Articles tagged with Geology
A fibre optic cable was used to record volcanic events at Mount Etna, detecting seismo-acoustic activity and mapping hidden structural features. The Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) method proved suitable for volcano monitoring and hazard assessment.
A massive volcanic eruption at the end of the Triassic period caused a global cooling effect, leading to the mass extinction. The event paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs as their natural predators went extinct.
The Chengjiang Biota, an ancient group of animal fossils, has been found to inhabit a shallow-marine, nutrient-rich delta environment. This discovery sheds new light on the possible causal factors for the Cambrian Explosion and how early animals adapted to stressful conditions.
Researchers from Vrije Universiteit Brussel used new techniques to determine the age of limestone layers and fossils in Maastricht quarries, dating back to the last dinosaur age. The study found that the shallow sea was rich in oxygen, suitable for sustaining a diverse ecosystem.
The Bushveld Complex functioned as a gigantic magma body, with a column of melt likely several km thick, contradicting the prevailing theory of non-existent large, long-lived and largely molten magma chambers. This discovery was made possible by 3D high-resolution X-ray computed tomography studies of chromitite.
Scientists propose a new mechanism by which oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere, shifting the planet out of its low-oxygen equilibrium. Interactions between certain marine microbes and minerals in ocean sediments may have prevented oxygen consumption, setting off a self-amplifying process.
A new study led by Smithsonian volcanologist Dan Rasmussen finds that water content in magma is a significant factor controlling its storage depth. The research provides crucial insights into the physics of magma storage beneath volcanoes, which can aid in predicting volcanic eruptions.
A new study reconstructs changes in global biosphere productivity during the past 800,000 years using ancient air bubble data. The findings show that GPP has always been lower during glacial intervals compared to interglacial periods, with most cases exhibiting a rise in productivity before glacial terminations.
Researchers at Cornell University have reevaluated earthquake models, discovering that fracture energy relates to how quakes stop rather than fault weakening. This breakthrough may help improve earthquake forecasting by understanding rupture styles and the role of seismic observations.
Researchers found exceptionally preserved fossils from different locations, suggesting that rising global temperatures during the Early Jurassic period may have created favorable conditions for fossilization. The study suggests that past climate change could have enabled exceptional preservation in various environments.
Researchers used lab-based mimicry to reveal a new crystal structure that has major implications for our understanding of the interiors of large, rocky exoplanets. This discovery could have revolutionary implications for how we think about the dynamics of exoplanet interiors.
Researchers propose new dynamic model suggesting thermal energy causes continental plates to drift, but the main driving force is supplied by a gravitational slip of the continental crust and hot mantle upwelling. This model explains why the opening of the Atlantic Ocean is wider in the south than in the middle.
Researchers found that tectonic processes, not climate changes, drove erosion in the Cauca River canyon. The team used thermochronology and other techniques to analyze rock samples and satellite imagery, revealing a plateau formed ~2.5 km above river level.
The discovery of Balkanatolia reveals a unique fauna that enabled Asian mammals to colonize Western Europe 34 million years ago. A new fossil deposit in Turkey dated 38-35 million years ago supports this finding, shedding light on the evolution of mammals.
New research reveals that asteroid Ryugu samples brought back by Hayabusa2 spacecraft exhibit similar properties to the asteroid's larger boulders. The samples' colors, shapes, and structures are consistent with material surrounding each collection site on Ryugu's surface and sub-surface.
A study in the journal Geology explores the formation of rifts as tectonic plates pull apart, finding that slow plate movement is the primary driver. The research focuses on a newly formed rift in Iceland, where magma did not play a key role in its creation.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst developed a physical model that yields unprecedented high-resolution look at slip rates of faults, determining likelihood of earthquakes. The study reveals fault lines in kitchen sinks can predict earthquake-causing forces.
A team of researchers from Lund University analyzed ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica to discover a massive solar storm occurring during a quiet phase about 9,200 years ago. The study challenges the current understanding that solar storms are more likely to occur during active phases of the sun.
Researchers developed a new avalanche forecasting method using computer simulations of snow cover, which can detect weak layers and identify hazard in a different way. The approach showed consistent results with observed frequencies over 16 years, offering potential to support forecasting in the future.
New research on the world's largest pterosaur, Quetzalcoatlus, reveals that it likely leaped into the air before lifting off, using its wings to generate lift. The study, published by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, is the most comprehensive on the species yet and provides new insights into its flight mechanics.
