New Study Shows Earth’s Tectonic Plates Are Weaker Than Once Thought
New research from the University of Pennsylvania gives scientists a better idea of olivine’s strength, with implications for how tectonic plates form and move. No…
Geophysics
MIT Study Predicts Thresholds for a Sixth Mass Extinction
According to a newly published study from MIT, Earth’s oceans may hold enough carbon to launch mass extinction of species in future millennia. In the…
New Gravity Map of Mars Suggests the Planet Has a Porous Crust
Researchers from NASA have discovered evidence that Mars’ crust is not as dense as previously thought, a clue that could help scientists better understand the…
Researchers Identify a Prehistoric Sea Creature That Once Patrolled the Ocean Floor
A team of biologists has identified a small marine predator that once patrolled the ocean floor and grabbed its prey with 50 spines that it…
Arctic Sea Ice Loss is Impacting Atlantic Ocean Water Circulation System
New research from Yale University and the University of Southampton shows that the loss of Arctic sea ice is impacting the Atlantic Ocean water circulation…
Researchers Investigate Turbulence in Planetary Cores
New research investigates the combination of elliptical deformation of streamlines and vorticity that can lead to the destabilization of any rotating flow via the elliptical…
Geophysicists Resolve the Mystery About Wind Flows on Jupiter
Using a spinning table and a massive garbage can, new experiments simulated Jupiter’s swirling winds in the laboratory for the first time. The results demonstrate…
Prehistoric Extinctions Offer Insights for Today’s Endangered Species
New research from Yale University is using data from prehistoric extinctions to teach valuable, real-world lessons about what happens to an ecosystem when its most…
‘Great Valley’ Provides More Evidence That Mercury is Shrinking
A newly discovered “great valley” in the southern hemisphere of Mercury provides more evidence that the small planet closest to the sun is shrinking. Scientists…
Astronomers Examine Dicyanoacetylene Ice in Titan’s Stratosphere
New research examines the appearance of a cloud of dicyanoacetylene ice in Titan’s stratosphere. The puzzling appearance of an ice cloud seemingly out of thin…
Study Suggests Habitable Zone Alone Isn’t Sufficient to Support Life
New research from Yale University suggests that simply being in the habitable zone isn’t sufficient to support life. A planet also must start with an…
New Model Could Offer an Explanation for Cracks on Icy Moons
Astronomers at the University of Rochester have developed a new model that could offer a new explanation as to how cracks on icy moons, such…
Europa’s Ocean May Contain the Necessary Balance of Chemical Energy for Life
New research from NASA reveals that Europa’s ocean may contain the necessary balance of chemical energy for life, even if the moon lacks volcanic hydrothermal…
Astronomers Track the Source of Slow Solar Wind
Using newly processed observations, astronomers spot tell-tale signs that the slow solar wind passing Earth originated from a magnetic phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection. From…
New Study Traces the Impact of Volcanic Activity on Climate Change
A newly published study shows that for the majority of Earth’s history, continental arc volcanism has been the main driver of long-term climate variability. A…
New Findings Help Shape Our Understanding of Pluto and Its Moons
Using data from the New Horizons flyby of Pluto, astronomers continue to learn more about this icy world and its system of satellites. New Horizons…
Scientists Should Focus on Changes in Species to Recognize and Avoid a Mass Extinction
New research from Yale University urges scientists to move their focus from species extinction to species rarity in order to recognize, and avoid, a mass…
Yale Researchers Find a Soft Spot in the Nazca Plate
Using land-based seismic stations, researchers from Yale University found that part of the Nazca Plate weakened and deformed as it bent and slid under the…