Scientists have discovered magnetic tornadoes on Mercury that could be replenishing its extremely thin atmosphere. These 'tornadoes' form when magnetic fields carried by the solar wind connect to Mercury's magnetic field, twisting into vortex-like structures.
The Woods Institute has awarded grants to four Stanford faculty teams tackling environmental challenges globally. The recipients will focus on desert grasslands in Australia and mountain meadows in California, among other areas.
A study found high concentrations of pollutants in marine mammals' brains, including pesticides like DDTs and PCBs, as well as brominated flame retardants. The results have significant implications for the health of marine mammals, particularly their hearing and cognitive development.
Scientists discover carbon-based lavas are sourced from the upper mantle through partial melting of typical minerals, producing extremely fluid and low-silica lavas. The study reveals a uniform reservoir of volcanic gases beneath both oceans and continents.
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown, massive impact basin named Rembrandt on Mercury's surface. The 700-kilometer-wide basin is younger than most other known impact basins and features unique tectonic landforms that formed after volcanic flows filled it.
Researchers constructed a nearly complete globe of Mercury using high-resolution and multispectral images, revealing its composition and origin. The study suggests that Mercury's crust formed in repeated volcanic eruptions, unlike the Moon.
Scientists discovered an ancient ecosystem trapped beneath Taylor Glacier in Antarctica, which survived without light or oxygen by transforming sulfur and iron compounds for growth. This unique ecosystem has the potential to explain how life might exist on other planets and serve as a model for life under ice.
Researchers found evidence of abundant oxygen in ancient ocean and atmosphere, dating back 3.46 billion years. The discovery suggests early life forms like cyanobacteria produced oxygen 3.46 billion years ago.
The Sea Grant programs have awarded nearly $820,000 in grants to study the ecological health of Long Island Sound, focusing on hypoxia, red tide blooms, and climate change. The research will provide valuable information to resource managers to solve these environmental challenges.
Scientists found reduced export of North Atlantic deep water during Heinrich event 1, supporting hypothesis on freshwater's impact. However, they dispute the existence of a terminal extinction event in the Karoo Basin's continental record.
Researchers discovered at least three new species of sea life, including a carnivorous sea squirt and a new species of barnacles. The team also collected over 10,000 fossilized coral samples, which will help study the impact of climate change on oceans.
Researchers identify bacteria responsible for yellow band disease, a bacterial infection that sickens coral colonies and kills photosynthetic symbionts. Warmer temperatures exacerbate the disease's virulence, posing a grim prognosis for corals and their spread.
The Carnegie Institution has been awarded a $9,400 grant to preserve and enhance access to a collection of historic photographs spanning five decades from 1904 to the 1950s. The collection includes thousands of images important to the history of geophysics, atomic physics, and astronomy.
New research by UCLA geochemists suggests that plate tectonics began more than 4 billion years ago, with ancient mineral grains indicating low heat flow and water presence on Earth during its first 500 million years.
The new five-year grant from NASA's Astrobiology Institute will focus on developing indicators of life, including analyzing cells, metals, and DNA. The team will search for microbial life in extreme locations on Earth and study ancient rocks for signs of past life.
Deep biosphere microbes may hold the key to recovering petroleum through complex organic reactions. Researchers at Arizona State University are studying how hot water and pressure transform organic compounds in unexpected ways.
Recent research suggests that mass extinctions may be more common than previously thought, with 'sick Earth' extinctions being the norm. The study of five mass extinctions reveals that asteroid impacts are unlikely to have triggered most of them.
Researchers have installed a sophisticated monitoring array near the Hanford Site to investigate uranium plume contamination. The array will enable comprehensive characterization of the subsurface and provide insights into the processes contributing to persistent groundwater contamination.
Researchers from four universities and five schools will study nanotechnology's impact on ecosystems, organisms, and the environment. The center aims to develop a risk assessment model and transfer results to policymakers and society.
Scientists have discovered a new mineral, xieite, with a post-spinel structure in the Suizhou meteorite. The mineral is a high-pressure polymorph of chromite-spinel with a density about 10% denser than chromite.
A study by Indiana University researchers suggests treating contaminated urban soils with water can prevent chronic lead poisoning in children. The study reveals that older cities like Indianapolis have a high lead burden resulting in a lead poisoning epidemic among their youngest citizens.
