October 12, 2017
Can preserved proteins reveal paint-by-numbers plumage?
Some of the most compelling dinosaur fossils are those found with clearly defined feathers. Feathers may seem fragile and unlikely to be …
The EARTH archive
September 2017
Explore the archive by subject.
40 articles · Page 1 of 2
September 22, 2017
Less-developed countries with high climate risk need better access to weather and climate data
Rising seas, more persistent droughts and more frequent severe weather events are predicted to occur in the coming decades as the planet …
September 18, 2017
Neolithic farmers impacted sedimentation
The Neolithic Revolution, also known as the Agricultural Revolution, started in the Middle East about 11,500 years ago when people moved away …
September 18, 2017
Geomedia: Radio: "Big Picture Science" aptly named
Titles can sometimes be a hard thing to live up to, but “Big Picture Science,” a weekly radio program broadcast on about 100 stations nationwide, …
September 18, 2017
Down to Earth With: Paleobiologist Gregory Erickson
As an undergraduate at the University of Washington, Gregory Erickson wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He started out as an engineering major, …
September 14, 2017
Cassini's legacy after two decades
On Sept. 15, 2017, at 4:55 a.m. PT, scientists on Earth received the last transmission from the Cassini spacecraft. It descended into Saturn’s …
September 14, 2017
New map of Arctic geology published
At first glance, it might seem there’s little more to the Arctic than frozen tundra, ice and seawater, but the top of the world is home to some …
September 14, 2017
How the Arctic became salty
The Arctic Ocean hasn’t always been as salty as other oceans. In the Eocene, between 56 million and 34 million years ago, the water surrounding …
September 14, 2017
Comment: The Anthropocene: Foregone or premature conclusion? Examining the ethical implications of naming a new epoch
The scientific movement to declare a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene has received a lot of attention in the popular press. There …
September 14, 2017
Comment: Providing resources for future generations - Technical and human challenges
Earth is a remarkable planet, providing us with a comfortable place to live and the energy, minerals and water to sustain our societies. …
September 14, 2017
Glass shards reveal a fiery history in Ethiopia
Chains of volcanoes and a lava lake pepper the landscape of the Afar Triangle in northeastern Ethiopia, where eruptions and earthquakes are …
September 14, 2017
Volcanism triggered end-Triassic extinction
The end-Triassic mass extinction exterminated up to three-quarters of all species on land and in the oceans 201 million years ago. This die-off …
September 14, 2017
Jerusalem tower facelift reveals it's 1,000 years younger
Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to at least 2400 B.C. Downhill from the heart of the city is Gihon Spring, a …
September 12, 2017
Making oxygen with MOXIE
The MOXIE (Mars OXygen In-situ resource utilization Experiment) instrument on NASA’s 2020 rover is designed to demonstrate technology that can …
September 12, 2017
A great time to land on Mars
The 2020 window represents an especially good opportunity for missions looking to reach the Martian surface because of favorable environmental …
September 12, 2017
Mars class of 2020: A diverse group of missions takes aim at the Red Planet
About every 26 months, the positions of Earth and Mars in their respective orbits align for a few weeks such that spacecraft can take the …
August 30, 2017
Where on Earth? - September 2017
Clues for September 2017: The view of this valley — from an overlook near the western tip of the Olokele Plateau — stretches nearly 5 kilometers …
August 16, 2017
Getting there and getting around Bolivia's Antiplano
“Bolivia’s main gateway, El Alto International Airport (LPB), is located 13 kilometers southwest of the country’s capital, La Paz. It hosts …
August 16, 2017
Travels in Geology: Sky-high adventure on Bolivia's Altiplano
Nestled between two ranges of the rugged Andes Mountains, the Altiplano is a vast, windswept plateau that stretches more than 900 kilometers from …
August 16, 2017
Geologic Column: Musings on the autumn equinox
Last month, many of us in the U.S. celebrated a relatively rare event — a full solar eclipse. That event, and the fact that the metal roof of my …
August 16, 2017
Comment: A pitch to study BREW: The beer-renewable energy-water nexus
Over the past few years, the food-energy-water nexus has become trendy for multidisciplinary systems-level research as it ties together three of …
August 16, 2017
Down to Earth With: Paleontologist Lisa D. White
As a college student at San Francisco State University, Lisa D. White’s first choice of major was photography. She was drawn to landscapes, and …
August 15, 2017
Benchmarks: September 23, 1806: Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery returns from the West
It’s been called the greatest camping trip of all time. Statues, counties, waterways, mountains, military vessels, and even two colleges bear the …
August 15, 2017
Geomedia: Books: Exploring space is risky business
Claude A. Piantadosi portrays the history and future of space exploration through the lens of space medicine, which reminds us of the many …