Articles tagged with Planet Earth
Researchers studied olivine, a key mineral in Earth's mantle, to understand plate tectonics and measure the Earth's surface thickness. They found that tectonic plates are approximately 100 kilometers thick, contradicting previous theories.
Researchers have discovered powerful changing winds on a gas giant planet, HAT-P-7b, which is 16 times larger than Earth and orbits a star 50% more massive and twice as large as the Sun. The planet's atmosphere is affected by strong winds moving across the planet, leading to catastrophic storms.
Dome A's extreme dryness allows for terahertz observations, previously hindered by Earth's atmosphere. Researchers can now gain new insights into star and galaxy formation.
Researchers presented insights from the Curiosity rover's study of Mount Sharp on Mars, which helps reconstruct the geological history of the area. Additionally, they developed a method to distinguish between natural and manmade earthquakes using seismic wave characteristics. Furthermore, scientists observed gamma-ray bursts triggered ...
Researchers observed L2 Puppis, a star similar to the Sun 5 billion years ago, to understand its evolution and potential impact on planets. A planet orbiting the giant star may offer clues about Earth's ultimate fate.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered hot atomic hydrogen atoms in the thermosphere, a layer of the atmosphere above 250 kilometers. This finding contradicts previous assumptions and has significant implications for understanding atmospheric escape and the behavior of satellites in low Earth orbit.
A recent study by University of Nevada, Reno geophysicists suggests that the Kathmandu region is vulnerable to a more powerful earthquake than the 2015 Gorkha quake. The research indicates that the Himalayan Frontal Fault has reached a stage of strain accumulation prior to a potential major thrust earthquake.
IRIS collects data on the temperature and movement of solar material to determine how it drives the constant changes on our sun. The mission aims to answer questions about coronal heating and solar activity, with recent studies suggesting distinct bomb-like events.
A new UMD-led study proposes that Pluto's 'icy heart', Sputnik Planitia, formed early in the dwarf planet's history due to its unique climate and spin axis. The model suggests that the ice cap's location is inevitable consequence of evolutionary processes.
Astronomers have characterized the smallest known asteroid using Earth-based telescopes: Asteroid 2015 TC25 measures just 2 meters (6 feet) in diameter. The tiny space rock is bright, reflecting about 60% of the sunlight that falls on it.
Researchers estimate technosphere mass at 30 trillion tons, exceeding biotic species. Human-made structures and waste now outnumber living organisms on the planet.
Scientists have discovered fossils of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in ancient rocks from South Africa and Western Australia, dating back to the Neoarchean Eon, 2.8 to 2.5 billion years ago. These findings suggest that life existed on Earth before the Great Oxidation Event, which led to a significant increase in oxygen levels.
Scientists successfully measured the orbital period of K2-3d with high precision, enabling precise predictions of future transits. This improved forecast accuracy paves the way for searching for extraterrestrial life in the atmosphere of the planet.
Researchers found three areas of hot rock within the mantle beneath three separate volcanic provinces, indicating that Madagascar's volcanoes are not related to nearby tectonic activity. The study suggests that the island's unique geology, with a delaminated lithosphere and a mantle plume, led to the formation of these hot regions.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that water is stored far deeper in the Earth than previously thought. Researchers estimate that water exists between 400 to 600 kilometers into the mantle, where it is transported through a high-pressure polymorph of brucite.
A team of geophysicists has reconstructed the terminal phase of the collision between North America and Gondwana, revealing a 300km-long shear zone that stretches from Alabama to Florida. This discovery provides new insights into the formation of the southern Appalachians and has implications for understanding mountain-building processes.
The GOES-R satellite will provide unprecedented information about the Earth's weather, including true-color pictures and high-definition imagery. This will enable forecasters to make more accurate predictions of severe storms, squall lines, and tropical cyclones.
A team of researchers from the University of Oregon has discovered microfossils in Australian rocks that suggest life in soils may have existed on Earth over 3,000 million years ago. The findings indicate that ancient ecosystems thrived in terrestrial environments, challenging traditional views of early life on Earth.
New observations from NASA's THEMIS mission reveal electrons can be accelerated to extremely high speeds in a region farther from Earth than previously thought possible. This discovery opens up new questions about the mechanisms that accelerate these particles, which can cause equipment malfunctions and affect space travelers.
New evidence from meteorites on Mars indicates a lasting drought on the planet, making it difficult for life to exist today. The study calculates a chemical weathering rate that shows rust formation takes thousands of times longer on Mars than in driest deserts on Earth.