Researchers found that intense volcanic activity led to a surge in phosphorus levels, driving ocean oxygen levels down and triggering a severe mass extinction. The study suggests that natural weathering of volcanic material may have been responsible for the sudden cooling events.
The Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption revealed a four-year period of increased seismic activity, suggesting early warning signs of unrest. This discovery has significant implications for eruption forecasting at quiescent volcanoes.
A team of scientists has discovered a thick layer of paleoregolith on the lunar surface, which could provide insight into the Moon's early asteroid impact and volcanic history. The findings suggest the paleoregolith formed much faster than previously estimated, with implications for understanding meteoric activity in the solar system.
Research reveals Arctic rivers are discharging much more water than previously thought, with acceleration up to three times higher than estimated. The RADR project assimilates satellite information into hydrologic models for the entire pan-Arctic region.
Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have discovered a 900-mile-long mantle conduit beneath Panama, which allows hot material to travel laterally through the shallow mantle. This 'mantle wind' helps explain why plume-derived volcanic material appears in central America despite the absence of active volcanoes.
A recent study found that earthquakes and extreme rainfall lead to a significant increase in landslide rates in Nepal during the monsoon season. The research, published in Nature Communications, reveals that landscape damage caused by the April 2015 Gorkha earthquake increased landslide risk by six times.
Researchers have proposed new radioisotopic dates for Ediacaran fossil assemblages and carbon isotope perturbations, providing age constraints for both. The study reveals two negative carbon isotope excursions in the 575–550 Ma period, with the Shuram event occurring between 575 Ma and 565 Ma.
A new study presents a broad survey of monogenetic volcanoes in the US Southwest, providing insights into their characteristics and potential hazards. The research reveals that over 1,800 volcanoes have erupted in the region over the past 2.58 million years, with some still posing threats despite being dormant.
A new study reveals that many cratons were uninhabitable for microbes for much of their existence, with the longest period of habitability not much beyond a billion years. The deep biosphere, home to microbial life, has evolved over geologic history, and modern microbes are related to ancient ancestors in the subsurface.
A new study reveals that rivers in High Mountain Asia have experienced significant increases in sediment flux over the past 60 years, with projected doubling of sediment flow by 2050 under extreme climate change. This change has far-reaching implications for hydropower generation and environmental security in the region.
A new study reveals that early dinosaurs, such as Mussaurus patagonicus, likely formed complex herds with adults foraging and taking care of young. Fossils found in southern Patagonia indicate an age segregation, suggesting a larger community structure where adults shared in raising the whole community.
The special issue covers observations of exoplanet geology, composition, atmosphere, and potential habitability. SwRI researchers Dr. Natalie Hinkel and Dr. Cayman Unterborn collaborated with Dr. Oliver Shorttle to create a diverse overview of exoplanets, making it accessible to a wide community of scientists.
The Perseverance rover's first scientific analysis confirms Jezero crater was a calm lake for most of its existence, interrupted by flash floods that carried huge boulders downstream. The findings provide clues to Martian climate evolution and offer opportunities to search for signs of ancient life.
Researchers analyzed Chang'e-5 samples and found that the basalt is approximately two billion years old, indicating late volcanic activity on the Moon. This discovery provides calibration for the crater-counting technique used to date lunar surfaces and requires alternative explanations, such as tidal heating.
The Perseverance rover's images of the Martian river delta reveal a steady flow of water into an ancient lake about 3.7 billion years ago. The analysis also identifies promising rock layers that could preserve traces of life, if it ever existed on Mars.
A new study by MIT scientists uses a novel gene-analyzing technique to estimate that oxygenic photosynthesis first originated around 2.9 billion years ago. This evolutionary innovation allowed for the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere and oceans, paving the way for life on Earth.
Tropical rainforests have uneven biodiversity due to geological history and climate. Researchers used a new model to simulate species diversification, finding that historical dynamics of mountain building and climate change drove biodiversity distribution rather than current climate factors.
An international team of scientists has resolved a half-century-old mystery by discovering that ancient burrow traces in Australian quartzite were made by crustaceans around 40 million years ago. The discovery was made possible by analyzing unusual radioactive minerals in the sand, which revealed that the burrows were more than a billi...
Newly discovered fossil human footprints provide definitive evidence of early human occupation in southern North America during the Last Glacial Maximum. The findings suggest humans inhabited the region between 23 and 21 thousand years ago, contradicting previous estimates of migration timing.
