Great 2011 Japan Tsunami Magnified by Shifts in Deep Geologic Structure
Where tectonic plates meet, a change in angle. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake struck under the seabed off Japan–the most powerful quake…
Geophysics
Scientists Can Finally Explain Why Some Water Droplets Bounce Off Surfaces, Without Ever Actually Touching Them
When a water droplet lands on a surface it can splash, coat the surface cleanly, or in special conditions bounce off like a beach ball…
Earthquakes Deform Gravity – New Algorithm Could Enable Early Warning Systems
Lightning — one, two, three — and thunder. For centuries, people have estimated the distance of a thunderstorm from the time between lightning and thunder….
Physics Researchers Discover Sand Dunes Can ‘Communicate’ With Each Other
Even though they are inanimate objects, sand dunes can ‘communicate’ with each other. A team from the University of Cambridge has found that as they…
Laser Doppler Velocimetry Delivers New Insights Into Mysterious Fluid Motions
Scientists gain a deeper understanding of turbulent and transitional pipe flows. Water issuing from an ordinary faucet tells a complex tale of its journey through…
Borexino Experiment Detects “Ghost” Signals From Deep Inside the Earth
Scientists involved in the Borexino collaboration have presented new results for the measurement of neutrinos originating from the interior of the Earth. The elusive “ghost…
Iron ‘Snow’ Found in Earth’s Core – New Research Uncovers Forces That Affect Entire Planet
The Earth’s inner core is hot, under immense pressure and snow-capped, according to new research that could help scientists better understand forces that affect the…
GOCE Gravity Mapper Reveals What’s Going on Deep Below Antarctica
Despite having completed its mission in orbit over six years ago, ESA’s GOCE gravity mapper continues to yield new insights into our planet. Thanks to…
High-Precision Map Shows What the Land Looks Like Under Antarctica’s Ice Sheet
University of California, Irvine-led team releases high-precision map of Antarctic ice sheet bed topography. New findings will help scientists predict climate change impact on frozen…
Killer Electron Hot Spot Found in Earth’s Van Allen Radiation Belts
JAXA and NASA satellite observations show where killer electrons are generated in the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. A collaboration between researchers in Japan,…
Study Finds One Cause for Several Mysteries Linked to Breathable Oxygen 2.5 Billion Years Ago
Breathing? Thank Volcanoes, Tectonics and Bacteria Earth’s breathable atmosphere is key for life, and a new study suggests that the first burst of oxygen was…
New Study Shows Breaching Carbon Threshold Could Lead to Mass Extinction
In the brain, when neurons fire off electrical signals to their neighbors, this happens through an “all-or-none” response. The signal only happens once conditions in…
New Project Seeks to Replicate the Cradle of Life
Yale professor of geology and geophysics Jun Korenaga will take part in a new, NASA-supported project that will examine the specific conditions that led to…
Astronomers Believe Water Worlds Could Support Life
The conditions for life surviving on planets entirely covered in water are more fluid than previously thought, opening up the possibility that water worlds could…
Researchers Develop New Technique to Forecast Geomagnetic Storms
The Earth’s magnetic field extends from pole to pole and is strongly affected by solar wind from the sun. This “wind” is a stream of…
NASA Creates First Ever 3D Model of Melting Snowflake
NASA has produced the first three-dimensional numerical model of melting snowflakes in the atmosphere. Developed by scientist Jussi Leinonen of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in…
Scientists Map the Mineralogy of the Moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin
A detailed study of a giant impact crater on the Moon’s far side could provide a roadmap for future lunar explorers. The study, by planetary…
New Hydrothermal Model Evaluates the Possibility of Life on Jupiter’s Moon Europa
Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is a major target of astrobiology research in light of the possibility that it offers a habitable environment in the Solar…