Articles tagged with Earth Surface
Researchers discover water bound in rock deep in the Earth's mantle, potentially representing the planet's largest water reservoir. This finding may aid scientists in understanding how the Earth formed and what its current composition is.
A recent study reveals significant resonance cycles between solar activity and Earth's surface temperature, providing a possible explanation for recent global warming. The research uses wavelet analysis and cross-correlation methods to investigate the periodicities of solar activity and its correlations with the Earth's temperature dur...
Researchers recreate extreme conditions to study melting point of basalt at high depths. They found that the melting point is lower than previously thought, indicating a speedy dissolution back into the Earth's depths. This explains seismic anomalies and provides new insight into the temperature of deep Earth.
Researchers found the plateau's southeast margin was 600 miles longer in the Eocene epoch, upending a popular model for its formation. This discovery suggests that river capture and drainage reorganization must have been the result of a slip on major faults bounding the plateau margin.
A robotic system enables scientists to analyze the chemical composition of irregularly shaped surfaces, simulating early Earth conditions on meteorites and rocks. This technology has potential applications in biomedical fields like dermatology, allowing researchers to probe lesions with high accuracy.
Scientists used MESSENGER spacecraft images and topographic data to build a comprehensive map of tectonic features on Mercury's surface. The findings indicate the planet has contracted between 4.6 and 7 kilometers in radius over its lifetime.
Researchers demonstrate photon-counting technique to track the melt or growth of Earth's frozen regions using NASA's MABEL campaign. This new technology will allow for precise measurements of elevation changes across ice sheets and glaciers, enabling scientists to better understand climate change impacts.
New research reveals that Vancouver's Georgia basin amplifies seismic waves, increasing ground motion in the area. This finding poses a significant risk to tall buildings and long-period structures, such as bridges and pipelines, which may experience greater shaking than previously thought.
A new study found that earthquake lights are more likely to occur on or near rift environments and adjacent to subvertical faults. The study analyzed 65 documented cases of earthquake lights, finding that 85% appeared spatially on or near rifts and 97% appeared adjacent to subvertical faults.
Researchers found that the southern segment of the Longmenshan fault zone is complex and still only moderately understood. The study suggests a possible link between the 2013 Lushan earthquake and the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, with a 62% probability that Lushan is a strong aftershock of Wenchuan.
A team from MIT and Stanford University identified a 'runaway process' in which the sliding of rocks at great depths causes surrounding temperatures to spike. This influx of heat encourages more sliding, generating an earthquake.
Intermediate-depth earthquakes, accounting for one in four quakes worldwide, occur at depths of 30-190 miles. Stanford scientists studied the Bucaramanga Nest in Colombia, where quakes are clustered, and found that heat generated by friction causes a 'runaway process' that facilitates fault sliding.
Researchers analyzed 32 years' worth of data from satellite instruments to find temperatures plummeting to record lows dozens of times in clusters of pockets near a high ridge between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji on the East Antarctic Plateau. The new record of minus 136 F (-93.2 C) was set Aug. 10, 2010.
A two-billion-year-old rock formation in Russia reveals that sulfur bacteria played a crucial role in distributing phosphorous during the oxygenation of the Earth. The discovery suggests that the establishment of these bacterial habitats triggered the formation of earliest worldwide phosphorites.
A team of geoscientists is building a whole-Earth model to understand long-term climate change on Earth. They will examine how carbon moves between the planet's external and internal systems, including the oceans, atmosphere, and deep Earth.
A major coal seam fire in China's Shuangyashan prefecture-level city has been detected by NASA's Terra satellite, highlighting the issue of underground coal fires that can cause severe air pollution and global warming.
New publications in Geosphere examine the Colorado River system, sea-level change, and Grenville geology. Researchers used LiDAR technologies to study lava flows and deformation of the Reelfoot rift, providing insights into regional structure and geological processes.
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck deep beneath the Sea of Okhotsk, with seismic waves detected by thousands of stations worldwide. The event released three times as much energy as the next largest recorded earthquake and involved rapid shear faulting.
Researchers used seismic waves to discover long 'fingers' of heat in Earth's upper mantle, stretching thousands of miles. These finger-like structures carrying heat interact with tectonic plates and hot plumes, influencing the formation of hotspot volcanoes.
Landsat 5, operated by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, set the record for the longest-operating Earth observation satellite with 28 years of service. The center also hosted the largest astronomy lesson event, breaking a Guinness World Record with over 500 participants in Austin, Texas.
