A team of researchers led by Penn State's Ming Xiao is studying the effects of permafrost degradation on Alaskan communities and the world. The project aims to understand how ground changes, infrastructure, and social systems interact as temperatures rise.
Researchers discovered that rock expansion, rather than chemical decomposition, is the primary cause of subsurface porosity in the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. This finding has significant implications for water resource management in the US, as saprolite can store large volumes of water and maintain forest health during droughts.
Researchers studying the Ross Ice Shelf's paleo-pinning points aim to understand how and why it unpinned from Ross Bank. The study focuses on a crucial 30-year period, with data collection set for January 2021 in Antarctic waters.
Scientists confirm scenario that dinosaurs died due to global cooling after asteroid impact, with rocks recording wildfires and sulfur absence within 24 hours. The research provides the most detailed look yet into the aftermath of the catastrophe.
The researchers identified underlying causes of the deadly Palu earthquake and tsunami using coupled computer models. The team found that the earthquake-induced movement of the seafloor beneath Palu Bay itself could have generated the tsunami, meaning landslides contributed less to its formation than previously thought.
Researchers found 'switches' between continental rupture, collision, and oceanic subduction initiation in the Tethyan evolution. Oceanic slabs drove continental fragments into their final positions, controlling supercontinent assembly and breakup cycles.
Researchers have digitized vintage film showing Thwaites Glacier's ice shelf is being thawed by a warming ocean more quickly than expected. This finding contributes to predictions for sea-level rise that would impact coastal communities worldwide.
Researchers discovered that slow slip events can arise with rate-strengthening friction, which produces stable sliding. The team found that changes in poroelastic pressure reduce friction, leading to a slow slip event.
Researchers led by Abhijit Ghosh are studying the unknown fault that caused a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Ridgecrest, California. The team aims to understand the physics behind earthquakes and develop more effective warning systems.
Researchers have pinpointed the source of acoustic signals emitted by stressed faults in a numerical model, which could lead to more accurate earthquake predictions. The study reveals that the collapse of stress chains inside an earthquake gouge emits these signals.
A team of seismologists from Caltech is tracking thousands of tiny aftershocks in the Ridgecrest region using a novel fiber optic network. This technique involves shooting light down unused fiber optic cables, which act as individual seismometers, allowing for unprecedented detail on the evolution of earthquake sequences.
Researchers measured Jupiter's electric current system and found that alternating currents play a crucial role in generating the aurora. The study used data from NASA's Juno spacecraft to derive electric currents and found a total of approximately 50 million amperes, significantly lower than expected values.
Scientists found that ice on Greenland's ice sheet slides across hard bedrock at high speeds, moving more ice than previously thought to the ocean. This discovery suggests the ice sheet can efficiently respond to climate change and potentially increase melting.
Research findings show that mid-high latitude climate variability significantly impacts the East Asian monsoon, with a synergistic effect on predictability sources. Chinese scientists propose new concepts to explain combined effects of regional climate variabilities on East Asian climate.
Scientists have made significant advancements in measuring global ice sheet mass using satellite imaging and remote sensing equipment, allowing for greater detail than ever before. This improves the connection between climate variations and ice mass changes over time.
Dual-polarization radars in China have improved understanding of precipitation microphysics and quantitative precipitation estimation. The data collected from these radars has been used to validate numerical models and improve hydrometeor classification.
Semi-arid regions in northern China have expanded significantly over the past 60 years due to climate change. The drying trend is linked to a weakened East Asian summer monsoon and amplified by land-atmosphere interactions. This expansion increases the risk of desertification, food insecurity and water scarcity.
A study found that pushing past a critical threshold in the carbon cycle can trigger extreme ocean acidification, potentially leading to mass extinctions. The research suggests that once this threshold is breached, the Earth's response becomes self-sustaining, amplifying the effects of initial triggers.
Researchers at KIT develop a new process to quantify groundwater state/level using tidal effects, reducing costs and increasing coverage of subsurface properties. The method uses automated water pressure data loggers and can be applied globally to manage resources more sustainably.
Researchers at UT Austin have discovered a method to extract natural gas from methane hydrate deposits while capturing CO2, a greenhouse gas. This process involves injecting air and CO2 into the deposits, which helps to stabilize the environment and increase energy efficiency.
The 2015 Gorkha earthquake filled a significant knowledge gap in understanding Himalayan seismicity, revealing that the Main Himalayan Thrust fault changes geometry along-strike. This finding improves understanding of earthquake hazards in India and Nepal by identifying potential locations for future earthquakes.
