Humanity’s Geologic Footprint Transformed by Unprecedented Energy Use Since 1950
A new study coordinated by CU Boulder makes clear the extraordinary speed and scale of increases in energy use, economic productivity and global population that…
Geology
Scientists Warn: Warming of 2°C Would Release Billions of Tons of Soil Carbon
Global warming of 2°C would lead to about 230 billion tonnes of carbon being released from the world’s soil, new research suggests. Global soils contain…
New Findings Suggest That Many Geoscientists’ Understanding of the Earth’s Interior Is Too Simplistic
Current understanding is that the chemical composition of the Earth’s mantle is relatively homogeneous. But experiments conducted by ETH researchers now show that this view…
“Zombie Fires” in Peatlands, Which Release Devastating Amounts of Carbon, Could Be Dampened by New Findings
Imperial College London researchers have simulated for the first time how soil moisture content affects the ignition and spread of smoldering peat fires, which can…
Geologists Simulate Martian Soil Conditions to Figure Out How to Grow Plants on Mars
Geologists Dig Into Question of Martian Soil Fertility Humankind’s next giant step may be onto Mars. But before those missions can begin, scientists need to…
Ice Loss Likely to Continue in Antarctica, Even if Climate Change Is Brought Under Control
A new international study led by Monash University climate scientists has revealed that ice loss in Antarctica persisted for many centuries after it was initiated…
Defining Moment in Human Evolution: Turbulent Era Sparked Leap in Human Behavior, Technology 320,000 Years Ago
New drill core shows a boom-bust landscape in the east African rift valley at a defining moment in human evolution, technology and culture. For hundreds…
Lost and Found: Geologists “Resurrect” Missing Tectonic Plate That Some Argued Was Never Real
Long-debated plate located in Northern Canada using 3D mapping technology. The existence of a tectonic plate called Resurrection has long been a topic of debate…
Long-Standing Scientific Enigma Solved: Ground-Breaking Discovery Finally Proves Rain Really Can Move Mountains
A pioneering technique that captures precisely how mountains bend to the will of raindrops has helped to solve a long-standing scientific enigma. The dramatic effect…
Remnants of an Ancient Asteroid Shake Up a Once Accepted Timeline for Cataclysmic Events in the Early Solar System
Researchers have shaken up a once accepted timeline for cataclysmic events in the early solar system. About 4.5 Ga (giga-anum, or billion years ago), as…
Sierra Nevadas Formed in a “Geologic Instant” – Geologists Raise the Speed Limit for How Fast Continental Crust Can Form
Study suggests parts of the Sierra Nevadas formed in a “geologic instant,” more than twice as fast as previously thought. Although we can’t see it…
Geologists Solve Long-Standing Puzzle That Could Pinpoint Valuable Rare Earth Element Deposits
Pioneering new research has helped geologists solve a long-standing puzzle that could help pinpoint new, untapped concentrations of some the most valuable rare earth deposits….
Earth Grows Fine Gemstones in Minutes – Crystals Could Grow Up to 3 Feet per Day in Some Cooling Magmas
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but some of Earth’s finest gemstones were, according to new research from Rice University. Aquamarine, emerald, garnet, zircon and topaz…
Textbooks and Geoscientists May Be Wrong About How the Alps Were Formed
ETH researchers have used a computer model to test a new hypothesis about the formation of the Alps while simulating seismic activity in Switzerland. This…
Shedding New Light on Earth’s Deepest Mechanisms Using Diamonds
Uncovering New Understanding of Earth’s Carbon Cycle University of Alberta PhD student authors paper shedding new light on Earth’s deepest mechanisms using information from diamonds….
Strange Precariously Balanced Rocks Provide Earthquake Forecasting Clues
Precariously balanced rocks (PBRs) are formations found throughout the world where a slender boulder is balanced precariously on a pedestal boulder. They form as blocks…
“Yet Another Wake-Up Call” – Greenland on Track to Lose Ice Faster Than in Any Century Over the Last 12,000 Years
The research places the ice sheet’s modern decline in historical context, providing a robust look at how this century’s losses could starkly outpace prior changes….
Largest Extraterrestrial Diamonds Ever Discovered: Cosmic Diamonds Formed During Gigantic Planetary Collisions
International research team solves theory of how diamonds formed inside protoplanets. Geoscientists from Goethe University have found the largest extraterrestrial diamonds ever discovered – a…