MESSENGER data reveals widespread volcanism on Mercury's surface, with lava plains and iron-deficient rock units mapped. The spacecraft has identified three major rock units and confirmed an apparent planet-wide iron deficiency in Mercury's surface rocks.
A new study suggests mountain ranges like the Andes can rise rapidly, doubling their heights in a short period. The traditional theory of plate tectonics will need to be revised to include the process of delamination, which proposes that the 'root' beneath the crust heats up and breaks free, allowing mountains to quickly rise.
A new study by the University of Colorado at Boulder and California Institute of Technology suggests that the Grand Canyon is significantly older than previously thought, potentially dating back to the time of dinosaurs. The research uses radiometric dating to show that the canyon may have formed over 55 million years ago.
Researchers propose that mantle convection played a role in forming Mercury's lobate scarps, contrary to earlier theories. The simulations suggest that upwellings from mantle convection take on a linear roll shape, distinct from other planets' features.
A study by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution researchers found that retail biofuel samples often do not contain the advertised amount of biofuel. The actual percentage of biofuel in blends like B20 ranged from 10 to 74 percent, while only 10% met US Department of Defense standards.
Two oxygenation events in ancient oceans between 635 and 551 million years ago led to the increase and spread of complex life, including animals. This finding supports the growing view that life and environment co-evolved during this tumultuous period of Earth history.
Researchers found that microbial communities change the rate of calcium carbonate precipitation, which can affect the chemistry and shape of crystals. This discovery could help date certain sequences of sedimentary rock and search for evidence of life on other planets.
The MESSENGER spacecraft has captured high-resolution images of Mercury's surface, revealing detailed features such as the Vivaldi crater and ancient depressions. The images show craters as small as 1 kilometer in diameter, providing new insights into the planet's geology.
Brown students and faculty will analyze data from MESSENGER spacecraft, exploring Mercury's surface composition, geological history, and magnetic field
Harvard researchers suggest sulfur dioxide played a crucial role in maintaining Mars' warmer climate between 3.5 and 4 billion years ago. The presence of sulfur dioxide would have prevented the formation of limestone deposits, leading to the absence of carbonate on Mars today.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that arsenic-tainted wells require tailored treatment approaches, depending on their source and geology. Chlorine disinfection can effectively control pathogenic bacteria but may not address all types of arsenic contamination.
Research by Arizona State University scientists reveals that helium-3/helium-4 ratios can be used to identify areas with high geothermal resource potential. Analyzing samples from over 60 hot springs and shallow wells in the Basin and Range province, they discovered a correlation between helium ratios and deformation rates.
The Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory will investigate how soils form from bedrock, affecting water movement and groundwater flow. Researchers will conduct field experiments and implement high-performance computers to predict weathering rates and model the impact of forest regolith on local water resources.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that uranium's U-235 to U-238 isotope ratio varies significantly in Earth materials. The new findings are consistent with other high-mass isotope systems and may represent the first evidence of a nuclear field shift in nature.
Researchers found a small but significant amount of oxygen in the oceans and atmosphere 2.5 billion years ago, with oxygen nearly undetectable just before that time. The discovery provides compelling evidence for a shift in the oxidation state of the surface ocean 50 million years before the Great Oxidation Event.
Researchers will gather to share scientific observations and discuss issues involved in altering the ocean's chemistry. The conference aims to inform policymakers, industrial interests, and environmentalists about the potential efficacy and consequences of iron fertilization.
Sulfur and nitrogen emissions from power plants and agricultural activities significantly impact coastal ocean chemistry, reducing its ability to store carbon and harming marine life. The study found that these emissions can alter water chemistry by 10-50% more than acidification caused by carbon dioxide.
SMART-1 has mapped the polar regions, surveyed lunar resources, and investigated potential landing sites. The mission has provided clues on the dynamics of ejecta after impact and laboratory experiments have modeled impacts.
The Phoenix Mars Lander Mission aims to study the history of water and search for complex organic molecules in Martian soil. The team, led by Kounaves, will analyze the chemical record left in the soil to decipher the climatic history of Mars, which may hold vital clues on climate change on Earth.
Scientists discovered bacteria in a flooded mine emit proteins that accumulate and trap metal nanoparticles, forming large aggregates that reduce mobility. This process may lead to new bioremediation strategies for toxic metals like arsenic and lead.