Researchers found that dough mixing vats and millstones from Roman-era ruins were made from specific rock types that improved each tool's function. The stones were sourced locally, challenging a theory that some millstones were imported from Italy.
A team of researchers has demonstrated how a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can mitigate against negative environmental impacts in metal mining explorations. The new approach helps identify potential 'hot-spots' before extraction operations begin, allowing geologists to select targets with lower environmental impacts.
A geoscientist is using a $640,000 NSF grant to investigate why the Earth retains surface water instead of sequestering it in the mantle. He aims to develop a novel technique that links noble gas concentrations with water in subducted rocks to construct a map of water concentration across pressures and temperatures.
Researchers uncover a 500-million-year-old 'worm-like' fossil, expanding the number of worm-like species known from this time period in North America. The discovery provides new clues about prehistoric environments and ecologies, helping scientists better understand the diversity of ancient animals during the Cambrian explosion.
Scientists discovered that volcanic arcs, including chains like the Andes and Cascades, played a crucial role in regulating atmospheric CO2 levels over the past 400 million years. This natural feedback mechanism helped maintain a stable climate, but recent human-driven emissions have disrupted this balance.
A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder has shed new light on the Great Unconformity, a mysterious gap in the Grand Canyon's rock record that covers hundreds of millions of years. The research suggests that a series of small faulting events may have caused rocks and sediment to wash away, creating the missing window of time.
Scientists investigate how Jurassic belemnites adapted to environmental changes caused by warming, finding differences between species and developmental stages. The study highlights the importance of considering life history and phylogeny when analyzing the impact of climate stress on marine organisms.
A database of 3,000 lead isotope analyses has been compiled for the Iberian Peninsula, providing a comprehensive resource for geological and archaeological research. The IBERLID database includes standardized data on minerals, rocks, and metallic objects, facilitating comparison and analysis.
A new study suggests that thawing permafrost in Siberia may release large amounts of methane gas from limestone formations, posing a significant threat to global warming. Elevated methane concentrations were detected in two areas with limestone bedrock, indicating that fracture systems in these formations became permeable upon warming.
A study suggests that selenium can sustain microbial activity in the continental deep biosphere, enabling chemolithotrophic microbes to thrive. High-precision Se-isotope data combined with trace-metal data and Pt-Os ages indicate a possible microbial origin of platinum nuggets.
A new UK study finds racial minority students are significantly underrepresented in geology, physical geography, and environmental science. This systemic exclusion risks alienating large sections of the global population from addressing climate change.
Researchers have discovered Stegosaurus teeth from Eastern Siberia that exhibit a high wear and replacement rate, suggesting the dinosaur may have adapted to life in high-latitude environments. The findings could provide insights into the biology and ecology of these fascinating creatures.
Coral Gardens Reef in Belize remains home to thriving Acropora spp. coral, providing an exception to the species' decline across the North Atlantic/Caribbean region. The reef has been consistently habitable since at least the 1980s and up to November 2019.
A new genus found in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber reveals the evolutionary origin of scorpionflies' distinctive long mouthparts. The discovery sheds light on the early evolution of pollinators and challenges previous assumptions about the development of fleas.
A new study estimates that more than half of North Carolina's central region drinking wells contain levels of cancer-causing hexavalent chromium above state safety standards. Over 50% of wells in the Piedmont region are expected to exceed the health advisory level, posing a risk to nearly 4 million people relying on groundwater.
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.
The University of California, Davis, is targeting underrepresented students in geoscience fields through a five-year project funded by the National Science Foundation. The initiative aims to increase diversity in these areas by providing scholarships and field experiences for eligible students. It will also test a research question abo...
Fossilized tree trunks from China suggest early forest trees grew by building a hollow cylindrical skeleton that collapsed under its own weight. This controlled collapse allowed the tree to achieve great size and provide insights into the evolution of tree growth.
A new report found that field site directors who fail to establish clear ground rules are more likely to tolerate or engage in harassment. The study also highlights the importance of positive leadership, mutual support, and inclusion for creating a safe work environment.
Researchers from Lomonosov Moscow State University studied the stages of rock deformation and revealed a criterion that can predict the critical stage of fracture when rocks destroy. The study used acoustic emission signals to identify different energy distributions, which can indicate the transition to a critical state.
A $90 billion global problem in the oil industry may be solved by reducing environmental harm through a new process called biosouring. Researchers are developing a technology called GeoBioCell to track interactions between water, rock, microbes, and oil in controlled environments.