First continents formed with a dash of mantle water
New research cracks the mystery of how the first continents formed.
By Chris Kirkland, Curtin University; Hugh Smithies, Curtin University, and Tim Johnson, Curtin University Earth i...
Earth
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Conversation
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Ancient Pilbara rocks speak of Earth’s first continents
A new study of rocks in Western Australia’s Pilbara region rewrites the history of early continen...
A new study of the famous iron-red rocks in Western Australia’s arid Pilbara region has revealed that the formation o...
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Reef-wrecking numbers: What will a 3°C rise in global temperature do ?
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is in strife if global temperatures rise by 1.5°C. If they rise by...
Both the continent Australia and its inhabitants are well accustomed to extreme weather and climate events. In th...
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The climate crisis Australia our children could inherit
Top climate scientists urge action to avoid the dire consequences of a 3°C warmer world.
The variable origin story of the expression “may you live in interesting times” is something of a metaphor for the cl...
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How to use climate models
The complicated work involved in predicting the losses from climate change.
The Australian Academy of Science’s new report, The risks to Australia of a 3°C warmer world, has grim predictions fo...
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Microplastics in soils
Microplastics are a hidden source of soil carbon, and not in a good way.
Microplastics appear to be interfering with the very fabric of Earth: its soils and the millions of microbes living i...
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Explainer
Explainer: Myth-busting the Boring Billion
A thousand million years can’t all be dull, can they?
Geologists are fond of giving dramatic names to past events, such as “The Great Dying” or “Snowball Earth” or “The Ca...
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Pesticides put two-thirds of agricultural land at risk
Australia at high risk of pesticide pollution.
Pollutants from agrochemicals and pesticides can disrupt the ecosystem and risk harming human health, despite greatly...
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Animal ‘relax’ gene helps plants save water
Pores stay closed to prevent water loss during drought.
In order to save water, plants might be able to use an animal relaxing gene. A team of Australian and German resea...
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Video
Cosmos Briefing: The Circular Economy
As Australia stands to make more money off recycling batteries, experts discuss the circular econ...
What is the circular economy, and how can it be achieved? As experts discuss the topic, a new report shows that Austr...
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Conversation
Yes, Australia is a land of flooding rains. But climate change could be making it worse
As Australia floods, a climate scientist warns that recent events are symptomatic of the worsenin...
By Joelle Gergis, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, Australian National University. Over the past three years, I...
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Flood forecasting: what next?
New space technologies are set to improve our flood watch and warning capabilities.
Easing rainfall today will start to bring some relief to flood-hit parts of eastern Australia – not immediately in ma...