Articles tagged with Planet Earth
Astronomers at Penn State have discovered three faint dwarf stars orbiting nearby bright stars, marking a new era in imaging faint objects. The discovery uses an infrared camera with a specially shaped pupil mask, allowing for improved contrast and revealing the dim companions.
The proposed system uses autonomous spaceships to transport crews between Earth and Mars, enabling frequent 5-month trips. The design architecture includes Astrotels and Taxis, which will facilitate sustainable Mars habitation and exploration.
A 100,000-year climate cycle linked to the sun's magnetic activity has been discovered. The study found that periods of high solar magnetic activity correlate with warmer climates and vice versa.
Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that giant loops of hot, electrified gas linked to sunspots near the equator may cause polar reversals. The findings help predict violent solar flares and eruptions that interfere with Earth's communications.
The NASA spacecraft TIMED observes the global reaction of the upper atmosphere to solar activity, helping scientists understand why some solar events have significant geospace impact. Preliminary data from TIMED will be featured at the Spring 2002 American Geophysical Union meeting, May 31, in Washington, D.C.
A lightweight imaging cap is being developed to assess brain function in space and on Earth. The device utilizes diffuse optical tomography (DOT) to record brain activity through near-infrared light, with potential applications for diagnosing brain disorders such as strokes and seizures.
The University of California, Berkeley, has deployed a first permanent broadband earthquake monitor in Monterey Bay, which will measure earthquake activity from the ocean side of the fractured fault zone. The instrument aims to reveal new information about seismic activity on the Pacific Plate and improve understanding of earthquakes.
Researchers estimate that about 16 percent of near-Earth asteroids are likely to be binary systems, with some featuring a three-to-one size ratio. Five such binary systems have been identified by radar, offering insights into their formation and potential for collision with Earth.
A UMass project allows students to study plant growth in space, simulating micro-gravity conditions and evaluating plant-growth chambers. The project uses closed-loop systems and computer software to teach students about biology, engineering, and ecology.
Researchers used experiments and mathematical modeling to understand seismic wave behavior in the lower mantle, finding that mineral grain alignment causes unusual wave behavior. The study provides a window into Earth's inner workings and is an important step toward integrating seismology and geodynamics in the lower mantle.
Richard Monastersky and Diane Tennant have won the American Geophysical Union's 2002 David Perlman and Walter Sullivan Awards for Excellence in Science Journalism. Monastersky won for his news article on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission, while Tennant won for her seven-part series on a local meteor impact story that spans 35 ...
A Stanford scientist is conducting a groundbreaking study to determine the long-term effects of hypergravity on humans. Participants will spend nine weeks in a NASA centrifuge rotating at increasingly faster speeds, simulating conditions found during space shuttle takeoff and landing.
Research suggests asteroids were responsible for a massive impact event 3.9 billion years ago, which destroyed older rocks and created thousands of craters across the inner solar system. This bombardment may have provided an environment conducive to pre-biotic chemistry and early life evolution.
Researchers used refined techniques to study minerals from meteorites, revealing a 20-million-year estimate for the Earth's formation. The new figure is based on careful separation of minerals and isolation of radioactive forms of niobium and zirconium.
Researchers use diamond anvil cells to test bacteria's survival under extreme pressure, finding they can withstand conditions similar to deep ocean trenches and the deep crust. The study's findings raise questions about the impact of pressure on life's evolution and expand our understanding of potential habitable niches beyond Earth.
Professor Norman Pace believes life exists elsewhere in the universe due to non-equilibrium gases like oxygen and methane. However, he doubts Earth-like conditions on Mars and Europa can sustain life.
As scientists search for life beyond Earth, the possibility of microbial disease-causing organisms emerging in new environments raises concerns. Experts like Salyers highlight examples of unexpected adaptations, such as Legionnaires' disease and Listeria monocytogenes, which can thrive in harsh conditions and cause human disease.
Researchers propose that the continents emerged suddenly over 200 million years ago, coinciding with the formation of supercontinent Rodinia. This theory suggests that changes in plate tectonics may have triggered evolutionary activity and influenced life's evolution.
Researchers plan to use cycler spacecraft, which would constantly ferry people and materials between Earth and Mars, to enable human exploration and colonization of the Red Planet. The cyclers would rotate slowly to create artificial gravity and provide comfortable accommodations for passengers on long trips.
Navrotsky's work has pioneered methods to measure the energy needed to form crystal structures, allowing scientists to study minerals deep within the earth. Her research has established the identity of materials at hundreds of kilometers depth, enabling new discoveries in nanogeoscience.
