Research on Earth's systems and resources. Covers green energy, ocean oxygen and metal deposits, lunar exploration, and geothermal power.
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.
Researchers at UNLV's Nevada Extreme Conditions Lab have discovered a new form of ice with unique properties. The team found that the transition to Ice-X occurs at much lower pressures than previously thought.
A new color catalog of icy planet surface signatures has been created to aid in the search for life on frozen worlds. The catalog, based on microorganisms found in subarctic conditions, provides a tool for comparing Earth's biological microbes with those on other planets.
Scientists discovered that earthquakes influence tectonic plate movement, altering frequency and patterns of quakes. This finding suggests improved earthquake risk models can be developed by incorporating feedback mechanisms after an earthquake.
A WVU postdoctoral researcher has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of magnetic reconnection, which can be used to predict space weather events that affect satellite and power grid systems. The study uses advanced laser diagnostics to measure electron speeds, providing new insights into plasma physics processes.
A new study finds that cell phone GNSS networks can accurately track crustal deformation, offering a more comprehensive view of seismic activity. By combining private and public sector networks, researchers aim to improve fault models and enhance disaster prevention.
Researchers used a novel approach to understand the effects of human activity on the planet, introducing three parameters: delay time, memory, and persistence. They found that the atmosphere, land, and ocean system is fragile and could be forced outside its natural regime before 2050 if emissions continue as usual.
Scientists have discovered that the onset of microbial fertilizer factories on the Earth's seafloor roughly 2.6 billion years ago was a crucial step in the rise of oxygen levels during the Great Oxidation Event. This recycling process fueled photosynthetic bacteria, which increased oxygen production and paved the way for complex life t...
Researchers from Denmark and Sweden have dated the massive Hiawatha impact crater in Greenland to 58 million years ago, revealing it occurred a few million years after dinosaurs went extinct. The crater's age opens up a new understanding of Earth's evolution during this period.
Researchers have discovered a surprisingly soft mineral, davemaoite, that plays a crucial role in the Earth's recycling of rocks. The study suggests that davemaoite is around 1,000 times softer than other minerals in the mantle, and its mechanical properties can help explain how earthquakes and volcanoes occur.
Researchers found variations in carbon isotopes in younger kimberlites, suggesting the Cambrian Explosion affected the Earth's lower mantle. The study suggests that changes in marine sediments leave profound traces on the Earth's interior.
MIT engineers mapped airplane contrails over the US in 2020 and found a 20% drop in coverage compared to prepandemic years. The team's computer-vision technique can help predict where contrails form, allowing airlines to reroute planes and reduce aviation's climate impact.
Researchers found a chemical link between wildfire smoke and ozone depletion, which may stall ozone recovery for years. The study discovered that the smoke from Australian wildfires in 2019-2020 depleted ozone by 1%, highlighting the potential impact of future, more frequent fires.
A recent seismic study reveals that Patagonia is rising as glaciers melt due to a gap in the tectonic plate under the region. The study found low seismic velocity and a thinning of the lithosphere above the gap, which is driving rapid uplift.
Researchers from HSE University have developed a mathematical model that explains the levitation of charged dust particles over the sunlit lunar surface for almost any latitude. The study takes into account the Earth's magnetotail and its impact on particle movement, leading to vertical oscillation and eventual levitation.
Researchers propose that cognitive activity operating on a planetary scale is necessary to tackle global issues. A mature technosphere involves integrating technological systems with Earth through feedback loops, making it self-maintaining and exhibiting emergent behavior.
Researchers are developing systems to detect, characterize and track objects in cislunar space, or the space between Earth and the moon, to prevent lunar traffic jams and congestion.
A recent study by a UT graduate student has unraveled the enigma of how tectonic plates break Earth's rock-hard shell. By monitoring seismic images and matching them with rock samples, the researcher found that a small break in the Australian plate grew over millions of years until it unzipped and set in motion a runaway geologic process.
A research team led by Dr. Serge Krasnokutski has discovered a reaction pathway that can form peptide chains under cosmic conditions without water. This finding suggests that the origin of peptides could be extraterrestrial in nature, challenging the conventional assumption that life emerged on Earth.
A new study using advanced radar technology has recorded Antarctic glaciers losing ice at unprecedented rates, threatening global climate risks. The research team plans to expand its findings to giant and fragile West Antarctica neighbors, including the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers.