A University of Granada research group found that climate change, not modern humans, contributed to the Neanderthal extinction in the Iberian Peninsula. Climate reconstructions revealed fluctuations related to climate changes before Homo Sapiens arrived, making cold and arid conditions the least favorable for Neanderthals.
A University of Michigan study has found that forest fires release more mercury into the atmosphere than previously recognized. The research, led by Doctoral student Abir Biswas, estimates that wildfires and prescribed burns account for approximately 25 percent of human-generated mercury emissions in the United States.
Researchers discovered that present-day organisms use trace metals derived from ancient changes in ocean chemistry. Protein structures revealed a major influence of geochemistry on life, leading to diversification and complexity. The study links biology and geology, shedding light on co-evolutionary processes.
Researchers discovered that a dissolved form of manganese can keep toxic hydrogen sulfide zones in check by reacting with oxygen and hydrogen sulfide. This finding alters the understanding of manganese aqueous geochemistry and has implications for waterways like the Black Sea and Chesapeake Bay.
The study's findings suggest that the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere may not have been as absolute as previously thought, with fluctuations occurring over time. The researchers analyzed ancient sediments and found that sulfur isotope ratios did not exhibit abnormal patterns consistent with an oxygen-free atmosphere.
Geologist Robert D. Hatcher Jr has made significant contributions to the field of geology, including applying plate tectonics to the southern Appalachians and pioneering new seismic exploration techniques. He is recognized for his work through the prestigious Penrose Medal from the Geological Society of America.
Researchers at Columbia University will study the health effects of arsenic in groundwater, particularly in New England and South Asia. The $16.9M grant will investigate the geochemistry and exposure sources of arsenic, as well as its effects on children's health.
Researchers will investigate the health effects of arsenic exposure in groundwater, particularly in New England and South Asia, with a focus on children's health. The grant renewal aims to mitigate public health problems associated with arsenic contamination.
An international team of scientists will use remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles to investigate active and inactive hydrothermal vents in the western Pacific Ocean. The expedition aims to understand the formation of mineral deposits containing copper, gold, and other valuable minerals.
Scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a theoretical model explaining how hot spring water deposits calcium-carbonate minerals, forming travertine and shaping landscapes. The model reveals that rocks grow at a rate of 1 millimeter per day, contradicting common assumptions about erosion.
The UK is investing in the ExoMars mission to explore the Martian surface and search for signs of past and present life. The mission will also study the planet's geochemistry, water distribution, and geophysics, aiming to identify potential hazards for future human missions.
Researchers found evidence of increased clay mineral deposition in the oceans during a 200 million year period, which preceded the first animal fossils about 600 million years ago. The study suggests that an increase in oxygen concentration in the atmosphere was necessary for animal life to arise.
Researchers reconciled inconsistencies between two pre-existing data sets for kaolinite, a major earth and industrial material. The findings provide a unifying approach for explaining crystal and mineral dissolution and growth, with implications for understanding geological time, nuclear waste storage, and biomedical issues.
Researchers are using a NERC grant to study the unique creatures that live in hydrothermal vents, which could hold the key to understanding life on other planets. These organisms rely on bacteria living inside them for survival, and their geological history is believed to be radically different from other forms of life.
Researchers found an enzyme in marine diatoms that uses cadmium, a scarce element in the ocean. This discovery has implications for understanding the global carbon cycle and climate change.
Researchers discovered minimum melting conditions on early Earth, 200 million years after solar system formation, using a new zircon thermometer technique. This finding provides important information about the first eon of Earth's history and opens up possibilities for life's early foothold.
Researchers used advanced supercomputing technology and chemical analysis to reconstruct past sea temperatures, finding that increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere initiated warming. This breakthrough sheds light on how climate may respond to greenhouse gas emissions in the future.
Researchers are creating a chemical guidebook to identify signs of microbial life in Martian rocks. The team, supported by a $900,000 grant, will use advanced mass spectrometer technology and fuzzy logic computer program to analyze spectral images and make decisions about sample selection.
Researchers propose that spinels, rich in magnesium and iron, condensed from the cooling vapor cloud after a massive asteroid impact. The study strengthens the link between the Chicxulub impact and the mass extinction event that ended the Age of Dinosaurs.