News
New study measures titanium in Apollo rock to uncover Moon’s early chemistry
8+ hour, 28+ min ago (361+ words) Trivalent titanium occurs only when the amount of oxygen available for chemical reactions is low. Thus, the abundance of trivalent titanium in ilmenite could tell us about the relative availability of oxygen in the Moon's interior when the rock formed,…...
‘Unprecedented in the past 3.6 million years’: How human-made climate change is making days longer
1+ week, 6+ day ago (357+ words) Climate change is slowing the planet's spin at an "unprecedented" rate compared to the past 3.6 million years " as scientists warn that our days are getting longer. Research had previously shown how the melting of polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers…...
Rare glass from 6-million-year-old meteorite strike found in Brazil — but the crater is still missing
3+ week, 3+ day ago (752+ words) Brazil is host to a newly found field of natural glass created from meteorite impacts, according to a new study. The natural glass is known as a tektite, which occurs after terrestrial rocks are melted when meteorites, comets, or asteroids…...
Fresh look at Apollo moon rocks solves decades-old mystery about the moon's magnetic field
1+ mon, 1+ day ago (462+ words) For decades, a debate has raged about whether the moon ever had a strong magnetic field, or if it was always weak. Now, a new analysis of Apollo-era moon rocks suggests the moon's magnetic field might be mostly weak, despite…...
Snowball Earth wasn’t fully frozen: ice-free oases sheltered early life
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (715+ words) To an astronaut today, the Earth looks like a vibrant blue marble from space. But 700 million years ago, it would have looked like a blinding white snowball. This seems an unlikely cradle for life, yet new evidence suggests the frozen…...
The way Earth's surface moves has a bigger impact on shifting the climate than we knew
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (747+ words) Our planet has experienced dramatic climate shifts throughout its history, oscillating between freezing "icehouse" periods and warm "greenhouse" states. Scientists have long linked these climate changes to fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, new research reveals the source of this…...
How Earth's orbit might help us find oil reserves within the planet
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (364+ words) Today, science can narrow down potential oil reserves with surprising accuracy " especially when it comes to shale oil, found embedded within sedimentary rock. By studying sediments in China's Sichuan Basin, researchers found that variations in the Earth's orbit can help…...
Muddy eruption at Yellowstone's Black Diamond Pool captured on video
3+ mon, 6+ day ago (340+ words) That's the word U.S. Geological Survey volcanic experts used to describe a muddy eruption at Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park on Saturday morning. Video shared by the USGS on social media shows mud spraying up and out from the…...
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has been erupting since last year as lava fountains rise hundreds of metres
4+ mon, 4+ day ago (120+ words) Kilauea volcano has been erupting at semiregular intervals since late last year, shooting spectacular lava fountains that remain safely contained within its summit crater. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has been erupting since last year as lava fountains rise hundreds of metres…...