https://phys.org/earth-news/earth-sciences/ en-us The latest news on earth sciences and the environment Originally deployed to record re-entry signals of the OSIRIS-REx return capsule, a T-shaped fiber optic cable draped across the ground at a Nevada airfield also captured unique aspects of a Cessna 172's speed and maneuvering. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-surface-draped-fiber-captured-plane.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:20:02 EDT news695619661 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 believed that pressure-induced phase transitions of olivine in the "cold" subducted slabs is the cause of high seismicity in the mantle transition zone. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-deep-earthquakes-triggered-olivine-poirierite.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:40:03 EDT news695552983 The East Asian Subtropical Westerly Jet (EASWJ) and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) are two pivotal components of the East Asian monsoon system, shaping the precipitation distribution and climate over East Asia. Whether the co-evolutionary EASWJ–EASM relationship remains consistent under different climatic backgrounds has been a key question in both modern and paleoclimate research. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-interannual-evolutionary-reveal-east-asia.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:20:01 EDT news695577841 Relocating the city of Venice is among four potential options—including movable barriers, ring dikes and closing the Venetian Lagoon—that could help it adapt to future sea-level rise over the next 200 years, according to a new study. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-relocating-venice-options-explored-city.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:00:01 EDT news695570401 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 analyze millions of individual particles at once, a new study has revealed that specks of dust trapped in Antarctic ice likely originated from a common source during the last Ice Age, between about 120,000 and 11,500 years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-technique-drills-ice-core.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:30:03 EDT news695567693 The underground laboratory in Nevada where the U.S. conducts nuclear subcritical experiments is riddled with faults. Researchers have not confirmed whether any of these faults are active and could rupture during an earthquake, according to a presentation by members of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board delivered at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-extensive-faults-beneath-nevada-nuclear.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:20:02 EDT news695569082 Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed a method to differentiate the topography of medieval mountain castles from that of natural ridges using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. This method is expected to be useful for detecting historically modified terrain, such as archaeological sites in mountainous regions, as well as for assessing the extent of topographic modifications and estimating the potential risk of landslides on modified slopes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-lidar-medieval-castle-terrain-flags.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695561161 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 solidified. The magnetization of these grains acts as a miniature compass needle, pointing toward ancient magnetic poles. This same principle applies to extraterrestrial samples, such as meteorites and lunar rocks, which preserve evidence of the early solar nebula's evolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-stone-compass-needles.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:20:03 EDT news695562781 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 about where these events begin. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-massive-atlantic-sargassum-blooms-west.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:00:04 EDT news695562483 A new look at the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate beneath the coast of northern Oregon suggests this subducting slab is shallower than previously thought, with impacts on potential peak ground shaking during a Cascadia megathrust earthquake. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-oregon-basin-shallower-slab.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:40:04 EDT news695561641 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 degradation. The tool, called the Mangrove Threat Index and described in a study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, aims to provide an empirical argument for conservation before vulnerable ecosystems are lost rather than after, said the researchers. The index yields a single number that local planners and communities can use to prioritize specific mangrove patches for protection. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-metric-mangroves.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news695558942 A microscopic green pigment can provide major insights into how severe tropical cyclones called typhoons impact water flow and ecosystems. Called chlorophyll a, the pigment is responsible for absorbing light and initiating the photosynthesis process for algae, other plants and some bacteria. The amount of chlorophyll a in a body of water acts as a proxy measurement for the organisms that feed on it, with sharp increases or decreases indicating a disrupted ecosystem. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microscopic-green-pigment-insights-successive.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:00:05 EDT news695557023 Powerful cyclones can push seawater miles inland, threatening densely populated communities and critical infrastructure built along coastal areas. A combination of exposure and complexity makes the Bay of Bengal in Southeast Asia a powerful test case for scientists seeking to better understand how tides, storm surge, river flows and sea level rise interact to drive extreme coastal flooding. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-simulations-generate-thousands-cyclone-scenarios.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:00:04 EDT news695557540 As future shifts in climate lead to more rain and less snow in the western United States, new research finds that water will move faster through a landscape, likely leading to negative impacts on summer water levels and water quality. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-warmer-winters-drought-threaten-western.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news695557473 The Atlantic current system, or more formally the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is more likely to weaken than previously thought. That's the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Science Advances, which used more refined modeling techniques to get a clearer picture of the future. If these new projections are correct, the consequences could be severe, particularly for Europe and Africa. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atlantic-current-weakening-faster.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:40:05 EDT news695552250 A new study by University of Hawai'i at Mānoa researchers revealed that Waikīkī is facing a fundamental shift in flood hazards as sea levels rise—transitioning from a flooding that is driven primarily by rainfall to events increasingly dominated by tidal processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-waikk-escalating-threat-sewage-contaminated.