying circles during testing of the new critical slowing down methodology in the TU Delft Cyberzoo (The Netherlands). , It uses data from inexpensive onboard sensors to identify subtle changes in system behaviour

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Credit: Delft University of Technology

Imagine you’re running and you sprain your ankle. The pain makes you gingerly limp the rest of the way home. This is a great example of how nature adapts to failures in a system. The pain tells you: ‘if you continue running like normal, the injury will only get worse’. So you naturally adjust the way you run. Drones currently cannot do this with a worn-out propellor. Researchers from Delft University of Technology and Wageningen University & Research have now demonstrated that a concept we learned from nature, which was originally developed to predict collapse in ecosystems, can also help detect when engineered systems are heading towards failure. This is crucial for ensuring drone and autonomous vehicle safety as they increasingly become part of everyday life.

“You can compare our approach to the way humans experience pain. After an injury, pain provides immediate feedback about our condition and helps us judge what actions remain safe,” says Jasper van Beers, researcher at Delft University of Technology. “Machines generally lack this form of self-awareness. The new indicators, derived from real-time measurement data, offer a first step towards giving engineered systems a similar ability to recognise when they are approaching their limits.”

From healthy forest to collapse

The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, applies early warning indicators based on a phenomenon known as critical slowing down. In nature, critical slowing down occurs when a system becomes less resilient and takes longer to recover from disturbances, often signaling that it is approaching a tipping point. For instance, a healthy forest can quickly recover after a dry season. But after each dry period, this recovery starts taking longer. Eventually, a relatively small climate extreme can trigger large-scale forest dieback. Scientists can observe recovery time to see whether an ecosystem is indeed approaching a critical tipping point.

While these methods have been widely used in ecology and climate science, it remained unclear whether they could also work for actively controlled systems such as drones, aircraft and autonomous robots. Unlike natural systems, these technologies are constantly regulated by controllers that respond to changing conditions in real time. Yet the researchers found that early-warning signals from ecology and climate science still reliably indicate when a controlled system is approaching instability.

Detecting Trouble Before It Becomes Critical

To test and validate the approach, the research team worked in the CyberZoo, a unique drone research facility within the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. There, scientists can safely push drones to the edge of loss of control, deliberately introduce damage, and collect the data needed to understand how failures develop.

By combining simulations, flight data analysis and extensive experimental testing, the researchers were able to identify which combinations of damage, flight conditions and manoeuvres are most likely to result in loss of control. In addition, the indicators can be used not only to detect instability, but also to adapt system behaviour in real-time. For example, they could help determine strategies that maintain flight despite damage to an aircraft’s wing—much in the same way humans accommodate ankle injuries by limping in order to keep walking.

Beyond drones

Van Beers: “By bringing together knowledge from different scientific disciplines—in this case aerospace engineering and ecology—we continue to drive breakthroughs that help translate fundamental research into practical technologies.”

A key advantage of the method is that it does not rely on detailed physical models of the drone. Instead, it uses data from inexpensive onboard sensors to identify subtle changes in system behaviour. Because of this, the technology could potentially be applied to a wide range of engineered systems beyond drones, as it offers a generic way to monitor resilience and identify problems before they lead to accidents.

Applications could include monitoring critical infrastructure, supporting predictive maintenance in aircraft and other vehicles, improving quality control during manufacturing, and enhancing the reliability of autonomous systems such as self-driving cars. The first real-world impact is expected in the rapidly growing drone sector, where the technology could help prevent accidents as drones are deployed in growing numbers across industries.

Footage of drones testing their limits and losing control [VIDEO] 

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Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2608847123 

Article Title

Early warning signals for loss of control in complex systems

 

Rice political scientist examines how cybercriminal networks evolve into global security threats

Award-winning research examines how online communities can spread political extremism

Rice University

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Cyberattacks have become an increasingly common part of modern life, disrupting hospitals, schools, businesses and governments around the world. But new research from Rice University suggests another threat may be emerging. Some cybercriminal communities are evolving beyond financial crime into politically motivated networks where extremist beliefs spread through anonymous online relationships.

Those findings earned Rice University alumnus Conner Joyce ’26 the 2026 Franklin L. Burdette/Pi Sigma Alpha Award for the best paper presented at the American Political Science Association's annual meeting.

Joyce studies how nonstate actors, including cybercriminals and terrorist organizations, use emerging technologies and how those technologies shape global security.

“There is a great deal of discussion about how to prevent the misuse of technology by malicious actors,” said Joyce, who recently finished his doctorate in political science at Rice. “With the advent of artificial intelligence, concerns have intensified.”

His award-winning research examined how political activity and radical behavior spread through cybercriminal communities. Rather than viewing hackers solely as financially motivated criminals, Joyce found that online interactions can create strong social bonds that facilitate the spread of political and extremist beliefs.

“Technology shapes more than what nonstate actors can do,” Joyce said. “It can also shape what these groups become.”