A study published in Nature Communications suggests that historical earthquake stresses can predict future seismic activity. Researchers analyzed centuries-old written records of damage to reveal 97% of earthquakes occurred on positively stressed faults.
A study investigates the dynamics of bubble pinch-off in highly confined capillary tubes, revealing two distinct stages of neck contraction with varying dependence on time. The results suggest that the first stage is driven by contact line movement, erasing system memory and leading to universal dynamics.
Researchers have discovered a large mass of material beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin, the Moon's largest crater. The mass, weighing over half a mile, may contain metal from an asteroid that crashed into the Moon and formed the crater.
Dr. Kelsi Singer has been awarded the 2019 Harold C. Urey Prize for her outstanding contributions to planetary research, particularly in impact cratering and the geology of icy worlds. Her work has revealed insights into the collisional history of the Kuiper Belt and planetesimal formation.
Newly discovered layers of ice on Mars reveal a record of past climate and could hold the key to understanding if the planet was ever habitable. The ice reserves are estimated to be as much as 90% water, equivalent to a global layer 1.5 meters deep.
A cross-disciplinary study by UH Manoa scientists reveals chemical and physical evidence of water formation on the Moon. The research proposes a mechanism where solar wind protons, lunar minerals, and micrometeorite impacts interact to produce water vapor.
Researchers developed a novel laser-based measurement device to quantify rare CO2 variants, enabling accurate tracking of Earth's temperature. This breakthrough technology surpasses mass spectrometry in precision and can significantly shorten measurement times.
The Gutenberg Research College at Mainz University awarded the 2019 Gutenberg Research Award to Professor Corine Defrance for her research on Germany-France relations. The award also recognizes five new fellows across various disciplines, including geophysics, fine arts, and molecular neurodevelopmental biology.
The researchers developed a method for identifying the location of point-like scatterers based on fluctuations in physical properties, such as Lame parameters and mass density. This technique can improve tomography efficiency for seismic and electromagnetic exploration in geophysics and nondestructive testing of materials.
A University of Oklahoma-led study found that explosive volcanic eruptions were more frequent during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age and helped keep large ice sheets stable by blocking sunlight. The research suggests that lessons from this period can inform strategies to mitigate climate change, including stratospheric aerosol geoengineering.
Scientists have traced a prehistoric eruption to the lesser-known volcano Campi Flegrei in Naples, which dated back 29,000 years. The research, published in Geology, used computer models and sediment cores to identify the ash layer's origin.
A new fossil crab species, Callichimaera perplexa, has been discovered, challenging our understanding of evolution and revealing a unique body form. The species has characteristics similar to crab larvae, with adults exhibiting disproportionately large eyes and oar-like legs that are the oldest record of adaptations for swimming.
Researchers applied principal component analysis to receiver function data, improving signal-to-noise ratio and separating structural variations. The new method effectively constrains the crustal structure beneath targeted stations.
Researchers expand earthquake catalog by a factor of 10, revealing daily quakes at 495 locations across the region. The study's template matching technique identifies tiny tremors, expanding our understanding of seismic events and their impact on the region.
A new MIT study suggests that primitive ponds, rather than oceans, were more suitable for brewing up Earth's first life forms. Shallow bodies of water, on the order of 10 centimeters deep, could have held high concentrations of nitrogen, a key ingredient for jump-starting life.
A University of Rhode Island scientist has determined the temperature at the boundary of the Moon's core and mantle, finding it to be between 1,130 and 1,470 degrees Celsius. This discovery will help create a temperature profile through the Moon, allowing researchers to better understand its internal structure, composition, and evolution.
A new study reveals that arctic warming contributes to drought in mid-latitude regions by reducing precipitation and weakening wind patterns. Researchers analyzed geological evidence from lakes and glaciers to estimate past dry conditions, finding that Wyoming experienced several thousand years of drought-like periods.
A team of geophysicists from LMU München used simulations to study the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, which ruptured over 20 fault segments. The model showed that a weakly loaded fault was boosted by gradual slippage and low frictional resistance.
A new study by University of East Anglia researchers reveals that steep cliffs on volcanoes can cause a reversal in the pattern of deformation, leading to inaccurate tilt measurements. This affects data collected by monitoring equipment, such as tiltmeters, which are often placed on caldera rims.
