There are deposits of ice at Mercury"s poles, too
Although the Arecibo radio telescope is no more, it continues to deliver scientific discoveries. There is a wealth of Arecibo data astronomers continue to mine for new discoveries, and one of them is thanks to an astronomical technique known as plane.....»»
Hydrothermal mercury: The natural story of a contaminant
An international team of researchers including scientists from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel has produced the first global estimate of mercury emissions from hydrothermal sources at mid-ocean ridges based on measurements......»»
New salmon habitat created by melting glaciers could be threatened by mining claims, study finds
Thousands of salmon on the West Coast of North America are finding their way into new streams left behind as glaciers retreat. But a new study suggests mining companies are too keen on the newly exposed mineral deposits beneath the shrinking glaciers.....»»
Scientists develop a new high-efficiency mercury removal photocatalyst
Scientists from Shanghai University of Electric Power of College of Energy and Mechanical Engineering have developed a new high-efficiency mercury removal photocatalyst......»»
As seas get warmer, tropical species are moving further from the equator
Climate change is causing tropical species in the ocean to move from the equator towards the poles, while temperate species recede. This mass movement of marine life, termed tropicalization, is leading to a cascade of consequences for ecosystems and.....»»
Earth"s magnetic field protects life on Earth from radiation, but it can move, and the magnetic poles can even flip
The Earth's magnetic field plays a big role in protecting people from hazardous radiation and geomagnetic activity that could affect satellite communication and the operation of power grids. And it moves......»»
Aerocapture is a "free lunch" in space exploration
When spacecraft return to Earth, they don't need to shed all their velocity by firing retro-rockets. Instead, they use the atmosphere as a brake to slow down for a soft landing. Every planet in the solar system except Mercury has enough of an atmosph.....»»
Unveiling Mercury"s geological mysteries: Salt glaciers, primordial atmosphere, and the new frontiers of astrobiology
Scientists from the Planetary Science Institute have uncovered evidence of potential salt glaciers on Mercury, opening a new frontier in astrobiology by revealing a volatile environment that might echo habitability conditions found in Earth's extreme.....»»
What"s behind the toxic levels of mercury in tropical birds? Gold mining, study shows
The tropics are home to more than 75% of all species and are projected to support 50% of the world's human population by mid-century, but little is known about mercury pollution in these life-filled regions......»»
Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is telling us more about its alien ocean
JUNO has spotted salt deposits that may have percolated up from a sub-surface ocean. Enlarge (credit: USGS) With Europa and Enceladus getting most of the attention for their subsurface oceans and potential to host life,.....»»
Scientists say that the planet Mercury is still shrinking
New research indicates that Mercury's tectonic shifts are ongoing. We've known since the 1970s that the planet Mercury was, at one point, shrinking as its core cooled. But we didn't know if it was still happening...until now. Scientists from Th.....»»
Mercury is still shrinking as it cools
Contraction features called "graben" formed (relatively) recently. Enlarge / In addition to craters, Mercury's terrain features faults generated by the planet's cooling. (credit: NASA) The planet Mercury may be hot, but.....»»
Mercury: Shrinking planet is still getting smaller, according to new research
Planetary scientists have long known that Mercury has been shrinking for billions of years. Despite being the closest planet to the sun, its interior has been cooling down as internal heat leaks away. This means that the rock (and, within that, the m.....»»
Top crypto marketplace hacked after cloud provider attacked
Mixin Network loses $200 million as operators freeze deposits and withdrawals......»»
Peru"s Operation Mercury stopped most illegal gold mining in one biodiversity hotspot—then the COVID-19 pandemic hit
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a lifeline for many who live in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru, where poverty is high and jobs are scarce. But the economic development in this part of the Amazon basin comes at a cost, as it cau.....»»
Argyle volcano study reveals crucial third clue to finding new diamond deposits
Curtin University researchers studying diamond-rich rocks from Western Australia's Argyle volcano have identified the missing third key ingredient needed to bring valuable pink diamonds to the Earth's surface where they can be mined, which could grea.....»»
ATLAS experiment places some of the tightest limits yet on magnetic monopoles
Magnets, those everyday objects we stick to our fridges, all share a unique characteristic: they always have both a north and a south pole. Even if you tried breaking a magnet in half, the poles would not separate—you would only get two smaller dip.....»»
Researchers reveal dominant source of atmospheric mercury in the Arctic
A research team led by Prof. Xie Zhouqing and Prof. Le Fange from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) revealed that the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) is a dominant source of atmospheric gaseous.....»»
Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals, study shows
Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the.....»»
Probing rare hot plasma flows in the upper atmosphere
Near Earth's poles, observers of the night sky often behold aurorae, colorful light shows in the upper atmosphere caused by interactions between the solar wind and our planet's magnetosphere. A little closer to the equator, a different upper atmosphe.....»»
Teen’s death after eating a single chip highlights risks of ultra-spicy foods
The hot pepper linked to teen's death can cause arteries in the brain to spasm. Enlarge (credit: Sarah Dussault/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images) Harris Wolobah, a healthy 14-year-old from Worcester, Mas.....»»