Ventura fault could cause stronger shaking, new research finds

The figure shows the location of the Ventura-Pitas Point fault with respect to the cities involved. The view is of Southern California, as seen from the Pacific coast looking east. The thin white line is the coastline; the outlines of the Channel Islands can be seen off to the right (the south). The pink triangulated […]

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3-D reconstruction of skull suggests a small crocodile is a new species

A small crocodile discovered in Germany’s Langenberg Quarry may be a new species, according to a study published February 15, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Daniela Schwarz from Leibniz Institute for Evolutionary and Biodiversity Research, Germany, and colleagues. The Langenberg Quarry has proven to be a rich source of marine-related fossils, including […]

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Ancient jars found in Judea reveal Earth’s magnetic field is fluctuating, not diminishing

Albert Einstein considered the origin of Earth’s magnetic field one of the five most important unsolved problems in physics. The weakening of the geomagnetic field, which extends from the planet’s core into outer space and was first recorded 180 years ago, has raised concern by some for the welfare of the biosphere. But a new […]

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Australian continent shifts with the seasons, study finds

Australia shifts and tilts back and forth by several millimeters each year because of changes to Earth’s center of mass, according to a new study. The findings could help scientists better track the precise location of Earth’s center of mass, which is important for GPS and other satellite measurements, according to the study’s author. All […]

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New theory explains how Earth’s inner core remains solid despite extreme heat

Even though it is hotter than the surface of the Sun, the crystallized iron core of the Earth remains solid. A new study from KTH Royal Institute of Technology may finally settle a longstanding debate over how that’s possible, as well as why seismic waves travel at higher speeds between the planet’s poles than through […]

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New maps reveal safe locations for wastewater injection

New stress maps of Texas and Oklahoma, with black lines indicating stress orientation. Blue-green colors indicate regions of extension in the crust, while yellow-orange areas are indicative of crustal compression. (Image credit: Jens-Erik Lund Snee) Stanford geophysicists have compiled the most detailed maps yet of the geologic forces controlling the locations, types and magnitudes of […]

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Meteorites reveal lasting drought on Mars

Meteorite accumulation at Victoria Crater. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Stirling The lack of liquid water on the surface of Mars today has been demonstrated by new evidence in the form of meteorites on the Red Planet examined by an international team of planetary scientists. In a study led by the University of Stirling, […]

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A funnel on Mars could be a place to look for life

(Left) A graph charting the depth of the Hellas depression at different points, and a topographic map of the depression. (Right) A graph charting the depth of the Galaxias Fossae depression at different points, and a topographic map of the depression. Joseph Levy/NASA A strangely shaped depression on Mars could be a new place to […]

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Dinosaur discovery casts light on final flurry of animals’ evolution

A dinosaur fossil that almost went undiscovered is giving scientists valuable clues about a family of creatures that flourished just before the mass extinction. The bird-like species, found at a building site in southern China and nicknamed the ‘Mud Dragon’, was preserved almost intact, lying on its front with its wings and neck outstretched. Scientists […]

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Geologists find key indicator of carbon sources in Earth’s mantle

Scientists have found a key indicator in determining whether the presence of carbon, found in the Earth’s mantle, is derived from continental crust — a step toward better understanding the history of crustal formation on Earth’s surface and the rate at which tectonic plates have moved throughout geologic time, which can be linked to the […]

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