A recent study by University of Wyoming researcher Bryan Shuman found connections between Atlantic Ocean changes, centuries-long droughts, and forest transformations over the past 8,000 years. The study's predictability framework helps anticipate future climate-driven weather and ecosystem shifts.
Scientists have discovered a new way to monitor carbon dioxide storage plumes underground using coda waves, which reveal the location of gases in the ground. This method could enable more frequent and cost-effective tracking of these plumes, allowing for better estimation of total gas reserves.
Researchers found rough topography on the 660-km boundary, rivaling the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, using data from a massive Bolivian earthquake. This discovery has significant implications for understanding the Earth's formation and function.
The study found that the Palu earthquake propagated unusually fast, identifying it as a supershear. Supershear earthquakes release more energy in a shorter time due to the rapid movement of the rupture along the fault.
New data reveals a distinct Zealandia-Antarctic mantle domain, formed by deep mantle upwelling and volcanism after Gondwana breakup. The Australian-Antarctic Ridge has isotopic compositions unique to this newly defined domain.
A study at Oregon State University found that 'silent slip' - a brief episode of shallow mantle creep and seismic swarms - occurs before large earthquakes. The research deployed seismometers on the ocean bottom to detect over 1,600 earthquakes at the Blanco Ridge fault.
Researchers from ETH Zurich developed a new model that simulates earthquake cycles in the Himalayas, predicting powerful earthquakes with a periodicity of 400 to 600 years. The model shows that medium-sized earthquakes can create conditions for even larger ones, leading to complete stress release in the rupture zone.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin developed a new computer modeling approach to investigate the connection between tiny tremors and devastating megathrust earthquakes. The study shows that changes in crustal stress state occur before major earthquakes, providing valuable insights into the forces driving these events.
Scientists from the U.S. National Science Foundation-funded expedition aboard the Atlantis will share their research findings on submarine volcanic activity and crust formation. The live broadcasts, scheduled for Dec. 11-13, will also feature young researchers and their experiences with modern deep-sea exploration.
A new study reveals that the Indian Ocean played a far greater role in driving climate change during the last ice age and may disrupt climate again in the future. The research found that changes in ocean temperatures and winds drove radical climate shifts, challenging Pacific-centric theories.
A new study by University of Texas at Austin researchers links sediment movement to continental drift speed, suggesting a key role for feedback mechanisms. The findings challenge existing ideas on plate interaction and may explain variations in plate speeds, such as India's rapid northward acceleration.
Scientists have used satellite gravity data from the GOCE mission to image the structure of the Earth's lithosphere, revealing large-scale tectonic features and complex patterns in ancient cratons. These findings improve our understanding of Antarctica's deep structure and its connection to the rest of the planet.
Researchers found evidence of liquid water stored within solid ice in Store Glacier, which may explain complex flow behavior and improve predictions of sea-level rise. The discovery uses new data analysis techniques to reveal the presence of meltwater from surface melting that gets trapped in glacier ice.
Researchers found evidence of a skeleton in ancient organisms, challenging previous assumptions about fossil chronicle. The discovery confirmed that these creatures had a skeleton composed of single-row chambers, similar to modern giant protozoa.
A novel method for monitoring surface wave velocities in the shallow subsurface has been developed by researchers at Kyushu University, providing high spatiotemporal resolution. The approach enables accurate detection of natural phenomena and fluid leakage from deep underground storage sites.
Researchers developed a model to forecast man-made earthquake activity in Oklahoma and Kansas, incorporating earthquake physics and wastewater injection data. The model predicts a 32% probability of potentially damaging earthquakes in 2018, decreasing to 19% by 2020.
A new study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters proposes that plate tectonics could have started as early as the planet's formation. Researchers analyzed noble gas isotopes Helium-3 and Neon-22 to establish a timeline of Earth's tectonic plate cycling, providing insight into the planet's earliest conditions.
Researchers found a centuries-long delay in West Antarctic Ice Sheet contraction after the Ross Ice Shelf collapse, adding complexity to sea level rise computer simulations. This discovery was made by analyzing sediment cores and fossilized life forms from the seafloor.
A cross-disciplinary team led by Rice University will investigate the formation of life-essential elements in rocky planets during their early evolution. The CLEVER Planets project aims to understand how these elements survive turbulent periods and ultimately lead to habitability, with a focus on rocky worlds beyond our solar system.
Researchers present a new continuous model describing self-organized criticality, integrating areas such as economics and developmental biology. The model uses tropical geometry to describe the dynamics of critical systems, providing a universal solution for phenomena like earthquakes and sandpiles.