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…
Category: Geology
How complex plants reshaped the oceans
Researchers found that when complex plants evolved, they increased ocean oxygen and massively restructured the marine ecosystem.
Geologists identify a new way copper ore forms
Researchers found that massive copper ore deposits in central Arizona formed from melted crust rather than melted mantle.
Storms cause acids to enlarge our aquifers
Researchers found that sulfuric and nitric acids from human activities dissolve more limestone in aquifers than they previously thought,…
How complex life arose under extreme stress
Scientists discovered molecules that helped the first complex life forms build strong cell membranes to withstand extreme environments.
Remains of the Moon could be lurking inside Earth
Scientists used models to test whether remnants of the moon-forming impactor, Theia, are present deep within the Earth.
Researchers used bottled “lightning” to make ingredients for life
Scientists used spark discharge experiments to test whether lightning converted enough nitrogen to a usable form to support the origins of…
How quickly did life recover from the end-Permian mass extinction?
Paleontologists described exceptionally well-preserved fossils of a complex marine ecosystem that developed within 1 million years of a…
Can scientists predict catastrophic floods?
Researchers showed river structure and moisture conditions can help predict large-scale flood events.
Scientists found a new way diamonds are made and destroyed
Geologists examined CT images of diamonds from southern Africa to determine what happens to them underground.