Scientists found that Martian meteorites and surface rocks have similar origins in the planet's deep interior, but surface rocks came from a more oxygen-rich environment. The researchers believe this was caused by recycling of oxygen-rich materials into the interior through subduction.
The Landsat thermal sensor has successfully imaged the heat emanating from Paluweh volcano in Indonesia, capturing a hot spot at the top of the volcanic island. The sensor's ability to distinguish between the hot lava and cooler ash is crucial for scientists studying volcanic activity.
Researchers from New York University and Carleton University find that Earth's interior cycles cause sea-level rise and global warming through mantle plumes. The analysis reveals a connection between geological events below the surface and climate change, suggesting a powerful union between deep-sea geological events and climate shifts.
Researchers used computer simulations of water to predict its behavior under extreme pressure and temperature. The results suggest that magnesium carbonate, previously thought insoluble, can dissolve in water at great depths, potentially returning carbon to the surface through volcanoes.
Landsat 5 successfully operated for 28 years and 10 months, delivering high-quality global data of Earth's land surface. The satellite overcame numerous technical issues to achieve this record-breaking duration.
Rivers erode at an estimated 80 billion metric tons yearly, with 20 billion ending up in ocean water via rivers. Researcher Panos Diplas studies river mechanics to improve erosion process understanding and develop measures to control scour around bridge foundations.
A new Caltech study suggests the Grand Canyon was formed over 70 million years ago, contradicting conventional models of its creation. The research uses a novel method to analyze ancient rocks and provides crucial insights into the canyon's incision.
Researchers have discovered that magma in oceanic crust is cycled through the Earth's surface before eruption, altering previous theories on the formation of oceanic crust. This breakthrough could help scientists better understand the conditions of mantle melting and production of the Earth's most-common rock.
Researchers have discovered six major earthquakes above 7 magnitude on the Alhama de Murcia fault, revealing 'convincing evidence' of higher maximum earthquake magnitudes than previously thought. The study provides a detailed paleoseismic record of the fault's activity over hundreds of thousands of years.
The GSA Annual Meeting technical session 'Geomorphology of the Anthropocene' brings together experts to address human impacts on Earth's systems. Research studies investigate influences such as indigenous culture and dams, with a focus on defining the Anthropocene's temporal and spatial scales.
A new study using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data has re-calibrated the scales to more accurately calculate ice mass loss. The research found that Antarctica overall is contributing less to sea-level rise than previously thought, with West Antarctica losing mass at an accelerated rate.
Researchers suggest governments should prioritize adaption policies to address the negative impact of global warming, rather than focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study highlights the importance of monitoring and modeling the impacts of climate change on Earth surface systems.
Scientists have used satellite data to reveal a geological oddity in the Altiplano-Puna plateau, where magma is forming a large blob that pushes up the earth's surface across an area 100km wide. This 'sombrero uplift' could provide insights into massive magmatic events leading to super volcano formation.
A new model provides insight into the brief but violent lives of monogenetic volcanoes, shedding light on their explosive mechanisms. The research proposes that explosions occur simultaneously over a range of depths, contradicting previous theories.
Hurricane Miriam's visible image revealed by NASA's MODIS instrument showed a 30-nautical-mile wide eye covered by high clouds. The storm is currently a Category 2, with slow weakening forecasted over the next 48 hours.
Scientists recreated extreme conditions at Earth's core-mantle boundary using X-rays, showing that partially molten rock is buoyant and should segregate towards the surface. This evidence supports the theory that volcanic hotspots like the Hawaiian Islands originate from mantle plumes generated at the Earth's core-mantle boundary.
Tropical Storm Mawar is strengthening due to growing cloud top temperatures and higher thunderstorms. Forecasters expect it to reach typhoon strength before weakening, potentially affecting the Philippines and southern Japan with rainfall and rough surf.
Researchers found that blocking 2% of the sun's light would make the sky three-to-five times brighter and whiter, while increasing global photosynthetic activity could pull more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. However, this method may also reduce the effectiveness of solar power.
Barbara Romanowicz, a renowned seismologist and UC Berkeley professor, has made groundbreaking contributions to global seismology. Her research has been instrumental in advancing body-wave studies of the inner core and normal-mode studies of the Earth's density distribution.
This bimonthly publication presents research on the Deccan Traps, transfluvial incision in Eastern Papua New Guinea, and late Pleistocene structural evolution of the Camarillo fold belt. Seismic data reveal imprints of volcanism deep beneath the Deccan volcanic province, while river profiles indicate vertical rock uplift and fault motion.
