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…
Geophysics
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…
Earth’s Geomagnetic Field Intensity is Double the Historical Average
New research from MIT shows that the Earth’s geomagnetic field intensity is double the long-term historical average, indicating that the current field intensity has a…
MAVEN Reveals That Solar Wind Has Transformed Martian Atmosphere
NASA’s MAVEN mission reveals that solar wind appears to have played a key role in the transition of the Martian climate from an early, warm…
New Research Reveals Earth’s Inner Core Was Formed 1 – 1.5 Billion Years Ago
New data from the University of Liverpool reveals that the Earth’s inner core was formed 1 – 1.5 billion years ago as it “froze” from…
Protective Magnetic Fields Increase the Chance for Life on Earth-Like Planets
A new study from the the University of Washington details how Earth-like planets orbiting close to small stars may have magnetic fields that protect them…
Yale Scientists Solve the Problem of Sea Ice Thickness Distribution
Using molecular concepts and treating the ice floes of the frozen seas like colliding molecules in a fluid or gas, researchers at Yale University have…
Small Asteroids Completely Shattered the Moon’s Upper Crust
Using data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, astronomers mapped the gravity field in and around more than 1,200 craters on the far side…
MESSENGER Spacecraft Reveals New Details about Mercury
Using data from the MESSENGER spacecraft, scientists reveal new insights about Mercury. The first measurements of Mercury’s movements from a spacecraft orbiting the planet reveal…
Turtles Share a Recent Common Ancestor with Birds and Crocodiles
New fossil evidence reveals that turtles share a recent common ancestor with birds and crocodiles. There’s a twist in the turtle timeline. Thanks to new…
Flat-Slab Subduction in South America Mirrors Formation of Rocky Mountains
For the first time, Yale University geophysicists are getting to look at a geological process in South America that mirrors the formation of America’s Rocky…