The NAU Review — Digging deep into a deadly earthquake + good news on the climate front

The NAU Review. The official news source for Northern Arizona University.

Jan. 22, 2026

We deliver top headlines to the Lumberjack community every Tuesday and Thursday during the academic year. For more, visit news.nau.edu.

Why was Japan’s 2011 earthquake so deadly?

A new seafloor study coauthored by an NAU faculty member revealed one reason for this unusually devastating earthquake and tsunami. Learn what happened on the seafloor off Japan and how this study could help scientists understand and respond to other intense earthquakes and tsunamis.

One Lumberjack’s pursuit of a career in justice

Senior Ethan Ward came to NAU to earn a degree that prepared him for law school. What he found in the philosophy, politics and law program was much deeper—it gave him the knowledge to succeed and also critical thinking and analytical skills he’ll need in his career.

Good news on the climate front? Maybe, study says

When wildfires burn spruce forests in Alaska and Canada, those forests become dominated by deciduous trees. A new NAU-led study found those new deciduous forests release far less carbon when they burn. That’s potentially promising news in the battle against climate change.