Joyce said those relationships can transform some cybercriminal communities into politically motivated groups capable of engaging in geopolitical disruption, offering new insight into how online networks evolve over time.

To conduct the research, Joyce analyzed nearly 400,000 website defacements, cyberattacks in which hackers replace webpage content with their own messages. Using machine learning, he examined more than 30 million words of text to identify political and radical messaging across hundreds of thousands of attacks.

“Manually coding a text dataset of this scale would have been prohibitively time consuming,” Joyce said. “Machine learning allowed me to systematically measure political and radical messaging across hundreds of thousands of cyberattacks.”

Joyce said his interest in cybersecurity began during a 2019 internship at the U.S. Embassy in Qatar. While following tensions between the United States and Iran, he was struck by the U.S. response after Iran shot down an American drone.

“I was surprised when the U.S. announced that it had retaliated with a cyberattack against Iran,” Joyce said. “This piqued my interest in cyberspace as a domain of conflict.”

Today, his broader research examines how emerging technologies, particularly AI, are reshaping international security. He studies how AI could lower barriers for terrorist organizations by providing operational guidance and technical expertise, while also making propaganda and recruitment efforts more effective through manipulated images, videos and other digital content.

Joyce also studies how governments can work together to address evolving cyber threats and develop international governance structures that keep pace with rapidly changing technology.

“I am hopeful that a better understanding of the risks posed by certain technologies will incentivize governments to work collaboratively toward global governance structures,” he said.

Receiving national recognition from APSA, Joyce said, reinforces the importance of continuing that work.

“It is especially rewarding to see my work resonate with a broad audience,” he said. “Moving forward, I will continue to investigate how the evolution of digital technologies is transforming the nature of security threats.”

 

From waste bottles to life saving: Discarded plastic bottles help save dolphins from fishing nets

Newcastle University

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Up-cycled glass bottle pingers and plastic bottle acoustic reflector trials. a) Workshops were held with fishermen in the targeted fisheries to introduce the project and secure participants. b) glass bottle pinger attached to a surface-set driftnet. c) Plastic bottle acoustic reflector attached to a surface-set driftnet. d) dolphin bycatch in a surface-set driftnet during the trial.

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Credit: Per Berggren

Newcastle University researchers have demonstrated that plastic bottles attached to fishing nets can help dolphins detect and avoid being caught and killed in the deadly gear.

Two recently published studies have shown that using plastic bottles as reflectors on the gillnets led to dolphin bycatch reduction of 88%, while the fish catch remained the same. Reflectors are devices attached to fishing nets to make them acoustically visible to echolocating marine mammals like dolphins and porpoises.

The team tested an idea, developed by Professor Per Berggren at Newcastle University, UK, of whether discarded glass and plastic drinks bottles could provide a simple, low-cost way to reduce bycatch while also giving waste materials a useful second life.

Published in the journals Fisheries Research and Marine Mammal Science, the studies showed that attaching empty drink bottles to the nets reduced the accidental capture of dolphins in fishing nets, the leading threat to marine mammals worldwide.

Gillnets are made from nylon and are almost invisible (acoustically and visually) to the animals in the water. Discarded plastic bottles with air inside attached to fishing nets act as sound reflectors while glass bottles with metal bolts inside attached to the nets produce a clinking sound, both helping dolphins detect and avoid the nets while allowing fishers to continue catching their target species.

The lead and senior author of the studies, Per Berggren, Emeritus Professor of Marine Megafauna Conservation, School of Natural & Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, said: “This is a good news story and something that we strive for - a simple solution which benefits both dolphins and the fishers who use the gear.  Attaching plastic bottles to fishing nets can reduce dolphin bycatch globally and is something that every fisher can afford.

“It’s also rewarding to know that we are using some of the plastic waste that spoils our oceans. The bottles are securely attached to the nets and we did not lose any plastic bottle during the trials.

“We are excited to share this method and spread the word and work with governments and agencies around the world to encourage the adoption of this low-cost mitigation method to reduce marine mammal mortalities in fisheries.

“This is genuinely recycling that rescues dolphins.”

Bottles tested in driftnet and bottom-set fishing

The first study was conducted on surface-set driftnet fisheries in Zanzibar and Peru, and bottom-set nets in Brazil. More than 1,600 fishing net deployments with the attached bottles were monitored and compared with standard nets.

In Zanzibar and Peru, plastic bottles increased targeted fish catches. However, neither glass nor plastic bottles reduced dolphin, porpoise or turtle bycatch in the surface-set fisheries studied in Peru and Zanzibar. In contrast, in Brazil plastic bottles showed promise in the bottom-set gillnet fishery, potentially reducing dolphin bycatch while increasing fish catch, though further trials were needed to confirm this.