Despite fears, there's no evidence a supereruption is imminent; supervolcanoes are exceedingly rare and occur in clusters. Scientists closely monitor volcanically active areas, and there's no sign of a looming eruption.
A pair of postdoctoral researchers at Penn State suggest that we have not looked in enough places to ensure the absence of extraterrestrial artifacts. They used a probabilistic method to determine if sufficient searching has been done, finding it challenging to rule out their presence.
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a new model that simulates the seismic fallout of a giant meteorite strike, showing that the impact's effects are scattered and unfocused, resulting in less severe ground displacement and tsunamis. The model also provides new insights into the surface and interior details of other plan...
Researchers found that fault surfaces in earthquake zones come into contact only at microscopic points between scattered bumps called asperities. This creates intense heating, known as flash heating, which can reach temperatures of up to 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Researchers found diamonds from the lower mantle contain compositions consistent with oceanic crust, suggesting slabs of oceanic crust sank into the lower mantle and cycled back up. The discovery provides direct evidence for the Earth's carbon cycle extending to great depths.
A team of scientists will explore the deep carbon cycle to uncover information about carbon hundreds of miles below Earth's surface. They aim to convert carbon dioxide into a rock-like material and potentially discover new materials with industrial applications.
The study shows that the fault involved in the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake was simple on the surface but complicated at depth. Researchers used a combination of GPS data, remote sensing techniques, and seismological data to produce an extremely well-resolved model of the earthquake.
The special 'Fragile Earth' field guide examines records and recording tools of geological processes, including plate motions and deep crustal structure. The conference in Munich, Germany, focuses on global to local scales and associated hazards and resources.
A groundbreaking study compiled 1528 calculations of surface erosion rates from 80 study areas worldwide. The analysis found that bare rock outcrops had significantly lower erosion rates than surfaces covered with thin layers of soil, highlighting the global importance of soil formation as a geomorphic process.
Scientists at University of Nevada, Reno observed an upper limit of three on the number of fault jumps through which an earthquake is likely to rupture. This finding helps reduce uncertainties in estimating earthquake sizes in complex fault systems.
A new study by University of Vermont geologists provides the first broad, standardized view of pre-human erosion rates, measuring 1599 measurements from 87 sites worldwide. The study reveals that slope is a key driver of erosion, contradicting previous assumptions about rainfall's role.
A computer modeling study published in PNAS reveals that methane molecules can combine to form larger hydrocarbon molecules under high temperatures and pressures of the Earth's upper mantle. This finding has significant implications for understanding carbon reservoirs and fluxes in the Earth.
Researchers used GPS satellite systems to measure tide-induced displacements and estimate density and elastic moduli, revealing an abnormal low-density asthenosphere under the western United States and eastern Pacific Ocean. The study provides new directions for understanding Earth's chemical and mechanical dynamics.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology found a statistically significant increase in microearthquakes after the Chilean earthquake in February. The study suggests that seismic waves from distant earthquakes can trigger events on the other side of the Earth, with secondary and tertiary waves playing a key role.
New research reveals the Earth's core is rotating at a rate of approximately 1 degree every million years, much slower than previously estimated. This finding provides insight into the evolution of the Earth's magnetic field and has implications for simulations of the outer core's convection.
Recent studies by University of Rhode Island scientist Katherine Kelley reveal that the Earth's mantle is highly oxidized due to exposure to oxygen during its formation. The findings suggest that oxygen from subduction zones controls mineral composition and gas behavior in the mantle, influencing volcanic eruptions.
A Purdue-led research team found a previously unmapped fault, the Léogène fault, was responsible for the devastating Haiti quake. The newly discovered fault runs parallel to the Enriquillo fault and remains ready to produce large earthquakes, threatening Haiti's stability.
Physicists at NIST have measured time dilation effects on two aluminum atomic clocks, demonstrating that time passes faster at higher elevations and slower when moving faster. The clocks' extreme precision reveals subtle differences in timekeeping, potentially leading to practical applications in geophysics.
This article explores various geological phenomena, including the origin of rhyolites from South Mountain, Pennsylvania, growth faults in the Kaiparowits Basin, Utah, and extension of the Anaconda metamorphic core complex. The studies provide new information on volcanic magmas, tectonic deformation, and Earth's crust behavior.
A new theory developed at Purdue University suggests that stored stress built up in the Earth's crust long ago can trigger large earthquakes. Rapid erosion from the Mississippi River ended a period of forces keeping the New Madrid fault from slipping, triggering the massive earthquakes.