News by Subject Earth Science

New research strongly suggests that the distinct 'oxygenation events' that created Earth's breathable atmosphere happened spontaneously, rather than being a consequence of biological or tectonic revolutions. The study not only shines a light on the history of oxygen on our planet, it gives new insight into the prevalence of oxygenated worlds other than our own.

Since August a large accumulation of pumice has been drifting in the Southwest Pacific towards Australia. Researchers at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, together with colleagues from Canada and Australia, have now identified the origin of this pumice raft. It is a so far nameless underwater volcano in Tongan waters. The study has been published online in the international Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research.

The release of more than 50 floating sensors, called Mobile Earthquake Recording in Marine Areas by Independent Divers (MERMAIDs), is increasing the number of seismic stations around the planet. Scientists will use them to clarify the picture of the massive mantel plume in the lower mantel lying below the South Pacific Ocean. This effort will also establish one of the most comprehensive overviews of seismic activity across the globe.

Greenhouse gas emissions released directly from the movement of volcanic rocks are capable of creating massive global warming effects -- a discovery which could transform the way scientists predict climate change, a new study reveals.

Each hair-thin glass fiber in a buried fiber optic cable contains tiny internal flaws -- and that's a good thing for scientists looking for new ways to collect seismic data in places from a busy urban downtown to a remote glacier.

The study determined that the Earth's crust in southern Arizona was once almost 60 kilometers thick, which is twice as thick as it is today -- and comparable to how thick the crust is in parts of the Himalayas.