Desert Research Institute

This week at #NWRA2026, DRI's Erik Henzl discussed how Nevada’s fast-growing data center market is shaping future energy & water needs. As the state becomes a key player in the digital economy, his presentation emphasized the importance of navigating this growth sustainably. #NSFFuturesEngine

Curiosity Lab: The Weight of Water
Feb 18 | 6:30pm | DRI Las Vegas

Explore how water shapes cities, communities & personal stories—through science, reflection & lived experience.

Arrive early: Attendees receive free access to the Atomic Museum at 5pm!

🎟️ Tickets: bit.ly/clweightofwater

Help Us Name Our ROV!

This month, an NSF-supported research team led by DRI, @usf.edu, and @scrippsocean.bsky.social will deploy to the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the R/V Sikuliaq—and their ROV needs a name.

💬 Reply to us with your best suggestion and help us name our new member of the team!

DRI researchers will be attending #NWRA2026 this week sharing insights on groundwater, water management, and emerging challenges with featured presentations from Erik Henzl, John Volk, Beverly Parker & Alexandra Lutz. Visit us in the exhibit hall!
Info 👉 nvwra.org

Curiosity Lab: The Weight of Water
Feb 18 | 6:30pm | DRI Las Vegas

Explore how water shapes cities, communities & personal stories—through science, reflection & lived experience.

Arrive early: Attendees receive free access to the Atomic Museum at 5pm!

🎟️ Tickets: bit.ly/clweightofwater

Threecorner milkvetch being measured at the Gemini Solar Project. Green plant, brown dirt, silver ruler.

Check out the @grist.org article on research by DRI’s Tiffany Pereira on how a rare desert plant shows benefits of #sustainability efforts at a large #solar array. “It’s a wild and beautiful place that we live in, and it’s our job to look out for these species as well.” bit.ly/gristrareplant

DRI Awarded Grant to Advance AI and Computer Science Education for K-12 Preservice and Inservice Educators The $2.7 million Department of Education award is a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant. The four-year project will address the need to advance artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science classroom education in grades K-12. T...

The DRI STEM Education Program was recently awarded a $2.7M grant from the US Dept of Ed, #FIPSE. The 4-year project will address the need to advance #AI and computer science classroom #education in grades K-12. bit.ly/drifipse #DiscoverDRI

Curiosity Lab: The Weight of Water
Feb 18 | 6:30pm | DRI Las Vegas

Explore how water shapes cities, communities & personal stories—through science, reflection & lived experience.

✨ Curiosity Lab attendees receive free access to the Atomic Museum from 5–6:30pm.

🎟️ Tickets: bit.ly/clweightofwater

New Tool Will Help Manage One of Nevada’s Most Critical Freshwater Sources The Nature Conservancy in Nevada (TNC in Nevada), DRI, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison (UW-Madison) have developed the Nevada GDE Water Needs Explorer Tool. This new online resource helps la...

DRI, TNC in NV & the UW-Madison developed the #Nevada #GDE Water Needs Explorer Tool. This tool helps land & #water managers understand how #groundwater supports groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) and the impact of changes in water levels. http://bit.ly/gdetool

Aerial view of Soldier Meadows looking east towards the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.

DRI, TNC in NV & the UW-Madison developed the #Nevada #GDE Water Needs Explorer Tool. This tool helps land & #water managers understand how #groundwater supports groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) and the impact of changes in water levels. bit.ly/gdetool

Aerial view of Owens River winding through arid landscape with sparse vegetation and distant mountains under a clear sky.

As the driest state in the nation, much of NV’s plants & wildlife rely on groundwater reserves to survive. A partnership between DRI and #TheNatureConservancy found that these #groundwater reserves are under growing threat. bit.ly/groundwaterdecline #ScienceThatMattersNow

An airplane flies near a massive, billowing cloud of ash from an erupting volcano under a clear blue sky.

Wildfires have the potential to grow so severe that they produce their own #weather and can create explosive thunderheads that throw lightning strikes. Learn about a study led by DRI's Ziming Ke . bit.ly/wildfirestorm #Wildfire #ScienceThatMattersNow #Storymap

NASA and Partners Expand Crucial Water Tracking Program DRI's Charles Morton, Associate Research Scientist of Geography, who had a key role in the expansion of OpenET said, "Delivering wall-to-wall evapotranspiration data across the contiguous United States at the field scale is a major milestone for OpenET,...

NASA announced the expansion of a crucial #water tracking program with the use of #OpenET. DRI’s  Charles Morton said, "Delivering wall-to-wall #evapotranspiration data across the contiguous US at the field scale is a major milestone for OpenET." bit.ly/openetexpand #NASA

A helicopter above a person on a snowy mountain,. Another person watches the scene seated next to climbing gear.

DRI’s #IceCore Lab found that a #glacier in the #FrenchAlps dates back to the last #IceAge and is the oldest known glacier ice in the region. Glaciers hold layers of #history preserved in ice, offering unique insights into Earth’s past. bit.ly/drifrenchalps #DiscoverDRI #ScienceThatMattersNow

Meet Ziming Ke Ziming Ke is an atmospheric scientist who joined DRI in March 2025. He has extensive expertise in earth system modeling and is producing groundbreaking research that integrates wildfire science into global and regional models, including a recent publica...

