Magma rapidly rises to Earth’s surface as Africa splits in two
Researchers analyzed timescales preserved in crystal growth zones and found that magma beneath Ethiopia rises dozens of miles to the surface…
Category: What happened in Earth’s past?
What was the Earth like a long time ago? What have archaeologists found? What was it like before life started? How did life come to be?
Can 300-year-old Antarctic microbes help us understand climate change?
Researchers demonstrated that microbial DNA from a 300-year-old ice core can help track how microbes respond to global change.
Carbon feedbacks 56 million years ago similar to today
Geologists simulated the chemistry of Earth's past oceans and atmosphere using mineral data from the ancient seafloor. They found a…
When did freshwater appear on Earth?
Geologists found chemical ratios in ancient minerals that suggested Earth had freshwater 550 million years after it formed.
A new treasure trove of Cambrian fossils
Paleontologists discovered a new set of fossils from the ancient ancestors of animals in rocks from China.
Is Earth safe from nearby exploding stars?
Scientists used an Earth system model to test how radiation from a nearby supernova would affect life on our planet. They found that the…
Volcanism warmed past Earth
Geologists dated a global warming event about 180 million years ago. They found it lasted between 169,000 and 417,000 years and was linked…
How complex plants reshaped the oceans
Researchers found that when complex plants evolved, they increased ocean oxygen and massively restructured the marine ecosystem.
Bat poop corrodes cave formations
Scientists found that bat droppings, microorganisms, and dripping water combine to dissolve cave formations in Slovakia and Poland.
Lightning reacts with minerals to create the building blocks of life
Scientists stimulated atmospheric gases with electricity and found they reacted with common salts and minerals to form complex chemicals…