Did Venus ever have oceans?
The planet Venus can be seen as the Earth's evil twin. At first sight, it is of comparable mass and size as our home planet, similarly consists mostly of rocky material, holds some water and has an atmosphere. Yet, a closer look reveals striking diff.....»»
Unearthing the impacts of hydrological sensitivity on global rainfall
Georgia Tech researcher Jie He set out to predict how rainfall will change as Earth's atmosphere continues to heat up. In the process, he made some unexpected discoveries that might explain how greenhouse gas emissions will impact tropical oceans, af.....»»
Study reveals new mechanism to explain how continents stabilized
Ancient, expansive tracts of continental crust called cratons have helped keep Earth's continents stable for billions of years, even as landmasses shift, mountains rise and oceans form. A new mechanism proposed by Penn State scientists may explain ho.....»»
Compared to billions of years ago, Venus has almost no water: New study may reveal why
Planetary scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered how Venus, Earth's scalding and uninhabitable neighbor, became so dry......»»
Weak magnetic field may have supported diversification of life on Earth
An unusual reduction in the strength of Earth's magnetic field between 591 and 565 million years ago coincided with a significant increase in the oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans, according to a paper published in Communications Earth & Env.....»»
New computer algorithm supercharges climate models and could lead to better predictions of future climate change
Earth System Models—complex computer models that describe Earth processes and how they interact—are critical for predicting future climate change. By simulating the response of our land, oceans and atmosphere to manmade greenhouse gas emissions,.....»»
Scientists find five new hydrothermal vents in Pacific Ocean
The pace of discovery in the oceans leaped forward thanks to teamwork between a deep-sea robot and a human occupied submarine leading to the recent discovery of five new hydrothermal vents in the eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean......»»
How did the early Great Barrier Reef manage rapid environmental change?
As the modern Great Barrier Reef emerged after the last ice age, it had to cope with multiple environmental stresses—rising sea levels, increased sediment from a flooding coastline, ocean turbulence and likely warming oceans......»»
A new electrochemical approach could reduce ocean acidity and remove carbon in the process
In the effort to combat the catastrophic impacts of global warming, we must accelerate carbon emissions reduction efforts and rapidly scale strategies to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and the oceans. The technologies for reducing ou.....»»
Mangrove blue carbon at higher risk of microplastic pollution
Earth's oceans and coastal ecosystems are a major sink for carbon storage, known as blue carbon. Sequestration of carbon is vitally important in the fight against climate change as it 'locks away' this molecule, alleviating pressure on greenhouse gas.....»»
Q&A: Why are we drowning in single-use plastics, and what can we do about it?
Plastic is ubiquitous. It's in the clothes we wear, wrapped around the food we eat and in the toothpaste we use. It floats in the oceans and litters the snow on Mount Everest......»»
The best shows on Disney+ right now (April 2024)
The best shows on Disney+ include Secrets of the Octopus, Drain the Oceans, X-Men '97, Renegade Nell, Queens, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Iwájú, and more......»»
How a cyanobacterium manages iron scarcity makes it the most successful photosynthetic organism on Earth
The sea is the world's largest ecosystem, and it harbors two photosynthetic organisms that produce approximately half of the oxygen on Earth. The cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic organism in the oceans and fixes appr.....»»
Scientists say coral reefs around the world are experiencing mass bleaching in warming oceans
Coral reefs around the world are experiencing global bleaching for the fourth time, top reef scientists declared Monday, a result of warming ocean waters amid human-caused climate change......»»
The heat is on: What we know about why ocean temperatures keep smashing records
Over the last year, our oceans have been hotter than any time ever recorded. Our instrumental record covers the last 150 years. But based on proxy observations, we can say our oceans are now hotter than well before the rise of human civilization, ver.....»»
How much of Venus"s atmosphere is coming from volcanoes?
There's a lot we don't know about the planet nearest to us. Venus is shrouded in clouds, making speculation about what's happening on its surface a parlor game for many planetary scientists for decades. But one idea that always seems to come up in th.....»»
Panama plans dry alternative to drought-hit canal
Panama on Wednesday unveiled plans for a "dry canal" to move cargo between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans due to low water levels in its century-old maritime channel......»»
Using CO₂ and biomass, researchers find path to more environmentally friendly recyclable plastics
Modern life relies on plastic. This lightweight, adaptable product is a cornerstone of packaging, medical equipment, the aerospace and automotive industries and more. But plastic waste remains a problem as it degrades in landfills and pollutes oceans.....»»
Study finds microbes hitchhike on microplastics to reach the sea
The oceans contain large amounts of microplastics, particles that are less than 5 mm in size. In parts of the Baltic Sea, the concentration of microplastics can be as much as 3,300 particles per cubic meter. The microplastics end up in aquatic enviro.....»»
Heat from El Niño can warm oceans off West Antarctica—and melt floating ice shelves from below
As snow falls on Antarctica, layers build up and turn to ice. Over time, this compressed snow has become a continent-sized glacier, or ice sheet. It's enormous—almost double the size of Australia and far larger than the continental United States......»»
Broken record: March is 10th straight month to be hottest on record, scientists say
For the 10th consecutive month, Earth in March set a new monthly record for global heat—with both air temperatures and the world's oceans hitting an all-time high for the month, the European Union climate agency Copernicus said......»»