The CU Boulder instrument suite, EXIS, will measure energy output from the sun that can affect satellite operations, telecommunications, GPS navigation, and power grids on Earth. The instruments will provide rapid alerts for solar flares and monitor extreme ultraviolet light wavelengths.
The GRAPES-3 muon telescope detected a burst of galactic cosmic rays that temporarily cracked Earth's magnetic shield, allowing lower energy particles to enter the atmosphere. The event triggered severe geomagnetic storms and radio signal blackouts in high-latitude countries.
A recent study found that citizen science is a valuable source of data on species occurrence, particularly for birds in North America and Europe. However, less than 10% of this data is currently used in global biodiversity monitoring due to resource constraints and interoperability issues.
Astronomers have discovered a 'nearly naked' supermassive black hole after a smaller galaxy passed through a larger neighbor, stripping away nearly all its stars and gas. The remnant black hole is now speeding away at over 2,000 miles per second.
A new theory proposes a single high-energy collision as the origin of the Moon's formation, explaining its unusual composition and orbit. The alternative model suggests that the Moon condensed from the same material as Earth, resulting in their similar chemical makeup.
A new research paper suggests that the impact that formed the moon also caused calamitous changes to Earth's rotation and tilt. The model indicates that the remaining anomalies in the moon's orbit are relics of the Earth-moon system's explosive past, with a large tilt of up to 80 degrees.
Low-level clouds in the tropics cool the planet by reflecting solar radiation, but their impact on climate depends on spatial pattern. The study suggests that recent observed trends may underestimate global warming due to increased carbon dioxide.
Scientists have observed a young stellar system fragmenting into multiple stars, supporting two theories on star formation: disk fragmentation and cloud instability. The discovery was made using ALMA and VLA observations of the L1448 IRS3B system in the Perseus constellation.
Researchers have discovered a huge dome in the central Andes formed by a massive magma body beneath it. The Altiplano-Puna plateau, which includes parts of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, has been uplifted by about one-fifth due to the injection of magma from below.
Researchers at MIT have developed a computational model that analyzes ambient vibrations to detect signs of building stability. The model may help monitor buildings over time for potential damage or stress, providing a database like a health book for the structure.
Researchers at Ibaraki University used ALMA to observe the disk around TW Hydrae, finding multiple gaps that match theoretical predictions for planet formation. The team estimates a massive, icy giant planet similar in size to Neptune, with a mass likely more than that of Neptune.
Researchers have discovered tiny glass droplets in New Jersey sediment layers that could be linked to an extraterrestrial object hitting Earth. The finding is consistent with previous work suggesting an impact triggered the PETM, a period of rapid warming comparable to modern human-induced climate change.
Researchers from UNH captured unique measurements of the Van Allen radiation belts during a rare solar wind event. The findings provide valuable information for protecting orbiting satellites and exploring conditions on other Earth-like planets.
A team of scientists has discovered that sulfate in the ocean limited atmospheric methane to a tiny fraction, contradicting previous climate models. This finding suggests that oxygen levels were much lower than initially thought, and changed the way methane behaved in the atmosphere.
The TW Hydrae system shows a prominent gap that is unlikely to be caused by an actively accreting protoplanet. Instead, researchers attribute the feature to photoevaporation, which heats gas and allows it to fly away from the disk. This process may disperse the disk before planets can form.
Researchers at HZDR propose a new mechanism linking planetary tidal effects to the Sun's dynamo, which could drive the 11-year solar cycle. The theory suggests that small forces from Venus, Earth, and Jupiter can initiate oscillations in the alpha effect, leading to polarity reversals.
Researchers have discovered a giant scar beneath the Midwest using a network of seismometers. The Midcontinent Rift, which spans across the region, was formed when the core of North America nearly ripped apart millions of years ago.
Researchers have discovered a new earthquake hazard in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, revealing that the Ghazaband fault is accumulating more than half of the relative motion between tectonic plates. This increases the potential for a high-magnitude earthquake and poses a significant threat to cities like Quetta.
A recent study using precise potassium isotopic data confirms the Moon was formed from a violent impact that vaporized Earth's mantle and mixed it with the impactor. This challenges the giant impact hypothesis, which had trouble matching geochemical signatures between Earth and Moon.
Researchers will use geoneutrino detectors to measure the amount of nuclear energy inside Earth. By 2025, they expect to collect enough data to determine the planet's remaining fuel levels.