Chemists at Scripps Research have found that cyanide can drive metabolic reactions to create carbon-based compounds from carbon dioxide, expanding our understanding of the origins of life on Earth and its potential for existing elsewhere. This discovery opens up new avenues for searching for extraterrestrial life.
The UH-discovered Earth Trojan asteroid is the largest to date, offering valuable data on its orbital stability. Researchers conducted an observational study and analyzed the asteroid's photometric characteristics, shedding light on its properties.
Researchers found two gas reservoirs, one containing solar gas and the other with terrestrial water signature, in the earliest stages of our solar system. This discovery suggests that Earth's water was present before the accretion of its constituent blocks.
Researchers found evidence of high-intensity damage caused by asteroid impact in a Martian meteorite, challenging previous findings on early Mars habitability. The discovery provides new insights into dynamic processes that affected the young planet's surface.
Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology discovered a new way Earth's magnetic field produces plasma jets, which can weaken the planet's first line of defense. The study used NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission satellites to track the formation and origin of these downstream jets.
Researchers from McGill University found that oxygen levels rose with complex eukaryotic ecosystems, indicating low oxygen was a significant limitation on evolution for billions of years. The discovery has implications for searching for biosignatures in other planets, focusing on ozone detection.
A recent study discovered that a hydrothermal crater lake in Costa Rica's Poás volcano is home to a diverse range of microorganisms, including the single 'extremophile' genus Acidiphilium. These bacteria have adapted to survive in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures and toxic metals, which may be similar to those found on Mars.
A recent study suggests that a chemical compound called magnesium hydrosilicate, stable at high pressures and temperatures, could have stored water deep within the Earth's mantle during its violent early days. This finding has significant implications for understanding the origin of water on Earth and potentially habitable exoplanets.
Astronomers have captured detailed images of sinuous stellar jets emanating from young stars, suggesting that their sidewinding appearances are caused by gravitational attraction from companion stars. The observations were made using the Gemini South telescope's adaptive optics system.
An international team of researchers concludes that humanity has exceeded a planetary boundary related to environmental pollutants, including plastics. The study finds that the production and release of chemicals have negative effects on Earth systems, including biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles.
Researchers have discovered that Earth's interior is cooling at a faster rate than expected, with implications for plate tectonics and the planet's overall activity. The study suggests that this increased heat flow will accelerate mantle convection, leading to a faster cooling of the Earth.
Researchers from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have identified a new crystal structure for hydrogen at low temperatures near 0 K and high pressures. The team used supercomputer simulations and data science to generate several candidate patterns, which were then validated through high-resolution simulations.
Researchers discover Amazon basin as main mechanism for precipitation in Atacama Desert, accounting for 40-80% of total precipitation. The findings reveal a new pathway of water supply for the driest region on Earth, aside from summer rain, through moist easterly winds and winter storms.
A new study analyzing the rock record rules out atmospheric oxygen before the Great Oxygenation Event, potentially rewriting our understanding of Earth's past. The research team used high-resolution techniques to inspect specimens of the rock, finding evidence that chemical data suggesting early oxygen may have been introduced later.
A group of international scientists, led by Teun Bousema, published a study in The Lancet Planetary Health highlighting the significant carbon footprint of academic travel. Over a thousand academics have signed the Thoughtful Travel Pledge petition, calling for reduced carbon emissions at all levels.
A recent study by Dr. Henrik Svensmark and colleagues reveals a close connection between supernovae occurrence and the burial of organic matter in sediments on Earth. The correlation indicates that supernovae are essential for life's existence, with high nutrient concentrations leading to increased bioproductivity and oxygen production.
Researchers used a state-of-the-art climate model to find that the level of ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the Earth's surface could have been underestimated, with UV levels being up to ten times higher. This challenges the long-held assumption that oxygen levels reached about one percent relative to present atmospheric levels.
New research suggests that ultra-low velocity zones in the deep mantle may be regions made of different rocks than the rest of the mantle, with compositions potentially linked to the early Earth. The study's findings imply the presence of layered structures within these zones, shedding light on their origin and evolution.
An international team of scientists proposes a global network to monitor hazards threatening Earth's ecosystems and human activities. The International Meridian Circle Program aims to track space weather events, geomagnetic field changes, and atmospheric disturbances using a diverse range of instruments.
A team of researchers found that the building blocks of Earth and Mars originated primarily from the inner Solar System, contradicting a popular theory. The study analyzed the isotopic composition of rocky planets and meteorites, revealing that only about 4% of the material came from beyond Jupiter's orbit.
