Researchers have discovered that tall ice-cliffs on glaciers can trigger massive calving events, which could lead to rapid sea-level rise. The study found that cliffs over 100 meters high are most susceptible to slumping, a process that accelerates calving without waiting for the melting of the front.
A new study published in Geosphere reveals that two major faults in Emerald Bay have been moving vertically over the past 20,000 years, with no strike slip motion. The research used a combination of deep dives, bathymetry surveys, and LiDAR data to create high-resolution maps of the bay's geology.
A new study published in GSA Today reveals that Hurricane Maria triggered more than 40,000 landslides in at least three-fourths of Puerto Rico's municipalities. The study assesses the factors contributing to these extreme events and aims to enhance landslide susceptibility analyses and risk management efforts.
A recent study by Fernando Tornos and colleagues reveals that microbes play a key role in the precipitation of metals in shallow environments. The researchers found evidence of anaerobic microbes controlling the formation of copper sulfides in the Las Cruces deposit, a high-grade copper ore site.
Researchers found 121 new millipede trackways in Ordovician sedimentary rocks, contradicting the current understanding of animal life on land. The discovery sheds light on a key evolutionary event and highlights the importance of ancient rock records in understanding global change.
The Sunset Crater volcano in Arizona, USA experienced a highly explosive sub-Plinian eruption with pyroclastic fall deposits, lava flows, and associated effects on pre-historic inhabitants. The eruption is considered one of the most explosive monogenetic eruptions studied to date.
Invasive Asian jumping earthworms alter US soil composition by creating nutrient-rich aggregates that lock up essential nutrients. Research by Jenelle Wempner reveals the physical effects of worm droppings on soils, with implications for controlling worm populations and understanding land use implications.
Scientists uncover evidence for multiple, older earthquake events in the geologic record, challenging the idea of a sustained tempo of faulting. The study reveals four distinct packages of sediment corresponding to previously identified earthquakes, with no evidence of additional seismic activity in the past 4,300 years.
In Bangladesh, villagers have taken matters into their own hands to drill deeper wells to avoid arsenic-contaminated water. Since 2000, the proportion of safe wells has increased from 25% to 70%, thanks to individual efforts and government well drilling at greater depths.
Researchers found that injured saber-toothed cats transitioned to eating softer prey, such as flesh, after suffering oral injuries. This suggests that these cats were provided with soft food by other group members, allowing them to survive longer.
A new study uses ground-penetrating radar to locate a potential mass grave site in Lithuania, shedding light on the Holocaust's dark history. The research aims to amass evidence for federal memorials and honors the victims of the Holocaust.
Researchers have found that planting shrub willow and switchgrass in marginal lands reduces fertilizer nitrate levels, controlling erosion and improving water quality. This integrated land management approach also generates biomass for biofuel and supports pollinators and other wildlife.
Researchers identified four units with different deposition types, including conglomerates and ridges formed by moving water. The Martian deposits are similar to those found in Earth's Channelized Scablands and suggest large-scale global ice and dramatic outburst floods.
A team of researchers suggests harnessing geothermal energy to power desalination plants, reducing the need for traditional methods and minimizing carbon emissions. The proposed system could provide a sustainable source of drinking water while also generating electricity.
Researchers found that Dutch delta plain's unique history can inform management of modern deltas, which face similar challenges like land subsidence and sea level rise. Human activities such as reclamation and agricultural expansion triggered the formation of new rivers along courses that natural branches would not have taken.
Researchers discovered that storms can create coral reef islands by depositing giant coral blocks, forming the island over time. The study found distinct clusters of ages on the piled coral blocks, indicating two major storm events occurred about 600 and 350 years ago.
A new paper by Daniel J. Soeder and Douglas B. Kent summarizes the environmental impacts of shale development, providing a balanced understanding of fracking's merits and demerits. The study addresses various potential impacts of fracking, offering insights for non-geoscientists and experts alike.
Rockfalls from iconic landmarks like Half Dome and El Capitan pose a significant risk to park visitors. A new study uses rapid 3D analysis to pinpoint rockfall locations, dimensions, and volumes, enabling more accurate assessments and quicker decision-making for park managers.
Researchers used Mars-inspired tools to map the Himalayas, revealing details about rock types and fault systems. The study used thermal infrared spectrum analysis to create colorful images of different rock types, providing new insights into the region's geology.
The Geological Society of America's 130th Annual Meeting & Exposition will offer science journalists the opportunity to meet geoscience experts face-to-face and cover scientific findings. Twenty-six pre- and post-meeting field trips will explore geological landscapes in the Midwest.
Researchers discover highly faulted and organized 'Durmid ladder structure' in southern California, which could be nucleation site for next M>7.5 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. The structure is at least 25 km long and features tens of master faults along its edges.
Researchers used deuterium to estimate heat flow in Yellowstone hot springs, accounting for both visible and subsurface water flows. The new method provides an important step towards understanding the complex processes driving Yellowstone's volcano and geothermal features.
A new study suggests that wild swings in oxygen levels may have sent life scrambling to adapt, leading to a major burst of diversity during the Cambrian period. The research, published in Geology, proposes that extreme fluctuations in oxygen levels, rather than gradual increases, triggered the explosion of life forms.
Research in South Africa's Kruger National Park has shown that climate change is destroying sensitive and valuable riverine habitats due to extreme floods. The study found that cyclone-driven floods removed almost 1.25 million tonnes of sediment from the river bed, leading to patches of mature riparian forest being destroyed.