Keen to build on the promising result in Brazil, the experts expanded that trial in a second study, published in the journal Marine Mammal Science. Between 2020 and 2025, 318 fishing trips were monitored comparing nets fitted with plastic bottles to standard nets. They found that nets using the plastic bottles reduced dolphin bycatch by 88%, while catches of commercially important fish remained unchanged.

Professor Bergen added: “The difference we saw in the success of the bottom set nets compared to the nets near the surface, may be that the surface water is a noisier environment reducing the efficacy of the plastic bottle reflectors.”

Further research testing the use of plastic bottles is now underway in Cambodia and Congo fisheries.

Reference

Berggren, P., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Mangel, J., Sharpe, M., Jiddawi, N., Neasham, J., Larre, G., Temple, A. J. (2026). Upcycled glass and plastic bottles offer potential low-cost mitigation to megafauna bycatch in gillnet fisheries. Fisheries Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2026.107748

Sucunza, F., Barth, A., Danilewicz, D., Dolman, S., von Fersen, L., Larre, G. G., Mangel, J. C., Ott, P. H., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Temple, A. J., Tregenza, N., & Berggren, P. (2026). Evidence of dolphin bycatch reduction with upcycled plastic bottles acoustic reflectors attached to bottom-set gillnets. Marine Mammal Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70189

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Journal

Fisheries Research

DOI

10.1016/j.fishres.2026.107748 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Upcycled glass and plastic bottles offer potential low-cost mitigation to megafauna bycatch in gillnet fisheries

 

20% of fine particle pollution in southeastern U.S. comes from prescribed burns

Estimates of smoke impact key to balancing conservation needs and smoke exposure risks

University of Georgia

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Prescribed fires are vital for reducing wildfire risk and sustaining forest biodiversity. But they also contribute significantly to air pollution and smoke exposure, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

The issue is especially pertinent to the southeastern United States, where 60% of all prescribed fires across the country occur. More than 20% of the fine particle pollution in the southeastern U.S. can be attributed to prescribed burns, the study found.

Wildfires and prescribed burns of forested areas both generate what’s known as fine particle pollution. Also referred to as soot, this type of pollution consists of tiny solid and liquid particles that are small enough to be inhaled and enter the bloodstream.

"We need to understand how prescribed fire smoke affects nearby communities."

Jingting Huang, College of Engineering

Exposure to fine particle pollution is a major public health threat that can lead to a variety of health problems, including cancer, heart attacks and asthma, among others. 

“Prescribed fire is receiving more attention because it is increasingly viewed as an important climate-adaptation tool to reduce wildfire risk and maintain biodiversity,” said Jingting Huang, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in UGA’s College of Engineering. “But as its use expands, we also need to understand how prescribed fire smoke affects nearby communities.”

Georgia experiences 40 smoke-impacted days annually

The researchers analyzed state burn permit records from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, using a multistage air quality model to capture thousands of small, short-lived prescribed burns often overlooked by satellites or federal fire inventories.

The study found that Georgia experiences the highest population exposure to fine particle pollution with over 40 smoke-impacted days annually. On those days, smoke from prescribed fires increased the amount of pollution people inhaled even when overall air quality didn’t reach hazardous levels.

Many of Florida’s burns were located away from heavily populated areas, reducing the amount of smoke to which residents were exposed. South Carolina had less burned area overall.

"This is important because we would like to maximize prescribed fire use for conservation while also reducing people’s exposure to smoke."

Christina Fuller, College of Engineering

The differences in the smoke impacts can be attributed to where and how often the burns occur relative to state population centers, the researchers said. 

“We can use this new model to estimate the impacts of policy changes on fine particle matter concentrations and people’s exposure,” said Christina H. Fuller, co-author of the study and an associate professor of engineering at UGA. “This is important because we would like to maximize prescribed fire use for conservation while also reducing people’s exposure to smoke.”

Study uses burn permit records to account for often-missed smaller fires

The study is the first to put state burn permit records at the center of the smoke modeling process. Many small-scale, low-intensity prescribed fires in southeastern states are challenging for satellites to detect.

Although states often collect permit information, those records have not always been brought together in a way that can be directly used in air quality models.

The present study suggests that detailed permit records can provide a clearer picture of prescribed fire activity than satellite-based inventories alone. But this approach may not work everywhere.

“In regions where permit records are incomplete, unavailable or not comparable across jurisdictions, satellite observations remain essential for tracking fire activity and estimating smoke impacts,” said Holly Nowell, co-author of the study and director of the smoke science program at Tall Timbers, a research station and land conservancy.

“One exciting aspect of this study is that we’ll now be able to simulate how individual landowners — and potentially new burn policies — can reduce smoke impacts overall,” said Jeffery Cannon, co-author of the study, a research scientist at The Jones Center at Ichauway and adjunct faculty in UGA’s plant biology department.

The study was published in Geophysical Research Letters.

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Journal

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

10.1029/2025GL120413 

Article Title

Improving Estimates of Prescribed Fire Smoke: Insights From a Novel Southeastern US Burn Permit Geodatabase