The Matterhorn oscillates at two frequencies, with movements up to 14 times stronger at the summit than at the foot. Researchers detected these subtle vibrations using seismometers, which are also found in bridges and high-rise buildings, revealing a broader phenomenon.
Sauropod dinosaurs were restricted to warmer, drier habitats than other dinosaur types, which could thrive in Earth's polar regions. The researchers found that sauropods' range was more limited during colder periods, suggesting a unique physiology closer to being 'cold-blooded'.
Researchers used Rayleigh waves to produce high-resolution images of the rocks underneath the ice sheet, identifying key factors controlling ice flow. The study provides a better understanding of processes contributing to accelerated ice discharge into the ocean and sea level rise.
NASA will launch four Earth science missions in 2022, including TROPICS, EMIT, and JPSS, to enhance climate system understanding and storm forecasting. These missions will provide high-quality data on tropical cyclones, mineral dust, and ocean surface temperatures.
Researchers successfully reproduced the formation of methane from diamonds under high-pressure conditions, shedding light on the deep Earth's carbon cycle. This finding suggests that hydrocarbons like methane can be created without biological activities, which has significant implications for our understanding of the planet's climate.
Researchers at WVU are creating control software for aerial robots to survey Venus' atmosphere, helping model the evolution of climate on Earth. The aerobots will use a hybrid airship design and energy-efficient paths to explore the planet's surface.
A large population study from Lund University found that a sustainable diet is associated with lower risks of premature death. The EAT-Lancet diet, which emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, and pulses, was linked to a 25% lower risk of total mortality and specific causes like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
A team of scientists successfully visualized the propagation path of electromagnetic waves from space to ground, revealing a 'straw-shaped' pathway. The study used data from multiple spacecraft and ground-based observatories to clarify the origin and spatial extent of these waves.
A new MIT study uses climate modeling to reconstruct global hurricane activity, finding a significant increase in North Atlantic hurricanes over the last 150 years. In contrast, global hurricane frequency remains unchanged. The study's findings suggest regional climate variations play a key role in shaping hurricane patterns.
A team of researchers found evidence that solar wind altered the chemical composition of ancient asteroid grains, producing water molecules and providing a possible source for Earth's oceans. The discovery could help future space missions find sources of water on airless worlds.
A new study has found that serpentinite plays a crucial role in recycling oxygen in the Earth's tectonic plates. The research, led by Cornell University scientists, reveals that the oxidation state of the mantle is controlled by the subduction system's thermodynamic conditions and geometry.
A new dataset from Canterbury earthquakes provides over 15,000 case histories for liquefaction, significantly augmenting model training and testing. The dataset enhances hazard assessments and improves engineering solutions in earthquake recovery, benefiting society as a whole.
Scientists have discovered a 900-mile mantle pipeline stretching from the Gal ªgapos Hotspot to Central America, suggesting that hotspots are not fixed in place. This new finding transforms our understanding of geologic processes occurring beneath the Earth's surface.
The article highlights the dangers of biological contamination from space travel, citing examples of bacteria resistant to ionizing radiation and disinfectants found in NASA 'clean rooms'. Researchers propose the use of invasion science to address this threat, leveraging insights on epidemiology, rapid evolution, and early detection.
A team of scientists, including Dr Phill Cassey, are calling for greater recognition of the biosecurity risks ahead of the space industry. The research highlights the potential for 'alien organisms' to survive the journey and cause invasive species threats.
Researchers use NASA's MMS data to study micro-scale physics in the Earth's magnetotail, revealing a key component missing from existing models: an ambipolar electric field. This discovery challenges existing understanding of thin current sheets and provides new insights into space weather
Researchers found that before the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere began to stick to their bedrock more effectively, causing glaciers to grow thicker and disrupt global heat conveyor belts. This led to stronger ice ages and the observed climate pattern shift.
Recent advances in radiocarbon knowledge have improved our understanding of climate processes, solar activity, geophysics, and the carbon cycle. Researchers developed a more detailed record of atmospheric radiocarbon extending back 55,000 years, helping to understand Earth's past and project future changes.
Physicists from HSE University and MIPT discovered a correlation between Martian dust storms and Schumann resonances. The study suggests that electric fields in the Martian atmosphere may induce standing electromagnetic waves, similar to those on Earth.
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.