Researchers combined geological mapping and analysis to define possible hazard scenarios at Mount Taranaki volcano. The results indicate that future Plinian eruptions could produce different types of pyroclastic density currents, affecting urban areas up to 18 km away from the crater.
A study published in Geology suggests that major volcanism led to the late Devonian extinction event, marked by a sharp increase in mercury levels in rocks from Morocco, Germany, and northern Russia. The discovery provides new evidence for the role of volcanism in mass extinctions.
A new study confirms desiccation cracks on Mars provide evidence of drying, revealing the shape of water on the red planet. The research sheds light on Mars' ancient climate and provides context to its lacustrine system.
A new study provides a comprehensive understanding of paleoenvironments in Kenya's Rift Valley, shedding light on how early humans adapted to rapidly changing landscapes. The research reveals that tectonics and climate played a crucial role in shaping the region's geological history and human evolution.
Scientists have found fossilized starch granules on ancient plant megaspores, suggesting they were used as a spore-dispersal device. This discovery provides early evidence for mutualism between plants and animals in the Permian period.
Research reveals two distinct periods of lake existence in the region, with increased precipitation driving formation during warmer periods. The study's findings suggest a potential analogue for future climate change and highlight the importance of understanding El Niño-driven precipitation patterns in arid regions.
New research reveals that Lake Tahoe's shoreline has shifted due to volcanic activity, with three raised shorelines formed by subaerial lava flows and dammed lake outlets. The lake's level rose nearly 200m after each of these events, raising questions about future volcanic eruptions and their hazards.
Researchers have identified diatoms as a weak layer responsible for submarine mega-slides, which can trigger tsunamis. The discovery sheds light on the geological processes that govern these massive slides, which can move millions of cubic kilometers of material.
Researchers found a correlation between saltwater disposal and earthquake occurrence up to 125 km, but reducing small faults didn't affect larger earthquakes. To reduce large fluid-triggered earthquakes, injecting less water appears to be the solution.
Geologists in Scotland have identified a 60-million-year-old meteorite strike on the Isle of Skye, revealing rare minerals from outer space. The discovery has sparked questions about the impact's connection to Paleogene volcanic activity across the North Atlantic.
The Norian Chinle Formation provides a snapshot of an ancient terrestrial ecosystem with plant and vertebrate remains. A new extinction event occurred between 213-217 million years ago, leading to a shift towards drier conditions.
A new geological record reveals two closely spaced Yellowstone supervolcano eruptions that cooled the ocean by about 3 degrees Celsius and triggered volcanic winters. The eruptions occurred 170 years apart and coincided with a natural global-warming trend, leading to a major ice age.
High-precision age dates reveal that Siletzia was built near Bremerton and its collision with North America led to a jammed subduction zone, causing tectonic ripple effects. The study provides new insights into the Pacific Northwest's evolution.
The Oso landslide traveled an impressive 1.4 kilometers, with researchers attributing this movement to a liquefied base layer. Mapping of hummocks and liquefaction features has provided key insights into the landslide's mechanism, shedding light on its mobility sequence.
Climate change is causing Native Americans in the Mississippi Delta to lose their homes and irreplaceable heritage. Rising sea levels and subsidence are transforming land into marshes, leaving narrow strands of land barely above muddy waters.
The IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 drilled into the Chicxulub crater off Mexico's coast, uncovering key findings about the impact event. The expedition revealed details about peak-ring crater formation and the recovery of life within 30,000 years after the impact.
Geophysicist Seth Stein argues that scientifically inaccurate movies can be used to teach scientific lessons and foster skepticism. He incorporates disaster movies into his classroom lessons, training students to spot errors and seek true explanations.
A new field guide from the Geological Society of America explores the geological history of the Pacific Northwest, focusing on the Seattle area. The guide reveals details about catastrophic flooding, tsunami deposits, and past glaciations that have shaped the region over millions of years.
Researchers found that hurricane-suppressing effects of cooler sea surface temperatures were outweighed by the side effects of slowed ocean circulation in Florida during the Younger Dryas period. Turbidites captured the fury of Florida's stormy days, revealing a surprising level of hurricane activity despite chilly seas.
Researchers have found river deposits on Mars that date back over 3.5 billion years, indicating a surface environment capable of supporting liquid water. The study suggests that large fluctuations in the size of the water body forced the formation of paleo-valleys, revealing long-term stability in the controlling water body.
Seismic reflection data from the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake revealed a frontal prism, reflective zone, and subducted horst-and-graben structures in the Japan Trench. This provides insights into the behavior of large shallow slip zones and potential tsunami earthquakes.
Researchers matched microscopic quartz grains to their desert source using cathodeluminescence spectral analysis. This method revealed the heterogeneity in grains, shedding light on the pathways and effects of long-distance airborne dust.
A new study presents the post-glacial history of Lake of the Woods, a 4000km lake complex in North America. The research team analyzed sediment cores from the lake and found dramatic hydrological changes over the past 12,000 years.
A new study by scientists at Portland State University and the National Snow and Ice Data Center found that the effects of climate change on glaciers in the western Ross Sea coast of Antarctica have not yet been observed. The research team examined glacier activity along over 700 kilometers of coastline using historic maps and satellit...
Analysis of caves in Israel reveals they formed through dissolution by rising groundwater, originating from highlands and deep faults. The findings have implications for understanding far-field groundwater systems and the possible circulation of fluids, dating back to the Oligocene-early Miocene periods.
Researchers at Tulane University have developed a subsidence map of coastal Louisiana, revealing the region is sinking at an alarming rate of over 9 millimeters or just over a third of an inch each year. The map provides critical information for policy decisions on coastal restoration and planning of large sediment diversions.