EurekAlert! News by Subject: Earth Science - News by Subject: Earth Science

Earth Science

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 13-Feb-2026 23:11 ET (14-Feb-2026 04:11 GMT/UTC)

AMS Science Preview: Hurricane slowdown, school snow days

American Meteorological Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Early online research published in journals of the American Meteorological Society discusses topics including an increase in tropical cyclone near-shore "rapid slowdown" events, decreasing Northern Hemisphere snow cover, school bus cancellations, and one reason tornadoes may be shifting further southeast.

Journal: Journal of Hydrometeorology

AMS releases statement regarding the decision to rescind EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding

American Meteorological Society
Business Announcement

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is deeply concerned by the repeal of EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, which correctly concluded that greenhouse gas emissions harm health and well-being for current and future generations.

Protecting turfgrass from fungal foes

University of Delaware
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A beneficial bacterium developed at the University of Delaware cuts turfgrass dollar spot disease by 43.6% – but only with direct leaf application. Their new study details the need for viable, targeted biocontrol strategies in turf management.

Journal: Plant Stress

Look again! Those wrinkly rocks may actually be a fossilized microbial community

University of Texas at Austin
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a recent paper published in Geology, scientists propose that certain kinds of wrinkle structures in sedimentary rock are the remnants of ancient microbial communites, similar to those found in deep ocean whale falls today. Geologists have long considered these wrinkle structures as physical in nature, formed by underwater landslides, because the deepsea environment wasn't thought to be hospitable to photosynthetic microbes. In their paper, the researchers demonstate how chemosynthetic microbes, which need no light to grow, could thrive in these environments and leave these wrinkles structures behind.

Journal: Geology
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation

New analysis of crystal deformation reveals surprising results

University of Liverpool
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by the University of Liverpool examined olivine to better understand how it deforms. The researchers were surprised to find that about 17% of the crystals showed evidence of deformation involving previously overlooked “b” dislocations.

Journal: Geophysical Research Letters

NASA selects UW-led STRIVE and EDGE teams for satellite missions

University of Washington
Business Announcement

NASA announced on Thursday last week that both the University of Washington STRIVE team and the UW-affiliated EDGE team were selected to lead satellite missions to better understand Earth and improve capabilities to foresee environmental events and mitigate disasters.

Road salt creates more harm to freshwater life than expected, study finds

University of Missouri-Columbia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Freshwater streams, ponds and lakes across the United States are becoming saltier, and new research from the University of Missouri shows the damage may be greater than scientists once thought. Scientists at Mizzou’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources found that road salt becomes much more deadly to freshwater snails when combined with the fear of natural predators in the water.

Journal: Oikos

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