Researchers are using computer simulations to determine if the 47 Ursae Majoris system can contain an Earth-like planet. The system's asteroid belt is in the habitable zone, increasing the likelihood of finding a terrestrial planet.
Scientists found a unique microbial community in Idaho's Beverhead Mountains that thrives without sunlight, using hydrogen gas from deep Earth as an energy source. This discovery mirrors Martian subsurface chemistry and has implications for searching for life on Mars.
The discovery provides the first evidence that planets at earthlike distances can survive the evolution of their host star into a giant. The planet orbits iota Draconis, an old star with a radius 13 times that of the sun, and has an elliptical orbit that takes 1.5 years to complete.
A new theory suggests that an ancient supernova explosion may have devastated the Earth's ocean ecosystem, causing widespread extinction of plankton and marine organisms. The discovery was made by linking data from paleontology, geology, and astronomy fields.
The study, led by UC Berkeley professor James Kirchner, found that the diversification of life obeys 'speed limits' set by evolutionary processes. Biodiversity takes time to recover after an extinction due to complex ecological niche building and evolution.
A geophysicist proposes that life on Earth may have originated from microorganisms that could survive in high-temperature environments, such as deep beneath the surface. This theory is supported by evidence of ancient organisms thriving in extreme conditions and laboratory experiments showing that microbes can survive in space.
Researchers are studying ancient plant fossils in the Arctic to understand how plants adapted to harsh climates and survived continental-drift events. By analyzing fossilized leaves, stems, and roots, scientists can infer climate conditions and predict where tropical forests once existed.
Geologists have found no evidence of impact-induced volcanism on other heavily-impacted planets in our solar system, according to new research by Jay Melosh. The study also provides a theoretical analysis of the conditions created by a large impact on Earth, contradicting a widely-held idea.
Research by astrobiologist Jack Farmer highlights the significance of microbial ecosystems found in hydrothermal environments, which could be cradles for life on other planets. Discoveries of new forms of life on Earth thrive in extreme environments broaden possibilities for similar life to exist elsewhere.
Chyba, a renowned astrobiologist, has been awarded a 2001 MacArthur Fellowship for his groundbreaking work on understanding life on Earth. He will receive a $500,000 stipend to support his research on the origins of life and potential threats to human civilization.
Purdue University engineers used genetic algorithms to design innovative constellations of satellites orbiting the Earth, reducing blackout times by 90 minutes. The algorithm discovered unconventional designs with non-equal spaced satellites, offering better performance and surprising aerospace experts.
Researchers are developing a compact machine called AMPDXA to precision measure tissue mass, bone density and geometry. This instrument will aid in preventing weakened bones and fractures for astronauts returning to Earth or landing on another planet.
A study by Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study suggests that Earth's varying reflections can provide clues about distant, potentially habitable planets. By analyzing changes in light over time, scientists may gain insights into a planet's weather, oceans, or even plant life.
A research team led by University of Colorado at Boulder Professor Roger Bilham failed to find alternatives to huge Indian earthquakes, concluding that at least one 8.1-8.3 magnitude earthquake and up to seven are overdue due to the movement of the Indian plate towards Tibet.
Seismologist Douglas A. Wiens finds deep earthquakes recur at the same spot repeatedly, supporting ductile shear zone model. The research uses seismic wave evidence to locate earthquakes with accuracy, enabling future study of deep fault zones.
Researchers confirm long-standing mystery of magnetic reconnection, a process that generates solar flares and aurorae. The event was observed by NASA's Wind spacecraft as it flew through the Earth's magnetotail, revealing collisionless processes that explain its fast rate.
Global change poses significant environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. Scientists urge immediate action to address these issues, as human activities are transforming the Earth's environment at an unsustainable rate.
A team of astronomers has confirmed a key aspect of Einstein's general theory of relativity by measuring the precise orbit of a pulsar. The study used sophisticated instruments to record over 50,000 Gigabytes of data and demonstrated the predicted delay in radio pulses traveling through curved space-time.
A search for lightning on Venus in 1998 and 1999 using the Cassini spacecraft failed to detect high-frequency radio waves commonly associated with lightning. Donald Gurnett, a space physicist at the University of Iowa, suggests that if lightning exists on Venus, it may be extremely rare or very different from terrestrial lightning.
Astronomers studied 37 nearby galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope images in ultraviolet light, finding that faraway galaxies may not be inherently odd-shaped. The survey suggests that astronomers are detecting the 'tip of the iceberg' of very distant galaxies, and that their shapes may be influenced by incomplete observations.
