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…
Category: Big Questions
New way to find geothermal energy
Scientists used an exploration approach developed by the oil industry to track down geothermal energy sources.
Methane-munching microbes modify the seafloor
Researchers showed that methane-eating bacteria acidify their surroundings and dissolve carbonate rocks on the seafloor.
Scientists use modified DNA to classify breast cancer
Researchers used DNA tags to divide an aggressive form of breast cancer into 2 major subtypes. They found these subtypes respond differently…
Most river water comes from the ground
Hydrologists incorporated ground and surface water flow data into Earth System models. They used these models to estimate that nearly 60% of…
Natural materials to support green energy
Scientists recycled discarded eggshells to capture rare earth elements used in green energy technology.
Scientists discover a planet-eating star
Astronomers studied light emissions from a star system 2 years after its peak brightness and saw that it had consumed and partially spat out…
How did Venus’s Ishtar highlands form?
Researchers modeled tectonic and magmatic processes on Venus. They determined that its highlands formed when molten rock rose, melting its…
Microbes make different greenhouse gases during wetland drainage
Researchers found that soil microbes release less methane but more carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in draining peatlands.
What’s a Super-Earth made of?
Astronomers observed a super-Earth with properties requiring surface water or a steam atmosphere. It challenges the paradigm that rocky…