Tag Archives: Geology

Earth's magnetic field reversals may take much longer than we thought

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The Earth's magnetic field flips periodically, and a new study suggests the process takes longer than ...

Compasses point north – that’s a pretty constant fact of life. But it hasn’t always been the case, as the north and south poles actually flip on a semi-regularly basis. Exactly how long this process takes has been up for debate, and now a new study suggests it happens far more slowly than we previously thought.

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Category: Environment

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Snowball planets may still have habitable hotspots

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When looking for other planets that could be hosting life, astronomers tend to focus on those that are very Earth-like. But doing so might be limiting our scope too much and underselling life’s hardiness. A new study has used simulations to s… Continue reading Snowball planets may still have habitable hotspots→

Earth's eighth persistent lava lake found on remote sub-Antarctic island

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In this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, a distinct hotspot can be seen in ...

Many of us will know what bubbling lakes of lava within volcanoes look like. After all, we’ve seen them our entire lives in movies, TV shows and cartoons. But that doesn’t mean they’re common. In fact, only seven lava lakes have been found so far, until now. After 30 years of suspecting the existence and location of the eighth, a team of scientists has finally confirmed it – within the crater of a remote, Subantarctic island volcano.

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Category: Science

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Rock radioactivity may tell the tale of long-lost continents on early Earth's crust

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Rock radioactivity models suggest that long-lost continents may have arisen and fallen on Earth's crust earlier ...

Earth has had a tumultuous past, so it’s hard to get a clear idea of those wild early days. But a new study by researchers from the University of Adelaide raises the possibility that continents may have risen out of the sea much earlier than is currently believed, before being destroyed once again by tectonic activity.

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Volcanologists model latest flame-resistant lava suit fashions

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A team of volcanologists at the University of Missouri turned fashion models recently as they showed off prototype lava suits that are designed as comfortable, hard-wearing field outfits for scientists bound for the slopes of Vesuvius and the… Continue reading Volcanologists model latest flame-resistant lava suit fashions→

Looking for life on Mars? Look for pasta-shaped rocks

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Alien life is almost certainly out there somewhere, but because it’s most likely microscopic, it probably won’t be easy to spot. Instead we might need to keep an eye out for other biomarkers, which could be detected in the atmosphere, soil or… Continue reading Looking for life on Mars? Look for pasta-shaped rocks→

Diamonds found to be made mostly of the seafloor, pressure-cooked to perfection

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When Old Rose dropped the diamond necklace into the ocean at the end of Titanic, it turns out she was probably just returning it to where it originally came from. Researchers in Australia and Germany have found that many diamonds begin life a… Continue reading Diamonds found to be made mostly of the seafloor, pressure-cooked to perfection→