Gros has investigated the possibility of bringing life to planets with temporary habitability, proposing an automated gene laboratory on board a probe. The Genesis mission could be achieved within decades with interstellar unmanned micro spacecraft, potentially allowing for the development of complex life forms.
Scientists detect a potentially habitable exoplanet, Proxima b, orbiting Proxima Centauri every 11 days. The planet's surface temperature may allow for liquid water and life support, making it an exciting target for future observations.
A new map reveals that humans have seriously altered 97% of the planet's most biodiverse regions, including tropical rainforests. The study found that environmental pressures are widespread, but some nations and countries with strong governance are showing signs of improvement.
A team of researchers from the University of Oxford suggests that life on Earth is more likely to exist in the future than it is now. This is because the necessary elements for life, such as carbon and oxygen, took tens of millions of years to develop following the Big Bang.
A new study published in Geology reveals extensive fossilized river systems on Mars' Arabia Terra plain, indicating a warm and wet climate around 4 billion years ago. This discovery supports the idea that Mars was once more favorable for life than its current cold and dry environment.
Scientists found that sections of the West Napa Fault continued to slip after the primary earthquake, posing additional hazards to infrastructure. The afterslip caused certain areas to shift by as much as 40 centimeters in the month following the main earthquake.
MIT scientists developed a technique to interpret Raman spectra, identifying samples with high hydrogen-to-carbon ratios that may preserve ancient microbial life. The new method enables the 2020 Mars rover to select ideal samples for further study, potentially revealing signs of past life on Mars.
Ancient Venus may have had a shallow liquid-water ocean and a habitable surface due to its slow spin, which exposed the dayside to sunlight for almost two months at a time. This warmed the surface and created rain, leading to a thick layer of clouds that shielded the surface from solar heating.
Researchers have discovered liquid methane-filled canyons hundreds of meters deep with walls as steep as ski slopes etched into Titan's surface. The findings provide the first direct evidence of these features and could give scientists insights into Titan's origins and similar geologic processes on Earth.
Researchers found a time-resolved supernova signal in biogenically produced crystals from Pacific Ocean sediment cores, indicating the solar system spent 1 million years transiting through a supernova's debris. The signal was first detectable at 2.7 million years ago and ended around 1.7 million years ago.
Researchers from IceCube Neutrino Observatory find no evidence of sterile neutrino in two independent analyses of data, suggesting the hypothesized particle may not be real. This discovery could help resolve puzzles related to dark matter and neutrino mass.
Dellingr will study Earth's outer atmosphere, creating a chemical and electromagnetic profile using its miniaturized mass spectrometer and magnetometer systems. The satellite's findings will help understand changes in our space weather and impact on satellites.
Researchers create high-pressure conditions to study the melting of forsterite, a mineral that makes up Earth's mantle. The experiments provide insight into how impact-generated magmas evolve and allow for modeling of Earth-type planets' inner structures.
Researchers develop new method to protect Earth from asteroids using nuclear explosions. The technique simulates an asteroid's destructive power, fragmenting it into safe pieces before they reach the planet. This approach is considered a safer and more effective alternative to previous methods.
Astronomers have discovered a unique white dwarf binary system, AR Scorpii, exhibiting powerful radio pulses that are unlike anything seen before from a white dwarf. The system's rapidly spinning white dwarf accelerates electrons, releasing radiation in a lighthouse-like beam that affects its cool red dwarf companion.
A new study estimates that the asteroid that formed the Moon's Imbrium Basin was likely a protoplanet-sized object, two times larger in diameter and 10 times more massive than previous estimates. The research also sheds light on the geological features surrounding the basin, which help explain some of its puzzling characteristics.
Researchers from MIT and the University of Liège announce a new study on the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, which hosts three potentially habitable, Earth-sized worlds. The team discovers that two innermost planets have compact atmospheres similar to those of rocky planets like Earth, Venus, and Mars.
A new tool is being developed by NASA to assure picometer-level stability, a feat not yet accomplished. The instrument will measure tiny changes in mirror segments and other supporting telescope structure during environmental testing.
Astronomers confirm 104 exoplanets outside our solar system using NASA's Kepler spacecraft on its K2 mission. The discoveries include a planetary system with four promising rocky planets orbiting the M dwarf star K2-72.
Researchers measured oxygen content in ancient atmosphere trapped in halite (rock salt) and found it to be a key component in determining the origin and evolution of higher life forms. The discovery has applications beyond origins of life, including tracking atmospheric changes and finding economic metal deposits.