Earth Sciences
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Delicate balance in the Falklands
Threat to seabirds is a threat to the ecosystem.
Seabird droppings helped shape the delicately balanced ecosystem of the Falkland Islands, which is in danger of abrup...
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Rain really can move mountains
Himalayan study describes dramatic impact of erosion.
Plate tectonics tends to dominate the common view of mountain formation: where two plates meet, rock is pushed up. Ho...
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Sahara actually has quite a few trees
Satellite imaging and deep learning provide clearer picture.
A surprising new study has revealed that there are more than 1.8 billion trees and shrubs in the Sahara and Sahel reg...
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Megafauna struggled in the rainforest
Research reveals impact of change in SE Asia.
In today’s human-dominated world, rampant deforestation is driving many of Southeast Asia’s species towards extinctio...
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Conversation
How planetary forces shape Earth’s surface
Geophysicists explain rocky icebergs and deep anchors.
By Simon Lamb, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington Have you ever wondered why the Earth’s surface ...
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Conversation
Lingering toxic legacy of bushfires
Study shows they release pollutants trapped by forests.
By Cynthia Faye Isley and Mark Patrick Taylor, Macquarie University We know forests absorb carbon dioxide, but, li...
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Conversation
Discovery of a new mass extinction
This one triggered the dawn of the dinosaurs.
By Michael J Benton, University of Bristol Huge volcanic eruptions 233 million years ago pumped carbon dioxide, me...
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Topsoil needs a little more consideration
Study reveals impact of farming on soil lifespan.
Scientists have provided what they say is the first worldwide snapshot of how soil erosion may be affecting the longe...
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Watching a volcano make a comeback
Scientists analyse images over seven decades.
German and Russian scientists say they have documented the life cycle of a volcano for the first time, revealing that...
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The curious case of the wet meteorites
Scientists find rocky clues to why Earth has the water it has.
Scientists studying a rare type of meteorite have discovered that much of Earth’s water may have formed when our plan...
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Machine learning finds quake origin signatures
Historical seismic data may help understand future timing.
Combing through historical seismic data with a machine learning model, US researchers have unearthed distinct statist...
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History
Alfred Wegener and the continental drift
Astronomer’s geological theory didn’t please everyone.
The Earth Institute’s State of the Planet blog recently featured a story headlined “8 Surprising Facts About Marie Th...