Search Results for: Geology
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Earth
Earth’s oldest known earthquake was probably triggered by plate tectonics
Billion-year-old rocks in South Africa hold evidence for the onset of plate tectonics early in Earth’s history.
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Planetary Science
Our picture of habitability on Europa, a top contender for hosting life, is changing
The moon of Jupiter is considered one of the most promising places to look for life, but its subsurface ocean may be less habitable than once thought.
By Nikk Ogasa -
Planetary Science
Salt may have carved out Mercury’s terrains, including glacierlike features
Mercury may contain a planetwide cache of salt that has sculpted chaotic terrain and possibly even habitable niches.
By Shi En Kim -
Space
50 years ago, scientists found a lunar rock nearly as old as the moon
Studies of such rocks continue to reveal secrets about the moon’s history.
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Planetary Science
Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon might contain a hidden ocean
A fresh look at Cassini data reveals slight changes in the tiny moon’s orbit that suggest the presence of a vast ocean beneath the satellite’s icy shell.
By Adam Mann -
Earth
Where are U.S. earthquakes most likely? A new map shows the hazard risks
Updates to the National Seismic Hazard Model have elevated the average ground shaking hazard across the country.
By Nikk Ogasa -
Planetary Science
An asteroid may have exploded over Antarctica about 2.5 million years ago
Tiny spherules of rock found in Antarctic ice may point to the oldest known “airburst,” or midair disintegration of an incoming asteroid.
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Climate
Canada’s Crawford Lake could mark the beginning of the Anthropocene
The mud of a Canadian lake holds an extremely precise record of humans’ influence on Earth. But the Anthropocene isn’t an official geologic epoch yet.
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Planetary Science
Pluto’s heart-shaped basin might not hide an ocean after all
Planetary scientists propose an alternative theory to explain why Sputnik Planitia has stayed put across Pluto’s equator.
By Adam Mann -
Earth
50 years ago, mysterious glass hinted at Earth’s violent past
Like Hansel and Gretel followed a trail of breadcrumbs, scientists have followed tektites to the sites of major meteorite impacts.
By Demian Perry -
Paleontology
A rare 3-D tree fossil may be the earliest glimpse at a forest understory
The 350-million-year-old tree, which was wider than it was tall thanks to a mop-top crown of 3-meter-long leaves, would look at home in a Dr. Seuss book.