Researchers from UCLA and Curtin University of Technology found ancient zircons in a rock that suggest liquid water existed on Earth's surface around 4.3 billion years ago. This discovery supports the idea that the conditions for life were met early on, possibly allowing for the emergence of life as early as 4.3 billion years ago.
The Stardust spacecraft is set to receive a gravity boost from Earth, lengthening its orbit and setting it on course for a rendezvous with comet Wild 2. The spacecraft will capture particles being boiled off the comet's surface by solar heating.
The IMAGE far-ultraviolet camera has captured breathtaking auroras visible from Georgia, Florida, and Texas, revealing minute details in their structure and shape. The camera's ability to image invisible ion auroras has greatly expanded scientists' understanding of the Earth's magnetosphere.
Research suggests that most of the time during the Late Heavy Bombardment period, conditions on Earth were livable for microbes. The team's study indicates that only rarely would severe bombardment have made survival at the surface difficult, allowing hardy bacteria and viruses to find sheltered places to ride out the storm.
Scientists have found that 'raining' electrons from Earth's magnetosphere destroy ozone in the upper atmosphere, creating a new aspect of natural ozone destruction. The degree of electron precipitation is directly related to the 11-year solar cycle.
Geologists propose that high-pressure ice could accumulate in planetary interiors during subduction, potentially influencing tectonic activity and volcanic eruptions on Earth and Mars. This process may also impact the planet's thermal balance, with changes in water state affecting dynamics and evolution.
A minor earthquake occurred in the Evansville area with a preliminary magnitude of 3.9, according to the USGS. This region has been identified as having a potential for damaging earthquakes.
Astronomers using Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered that protostars, the youngest stage of star formation, are marked by powerful X-rays from plasma ten times hotter and 100 to 100,000 times brighter than our Sun's flares. This has provided the closest look yet at the youngest stars in the Universe.
The Geological Society of America is hosting press briefings during its annual meeting in November 2000. The events will feature presentations from experts on topics such as landslides and slope-stability problems related to gas hydrates, the Walker Lane transform plate boundary, and planetary science research. The meetings are open to...
A team of scientists suggests that meteorites like ALH84001 could have transferred life between Mars and Earth. The analysis of the meteorite's magnetic field supports the hypothesis that meteorites can be an interplanetary delivery system capable of transferring life.
The University of Colorado-built UVIS instrument package has produced the first spectral images of Jupiter, capturing its aurora and a gigantic glowing ring of gas encircling the planet. The image reveals temperatures of over 100,000 degrees Fahrenheit and a torus density so low that it would fit inside Fenway Park if compressed to sol...
A fragile, charcoal-like meteorite that plummeted onto a frozen Canadian lake last January may represent the most primitive solar system material yet studied. Analysis of its mineral composition and oxygen and carbon isotopes suggests it could be part of a new class of carbonaceous chondrites, more primitive than any found previously.
Despite technological advancements, earthquake prediction remains elusive due to the Heat-Flow Paradox and debates on fault strength. Research efforts have shed light on variations along the San Andreas fault, with some areas experiencing locked stresses while others creep slowly.
The USGS will install a monitoring well in San Jose to track groundwater pressures and assess earthquake hazards. The project aims to improve models for estimating earthquake shaking in the region, enabling better planning and design of structures to reduce damage from future earthquakes.
The Geological Society of America will hold its 112th annual meeting in Reno, Nevada, from November 13-18. The event features eight Pardee Keynote Symposia and a record number of technical sessions covering topics such as active tectonics, oceanic island volcanism, and environmental geoscience.
Researchers found that the northern Hayward fault slips at a rate of 5-7 millimeters per year, similar to the surface, indicating it is not locked and releasing built-up strain. This reduces the threat of a major quake on this segment, but other hazards remain high.
Researchers found that a specific orbital alignment in 2014 provides an ideal escape route back to Earth in case of an emergency on the way to Mars. This trajectory is only possible within a few days of January 14, 2014, making it a critical launch window for future human missions.
The University of Iowa's contribution to the Cluster 2 space mission will analyze plasma waves in Earth's magnetosphere, predicting space weather events. The US experiment will also enable a unique telescope-like system for studying low-frequency radio emissions.
A NASA scientist has solved the century-old mystery of the Chandler wobble, attributing it to fluctuating ocean pressure changes. The study found that two-thirds of the wobble is caused by these changes, while one-third is attributed to atmospheric fluctuations.
Researchers have found a previously unknown oxygen-isotope signature in sulfate minerals on Earth, altering the understanding of the anomaly's origin. The discovery provides a new window into the Earth's ancient atmosphere and its cycling processes.