Documenting recreation on Instagram, Strava and YouTube is changing the way we experience the outdoors.
Technology
Posted inArticles
Illegal flights persist despite national park drone ban
Early season drone reports are outpacing the number of incidents last year.
Posted inJune 22, 2015: Dust to Dust
Why rare-earth mining in the West is a bust
Forget the hype. In the global rush for energy-critical elements, our region can’t compete.
Posted inApril 27, 2015: Lost frontier
Can our own ingenuity upend natural laws?
Reflections on the health of my heart and the making of Hoover Dam.
Posted inApril 27, 2015: Lost frontier
Tucson’s rain-catching revolution
In the Sonoran Desert, rainwater harvesting is finally going mainstream.
Posted inArticles
The art – and science – of forecasting wildfires
This model could eliminate guesswork and predict fire according to geography.
Posted inArticles
Mapping Earth’s hidden water
A new NASA satellite will measure the planet’s soil moisture.
Posted inDecember 22, 2014: The Dust Detectives
Game of drones
Nevada looks to the boom in unmanned aerial vehicles for an economic boost.
Posted inNovember 10, 2014: Fallout
USGS launches a billion-dollar initiative to map the West in 3D
LIDAR is about to become more widespread — helping agriculture, pilots and homeowners.