The University of Texas at Austin Texas Field Station Network represents a collection of sites spread across across the state that are used by the University for scientific research.
Located in the Davis Mountains near Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory sits atop 650 acres of predominately undisturbed land in the Chihuahuan Desert. This is considered the most diverse desert in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most diverse arid regions in the world. The site is also part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve — 15,000 square miles that feature the darkest night skies in the continental United States.
Some field research project highlights include:
- Measurements of Earth's evolving gravitational field, including shifts in underground water, conducted by UT Austin's Center for Space Research.
- Operation Ponderosa, a collaboration with Texas A&M Forest Service to restore vanishing Ponderosa Pines, battered by drought, wildfires and invasive beetles.
- A study of drought impacts on cacti, led by a UT Arlington graduate student.
- Discovery of a rare firefly species never seen before, found at the Observatory by a staff member.
Contact
TP
Teznie Pugh
- Superintendent
- McDonald Observatory
- Astronomy