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news695549821 When the edge of a Greenland glacier breaks off into the sea to become an iceberg, can a global seismic network "hear" it? The answer is yes—but only if the event is a large one. And it helps to pair the resulting surface seismic waves with satellite observations to get the best overall chance at detecting calving tidewater glaciers, researchers said at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-combining-seismic-space-calving-greenland.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:20:07 EDT news695549462 Using self-developed drones and advanced sensors, researchers can now see both under the snow and into the ground. The scientists' goal is to reduce societal risk and environmental encroachment. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-drone-reveals-beneath-soil.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:20:02 EDT news695478417 Sea ice is not just solid frozen water. It's riddled with tiny pockets and channels of liquid brine. Whether those pockets connect to form pathways determines whether seawater, nutrients and gases can move through the ice, according to decades of research by University of Utah mathematician Ken Golden. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-polar-ice.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:50:03 EDT news695492702 Dramatic droughts linked to the decline of the Classic Maya civilization approximately 800 to 1000 CE may not have required any external trigger, according to a new climate modeling study. Instead, they could have emerged from Earth's own natural climate variability—shifts within the climate system that, when aligned, are capable of producing prolonged dry periods on their own. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-maya-droughts-fueled-earth.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:40:03 EDT news695476101 Because methane has around 80 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period, it has been a major focus for climate action groups. The Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26 in November 2021, aims to cut human-caused methane emissions by 30% by 2030. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-blended-satellite-reveal-drove-methane.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:20:05 EDT news695476107 Organic soils cover less than 9% of Norway's land area, and about 65,000 hectares are currently used as agricultural land. Emissions from these areas are presently estimated at more than 2 million tons of CO₂ equivalents per year. This is equivalent to the emissions from 400,000 fossil-fueled cars. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-emissions-cultivated-peat-soils-assumed.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:40:02 EDT news695464441 Although the fundamental constitutive laws for steel and concrete were established more than a century ago, weak layers in snow remain a mystery. There are currently two theories about how they fail. A study published in Geophysical Research Letters has now identified a clear favorite. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-house-cards-weak-layers-buckle.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:20:01 EDT news695456259 New research reveals a powerful yet overlooked driver of climate change: intensifying ocean eddies. These swirling currents—that break off from major currents—are redistributing heat and nutrients in the ocean and amplifying climate extremes in key coastal ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ocean-eddies-amplifying-climate-extremes.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:05 EDT news695380692 A common mineral hiding in plain sight could hold the key to making copper production cleaner, faster and more efficient, just as global demand for the metal surges to power the energy transition. In an article published in Nature Geoscience, researchers from Monash University's School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment describe why chalcopyrite, the source of around 70% of the world's copper, has remained so difficult to process, and how its hidden chemistry could be harnessed to unlock more sustainable extraction. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-copper-gatekeeper-cleaner-energy-future.html Earth Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:00:01 EDT news695378631 Models of glacial flow and retreat rely on estimates of glacial ice viscosity, the measure of the ice's resistance to flow. Ice viscosity is dependent on the stress applied to the glacier. Most ice sheet models use a standard equation to model ice flow that includes the variable n, called the stress exponent. A larger value of n means ice viscosity is more sensitive to changes in stress. For decades, glaciologists have, almost exclusively, used an assumed n value of 3 in the models they use to predict ice flow. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-glaciers-ocean-quickly.html Earth Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:20:05 EDT news695391001 Coastal groundwater is a key source of drinking water in many regions of the world. However, it is threatened by overabstraction and the potential for salinization. Rising sea levels are further exacerbating the situation. This is demonstrated by a recent study published in Nature Water by a research team led by Professor Robert Reinecke from the Institute of Geography at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Annika Nolte from the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) in Hamburg. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-saltwater-coastal-groundwater-billions-food.html Earth Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:50:02 EDT news695401861 Mark Clementz, a professor in the University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics, and colleagues have produced a compelling study that shows that an increase in volcanic activity in the Andes in the Late Miocene Epoch likely resulted in a cooling of Earth between 5.4 million and 7 million years ago. Their findings are in a new article, titled "Andean volcanism, ocean fertilization, marine ecosystem turnover, and global cooling in the Late Miocene," published in Communications Earth & Environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-andean-volcanic-eruptions-late-miocene.html Earth Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:50:01 EDT news695399821 How can magma buried 5, 10, or even 15 km underground be detected without any surface indicators? The answer lies in ambient noise tomography, a technique that analyzes natural ground vibrations with high precision. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (CNR-IGG), and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) has identified a vast reservoir containing approximately 6,000 km3 of magma beneath Tuscany. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-super-magma-reservoirs-beneath-tuscany.html Earth Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:40:03 EDT news695377589 Urban emissions of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—are rising faster than bottom-up accounting estimates anticipated, according to a study led by University of Michigan Engineering. The discrepancy was found with satellite measurements of methane over 92 major cities around the world. For 72 of the cities, there were sufficient data to track changes in methane emissions between 2019 and 2023. Overall, global urban methane emissions in 2023 were 6% higher than 2019 levels and 10% higher than 2020 levels, although they tended to decrease in European cities. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-satellites-reveal-city-methane-emissions.html Earth Sciences Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:50:01 EDT news695320261