Ziming Ke, is an #atmospheric #scientist who joined DRI in March 2025. He has extensive expertise in earth system modeling and is producing groundbreaking research that integrates #wildfire science into global and regional models. bit.ly/meetziming #ScienceThatMattersNow

💧 Curiosity Lab: The Weight of Water
Feb 18 | 6:30 p.m.
DRI Las Vegas Campus

Explore how water shapes cities, communities & personal stories—through science, reflection & lived experience.

🎟️ Tickets: bit.ly/clweightofwater
$15 General Admission
$10 Students & Educators

Two people smiling for a selfie on a rocky landscape wearing hats and outdoor gear.

A person in outdoor clothing and a hat is sitting on a rock and sketching in a notebook, surrounded by boulders and a distant view of forested hills.

A person stands on a rocky trail surrounded by shrubs, with a 360 degree camera, with a mountainous background under a clear blue sky.

Three people standing near large rock formations and ancient petroglyphs, smiling at the camera, dressed in outdoor attire.

The DRI Virtual Outdoor Experience Team was recently in Lincoln County capturing new 360° imagery for upcoming VOEs. Explore current experiences and learn how to support this work: www.dri.edu/voe #VirtualOutdoorExperiences

That stands for Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology. Unfortunately, with platforms that limit the character count, we don't always have room to spell it out.

Image of a stormy desert landscape with a superimposed map of North America highlighting Southern Nevada.

DRI's Tiffany Pereira and her team monitored the Gemini Solar Project to study the impact of #solar panel installation on threecorner milkvetch, a rare #desert plant. The findings are promising for advancing renewable energy while balancing ecosystem preservation. bit.ly/solar_eco #RenewableEnergy

Join DRI's Archaeology Team for Archaeology Day at the Lost City Museum on January 31! This family-friendly event features opportunities to learn how archaeologists uncover and preserve Nevada’s past. Stop by our booth to meet the team and explore #ScienceThatMattersNow. www.lostcitymuseum.org

The DRI Foundation Welcomes New Chair and Trustees for 2026 The DRI Foundation, the non-profit arm of DRI, is pleased to announce new members to its Board of Trustees. The DRI Foundation Board of Trustees work in close collaboration with DRI President Kumud Acharya and the Office of Advancement to engage and bui...

The DRI Foundation is pleased to announce new members to its Board of Trustees who work to engage and build relationships with new and existing supporters to further DRI’s work across #Nevada and around the world.
Read more: bit.ly/2026drifboard
#ScienceThatMattersNow #FoundationBoard #Nonprofit

Get ready for our next season of Curiosity Lab by DRI for Reno and Las Vegas by getting your season tickets! Join us for a full year of events exploring memory, risk, creativity, resilience, and the unseen forces that shape our world.

Learn more and secure your spot ➡️ www.dri.edu/curiositylab

DRI Ecohydrologist Christine Albano answers common questions about the relationship between a warming atmosphere and extreme weather, including wildfires, droughts, and flooding.

Read more and watch the third video in our new DRI FAQ series with research experts ➡️ bit.ly/albanofaq

Get ready for our next season of #CuriosityLab by DRI for Reno and Las Vegas by getting your season tickets! Join us for a full year of events exploring memory, risk, creativity, resilience, and the unseen forces that shape our world.

Learn more and secure your spot ➡️ www.dri.edu/curiositylab

DRI scientists Joe McConnell & Nathan Chellman led an expedition to Mont Blanc to collect the Alps' most valuable ice. They're in a race against time to collect an updated #icecore in the rapidly warming region.

Check out our latest #StoryMap to read the full story: bit.ly/alpinearchivedri

As we close out 2025, we’re reflecting on a year of impactful research & discovery—guided by our commitment to #ScienceThatMattersNow. We’re excited to take on new challenges in the year ahead to help build a more resilient future.

Join us in the journey! #DiscoverDRI at www.dri.edu. #HappyNewYear

🏆 #1 Top DRI Story of 2025:
Lead Pollution Likely Caused Widespread IQ Declines in Ancient Rome, New Study Finds

Read the full story ➡️ bit.ly/leadpollutionstudy

🏆 #2 Top DRI Story of 2025:
Desert Lichen Offers New Evidence for the Possibility of Life on Other Planets

Read the full story ➡️ bit.ly/desertlichen

🏆 #3 Top DRI Story of 2025:
New Research Solves 200 Year Volcanic Mystery

Read the full story ➡️ bit.ly/volcanicmystery

Pageantry, a ‘fun economy' and tons of elk -- why Santa should move to Nevada  - The Nevada Independent If Santa ever wanted to relocate, Nevada is a strong contender -- especially Las Vegas, dubbed by some as the epicenter of the “fun economy.” While we couldn't reach Santa to ask if he'd consider relocating to the Silver State, The Nevada Independent sp...

DRI's Nathan Chellman shares w/ @thenvindy.com how his team needed small rockets attached to the airplane to help it take off from the slush of the #Greenland ice sheet. If warming temperatures continue, Santa’s departure “from the North Pole with his sled could be hard,” bit.ly/SantaNV #DiscoverDRI