December 27, 2016
Geologic Column: New Year's as we know it is new
Cuneiform clay tablets discovered in Iraq reveal that more than 4,000 years ago, Babylonians were celebrating a New Year’s holiday. The …
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1236 articles · Page 23 of 52
December 27, 2016
Busy as a bee: New species of bee quarries into sandstone
Researchers have discovered five nesting sites of a new species of bee (Anthophora pueblo) that prefers to make its home in sandstone. The newly …
December 27, 2016
Supernova explosion detected in Early Pleistocene sediments
When a massive star comes to the end of its life cycle, it goes out with a spectacular bang known as a supernova. Only three of these events have …
December 27, 2016
Earth's largest jet stream unexpectedly disrupted
In early 2016, scientists first noticed an unexpected change in wind direction in the stratosphere some 25 kilometers above the equator. This …
December 27, 2016
Current marine extinction unprecedented
In today’s ocean, larger-bodied animals are more likely to become extinct than smaller creatures, according to a new study in Science. This is …
December 27, 2016
Ant bodies shaped by environment
Ants are ectotherms, which means their metabolisms are controlled by the temperature of their environment. New research shows that the …
December 27, 2016
Getting there and getting around Shetland
Getting to the Shetland Islands requires taking a ferry from mainland Scotland. Ferries are very comfortable and well-run, with a smooth …
December 27, 2016
Travels in Geology: Scotland's stunning Shetland
About 170 kilometers northeast of mainland Scotland, there is a remote cluster of islands featuring terrific geology, friendly people, an …
December 20, 2016
Panama's isthmus stays 3 million years young: Further evidence needed to support an older age
The formation of the tiny Isthmus of Panama had major geographic repercussions, cutting off the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean and …
December 20, 2016
Slow-moving slides may be triggered by cold temperatures
Landslides aren’t always fast-moving disasters. Slow landslides creep downhill at rates up to a few meters a year, which might not sound …
December 20, 2016
Green corridors led humans out of Africa
A trail of fossil, archaeological and genetic clues suggests that modern humans, who first evolved in East Africa about 200,000 years ago, may …
December 20, 2016
Mysterious Antarctic algae blown in by high winds
When fossils of microscopic marine algae called diatoms were discovered high in the Transantarctic Mountains 30 years ago, the mysterious find …
December 20, 2016
Rethinking Pangea? Ancient ocean crust challenges supercontinent theory
The oldest piece of undisturbed oceanic crust ever discovered has been found beneath the eastern Mediterranean Sea, hidden under more than 10 …
December 19, 2016
An undersea volcano yields its secrets
One of the world’s most active volcanoes has been seen by only a handful of humans — that’s because it lies 470 kilometers offshore of the …
December 15, 2016
Seafloor topography drives Earth's great conveyor belt
In the Southern Ocean, the world’s largest current in terms of volume transport — the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) — encircles Antarctica …
December 14, 2016
Wintering in the high Arctic reveals surprising results
“Extremes define the Arctic.” With that observation, Mats Granskog of the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) began a tale of recent discoveries …
December 7, 2016
A story in the sediment: Emperor Yu's "Great Flood" may have been real
Ancient Chinese texts re-count the story of a great flood on the Yellow River some 4,000 years ago and Emperor Yu’s heroic efforts to dredge and …
December 7, 2016
Geologic Column: Conscious landscapes: Thinking like a septic tank
"He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was …
December 7, 2016
Comment: To intervene or not to intervene: Improving the environment
We often view human civilization as an invader of the natural realm, displacing native species in favor of our own creations. Indeed, our …
November 30, 2016
Down to Earth With: Underwater cave explorer Jill Heinerth
Jill Heinerth has trekked farther into caves than any woman in history, logging more than 7,000 dives across every continent and descending as …
November 29, 2016
Getting there and getting around Patagonia
Southern Chile has two main gateways, the homey town of Puerto Natales, a 1.5-hour drive from the national park, and Punta Arenas, a small city …
November 29, 2016
Travels in Geology: Exploring an icon of Patagonia: Chile's Torres del Paine National Park
While planning a family trip to Chile last year, Torres del Paine (pronounced “PIE nay”), a group of impossibly steep granite spires, was number …
November 22, 2016
Geomedia: Gifts: Holiday Gift Guide
Geeky science gifts abound, but it’s not always easy to narrow down your choices. That’s especially true for the scientist — young or old — in …
November 15, 2016
Ice (Re)Cap: December 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, …