Sustainable Communities Program at NAU

An abiding question among geologists is when was the Grand Canyon carved? When did the Colorado River assume its present course and become the master sculptor of the canyon?

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. Elden.

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

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

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

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 fluffy, low-density clay-like material which burn up before reaching the ground.

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 Comet Giacobini-Zinner.

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

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

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