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Deep earthquakes triggered by the olivine-poirierite transition

Seismicity decreases with depth because elevated confining pressure prevents frictional sliding of faults. However, seismicity tends to increase with depth in the mantle transition zone (depths of 410−600km). It has been ...

Novel technique drills more detail into ice core records

Glaciers can reveal vast archives of information about Earth's environmental past, but deciphering the origins of the matter within them can be a challenge. Now, using a novel technique that enables researchers to directly ...

Navigating the past with ancient stone compass needles

Magnetic rocks with iron oxide concentrations act as natural chroniclers of Earth's past continental movements. Using small samples of rocks, scientists can isolate magnetic grains that were frozen in orientation as the rock ...

Massive Atlantic sargassum blooms traced to West Africa

Massive blooms of Sargassum seaweed that have inundated coastlines across the Atlantic since 2011 likely originate off the coast of West Africa—forming years before they are visible and overturning long-standing assumptions ...

New metric identifies at-risk mangroves before they disappear

Scientists from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación in Mexico have developed a tool that identifies mangrove patches facing the greatest risk of ...

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Earth Sciences
Atlantic current system could be weakening faster than expected
Earth Sciences
Waikīkī faces escalating threat of sewage-contaminated flooding as sea level rises
Earth Sciences
Combining seismic and space data to detect calving in Greenland glaciers
Earth Sciences
This drone reveals what lies beneath snow and soil
Earth Sciences
Ancient Maya droughts may have been fueled by Earth's own climate swings
Earth Sciences
Blended satellite data reveal what drove methane's 2019–2024 rise worldwide
Earth Sciences
As polar ice changes, so do the rules governing it
Earth Sciences
Copper's 'gatekeeper' could unlock cleaner energy future
Earth Sciences
Ocean eddies are amplifying climate extremes in coastal seas, study finds
Earth Sciences
CO₂ emissions from cultivated peat soils may be lower than assumed
Earth Sciences
Like a house of cards, buried weak snow layers buckle under pressure and unleash slab avalanches
Earth Sciences
Super magma reservoirs discovered beneath Tuscany
Earth Sciences
Saltwater is closing in on coastal groundwater, putting billions and food supplies at risk
Earth Sciences
Andean volcanic eruptions during the Late Miocene likely drove global cooling
Earth Sciences
Glaciers may flow into the ocean more quickly than we think
Earth Sciences
Mount Etna breaks volcano rules, tapping 80-kilometer-deep magma in a rare fourth category of eruption
Earth Sciences
Deep learning turns weather satellite thermal imagery into hourly ocean current maps
Earth Sciences
Satellites reveal city methane emissions are rising faster than official estimates
Earth Sciences
Tiny particles in Arctic ponds may play role in cloud formation and climate change
Earth Sciences
The peatland 'nurseries' of Peru give new insights for conservation

Other news

Ecology
PFAS detected in dolphin milk may pass from mothers to calves
Environment
Wildfires used to 'go to sleep' at night. Climate change is turning them into prime burning hours
Plants & Animals
DNA cracks nutmeg's hidden past, revealing a South Moluccas origin and a prehuman journey north
Archaeology
First archaeological case of cleft lip identified in China reveals inclusive care in Qing dynasty community
Soft Matter
Quantum-informed AI improves long-term turbulence forecasts while using far less memory
Cell & Microbiology
Antioxidant glutathione discovered to play a key role in proper protein folding
Plants & Animals
Parrots are not just mimicking words—they use proper names like humans to identify individuals
Astronomy
ALMA and JWST investigate giant disk galaxy's formation and evolution
Analytical Chemistry
Platinum-free catalyst splits hydrogen from water for energy, running 1,000 hours at industry standards
Ecology
Warmer streams may be draining river food webs by sending more carbon into the air
Bio & Medicine
Nanobody repairs misfolded CFTR inside cells, boosting function in cystic fibrosis
Plants & Animals
Want to restore oyster reefs? Find a site where they don't wash away or become buried under the sand
Biotechnology
Two bacteria join forces to turn chemical signals into electricity, opening up low-cost sensing options
Biotechnology
Shrink, remove and modify: Team successfully 'trims' wheat chromosomes
Bio & Medicine
Medicine's next leap: Delivering gene therapies exactly where they're needed
Plasma Physics
Researchers directly observe muonic molecules critical to muon catalyzed fusion
Planetary Sciences
Volunteers discover rare space weather events using their ears
Cell & Microbiology
AI-powered tool could speed treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria by pinpointing potent peptides
Biotechnology
Q&A: Will agentic AI replace human scientists?
Evolution
Saving coral reefs will require ruthless selection over generations to beat future heat waves

A complicated future for a methane-cleansing molecule

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that is second only to carbon dioxide in driving up global temperatures. But it doesn't linger in the atmosphere for long thanks to molecules called hydroxyl radicals, which are known ...