Environmental Research

Rising Simultaneous Fire Weather Threatens International Firefighting Efforts

February 18, 2026

Depicted is a scene of burned-out trees and ash in the wake of the Caldor Fire.

High-risk conditions for fires are increasingly happening across countries at the same time, making wildfires even more challenging to tackle, new research reveals. Scientists from UC Merced and the University of East Anglia found this synchronized extreme fire weather — characterized by...

Natural Reserve Earns Regents’ Approval

The protected land adjoining the northeast corner of campus is officially part of the UC Natural Reserve System now that the UC Board of Regents gave the proposed reserve final approval today at its...

Wells Fargo Grant Supports Water, Energy, Food Projects

UC Merced researchers will develop solutions to regional problems that arise from balancing three limited resources – water, food and energy – thanks to a $75,000 grant from the Wells Fargo ...

UC Merced Wraps Another Record Year

Between record enrollment and research expenditures, a massive economic impact on the San Joaquin Valley, new buildings and a visit from the new UC president, the University of California, Merced,...

Federally Funded Research to Provide Clarity in State Water Supply

Research in the Sierra Nevada central to addressing challenges to California’s water security and its link to the health of Sierra Nevada ecosystems will continue into 2018. The National Science...

UC Merced Hopes to Use Rooftops to Generate Electricity

UC Merced is doubling down on its solar commitment. The campus is looking at installing rooftop solar systems on up to 11 main campus buildings and the chancellor’s residence, moving the campus...

Graduate Student Finds Work in Sierra Rewarding

Graduate student Ryan Lucas is living a mountain-lover’s dream through his research. As part of engineering Professor Martha Conklin’s meadows-hydrology lab, he gets to spend a lot of time in the...

UC Merced's First Ph.D. Grad Now Leading the Class

UC Merced’s first Ph.D. graduate is back on campus. But this time, Ricardo Cisneros isn’t enrolled as a student; he’s a professor instead. Cisneros, who earned his doctorate in Environmental Systems...

UC Solar Extends UC Merced’s Reach Across the Pacific

Professor Roland Winston’s work has helped take UC Merced and UC Solar global – this time it’s to Singapore. The small city-nation is experiencing a building boom, and developers have plans to use...

Well-known Technology Sees New Use in Solar Collection

Adapting technology that has become the standard in the automotive, aerospace and air-conditioning industries, Professor Gerardo Diaz has designed and is testing the next generation of solar-...