Geology

Mystery of the Maka Lahi Rock finally solved

In 2024, researchers from Australia's University of Queensland discovered a giant 1,200-tonne rock more than 200 metres inland on the island of Tongatapu.

The ethereal fire of blue lava

Despite the name, blue lava is not actually molten lava, but rather an extremely rare natural phenomenon caused by the combustion of sulphuric gases emitted from certain volcanoes and fumarole vents.

Buxton’s tuffa calcite terraces

One of Turkey’s most impressive geological wonders is Pamukkale (meaning "cotton castle"), renowned for its sinter terraced formations created by calcite-rich springs.One of Turkey’s most impressive geological wonders is Pamukkale (meaning "cotton castle"), renowned for its sinter terraced formations created by calcite-rich springs.

Rare formations of cave pearls found in the Ain Joweizeh spring system

Archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have uncovered formations of cave pearls during a study of the Ain Joweizeh spring system near Jerusalem.

Mesoamerican “Underworld” was swallowed by seismic landslide

The Mesoamerican site of Mitla was swallowed by a seismic landslide event, according to a new study by the Lyobaa Project.

Researchers find new way to estimate magma beneath Yellowstone supervolcano

Researchers at Washington State University and the University of Idaho have found a new way to estimate how fast magma is recharging beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano.

New insight into Earth’s crust, mantle and outer core interactions

A new study by the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with the Universities of Lancaster and Oslo, sheds light on a longstanding question that has puzzled earth scientists.

In ancient rocks, scientists see a climate cycle working across deep time

Scientists drilling deep into ancient rocks in the Arizona desert say they have documented a gradual shift in Earth's orbit that repeats regularly every 405,000 years, playing a role in natural climate swings.

New research suggests that dawn of plate tectonics could have turned Earth into snowball

A research duo from The University of Texas at Austin and UT Dallas have put forward a hypothesis that links the dawn of plate tectonics with "snowball Earth"--a period of climate change that sent the planet into a deep freeze that lasted millions of years.

Cracking Open the Formation of Fossil Concretions

Researchers at Nagoya University resolve the formation mechanism of “spherical carbonate concretions” and find they form much more rapidly than previously recognized

Microbes living in a toxic volcanic lake could hold clues to life on Mars

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered microbes living in a toxic volcanic lake that may rank as one of the harshest environments on Earth. Their findings, published recently online, could guide scientists looking for signs of ancient life on Mars.

Pink rocks from Russia expose one of the greatest events in the history of Earth

The Great Oxidation Event is one of the major scientific mysteries. Oxygen appeared on the planet for the first time over 2,3 billion years ago. A new Science study is making scientists rethink what they thought they knew about the event.

Research suggests water appeared while Earth was still growing

Up until about ten years ago, scientists thought they had a pretty good picture of how the moon and Earth came to co-exist. Then more precise measurements blew it all wide open, and scientists are still struggling to reconcile them.

Two-billion-year-old salt rock reveals rise of oxygen in ancient atmosphere

A 2-billion-year-old chunk of sea salt provides new evidence for the transformation of Earth's atmosphere into an oxygenated environment capable of supporting life as we know it.

Mass extinction with prior warning

Mass extinctions throughout the history of the Earth have been well documented. Scientists believe that they occurred during a short period of time in geological terms.

Germany was covered by glaciers 450,000 years ago

The timing of the Middle Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles and the feedback mechanisms between climatic shifts and earth-surface processes are still poorly understood.

Volcanic eruption influenced Iceland’s conversion to Christianity

Memories of the largest lava flood in the history of Iceland, recorded in an apocalyptic medieval poem, were used to drive the island's conversion to Christianity, new research suggests.

Workers discover ancient coastline in West London

Engineers working on Britain’s new high speed railway have discovered an ancient, sub-tropical coastline dating back 56 million years.

Ash from dinosaur-era volcanoes linked with shale oil, gas

Nutrient-rich ash from an enormous flare-up of volcanic eruptions toward the end of the dinosaurs' reign kicked off a chain of events that led to the formation of shale gas and oil fields from Texas to Montana.

New study reveals the secret of magmas that produce global treasures

South Africa's history and economy has been built on its rich natural treasures of a number of precious metals, stones and minerals.

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