March 19, 2019
After hurricanes, U.S. beach homes are rebuilt bigger
When it comes to houses in the U.S., bigger is often seen as better. A new study looking at the recovery of real estate after major hurricanes …
The EARTH archive
Erosion
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23 articles · Page 1 of 1
July 3, 2018
A rocky source of nitrogen
Calculations of the planet’s nitrogen balance have always been off: plants and soils seem to sequester far more nitrogen than expected. The …
April 10, 2018
Benchmarks: May 3, 2003: New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain falls
On May 2, 2003, the Old Man of the Mountain, New Hampshire’s famous face-shaped granite formation, adorned the side of Cannon Mountain in …
December 14, 2017
Western wildfires affect water quality
Wildfires have burned increasing acreage in recent decades, a trend that’s expected to continue with global climate change. In the U.S. West, the …
November 15, 2017
Red Planet Roundup: December 2017
With two rovers patrolling the surface of Mars, six spacecraft orbiting above it, and scientists here on Earth studying the Red Planet from afar, …
September 19, 2017
Red Planet Roundup: October 2017
With two rovers patrolling the surface of Mars, six spacecraft orbiting above it, and scientists here on Earth studying the Red Planet from afar, …
July 19, 2017
Red Planet Roundup: August 2017
With two rovers patrolling the surface of Mars, six spacecraft orbiting above it, and scientists here on Earth studying the Red Planet from afar, …
July 17, 2017
Bottom dropping out of coral reefs
Coral reefs provide habitat for 25 percent of all marine life, support fishing and tourism economies, and protect shorelines from surging waves …
June 19, 2017
Martian channels carved by lava, not water?
A complex system of river-like channels on Mars widely thought to have been formed by flowing water could instead have been carved by a huge lava …
March 20, 2017
White Cliffs of Dover on the retreat
England’s iconic White Cliffs of Dover tower 100 meters over the English Channel and, historically, were often the first and last view of England …
January 19, 2017
Small floods can carve big canyons
Through the early 20th century, geologists argued over how the giant canyons of the Channeled Scablands in Eastern Washington were formed. …
January 18, 2017
Fungi stabilize steep slopes
The steep slopes of Switzerland’s high Alps are unstable — with loose soil and few plants — which poses hazards such as shallow landslides. In a …
January 15, 2016
Ice (Re)Cap: February 2016
From Antarctica to the Arctic; from polar caps, permafrost and glaciers to ocean-rafted sea ice; and from burly bears to cold-loving microbes, …
November 6, 2015
Wormholes may limit landslides
Scientific investigations sometimes take unexpected twists and turns. When Emma Harrison, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, …
November 2, 2015
Due diligence in river incision data
As great equalizers of topography, rivers and streams whittle down landscapes by alternately scouring away broad flat swaths of sediment and …
September 4, 2015
Sculpting the Alps
Mountains typically get steeper the higher you climb. The European Alps are an exception: Beginning at altitudes between about 1,500 and 2,000 …
June 16, 2015
Wind whips canyons into shape
As a force of nature, wind is usually afforded less respect than water. Sure, it can topple trees and, in extreme cases, peel roofs off houses. …
May 12, 2015
Pre-settlement erosion rates illuminated
Humans are one of the most powerful erosive agents on Earth, moving copious amounts of sediment to and fro, mainly through agriculture and …
April 20, 2015
Yosemite's cliffs in retreat
This past winter, two athletes grabbed the world’s attention as they climbed up the sheer walls of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan. But some …
November 4, 2014
Gravity builds stone sculptures
Every visitor to Arches National Park in Utah wonders how the spectacular, seemingly improbable sandstone arches form, but although there are …
October 5, 2014
Clues to limestone weathering written in Western Wall
Builders and masons take note: When it comes to the durability of limestone, grain size matters. New research combining field and lab data shows …
October 2, 2014
Tiny ants are heroic weathering agents
Over geologic timescales, weathering of silicate minerals — which account for more than 90 percent of all crustal rocks on Earth — plays a …
January 5, 2012
Hurricane Ike sent Galveston's beaches out to sea
On Sept. 12, 2008, Galveston was a picture-perfect seaside Texas town, with an extensive stretch of beach lined with beautiful homes. But a day …