Deformation of Zealandia, Earth’s Hidden continent, linked to forging of the Ring of Fire
Recent seafloor drilling has revealed that the "hidden continent " of Zealandia, a region of continental crust twice the size of India submerged beneath the southwest Pacific Ocean, experienced dramatic elevation changes between about 50 million and 35 million years ago.
In death of dinosaurs, it was all about the asteroid – not volcanoes
Volcanic activity did not play a direct role in the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs, according to an international, Yale-led team of researchers. It was all about the asteroid.
Scientists find a place on Earth where there is no life
Living beings, especially microorganisms, have a surprising ability to adapt to the most extreme environments on our planet, but there are still places where they cannot live.
Volcanoes under pressure
When will the next eruption take place? Examination of samples from Indonesia's Mount Merapi show that the explosivity of stratovolcanoes rises when mineral-rich gases seal the pores and microcracks in the uppermost layers of stone. These findings result in new possibilities for the prediction of an eruption.
Machu Picchu: Ancient Incan sanctuary intentionally built on faults
The ancient Incan sanctuary of Machu Picchu is considered one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements.
How and when was carbon distributed in the Earth?
It is generally accepted that planetary surfaces were covered with molten silicate, a “magma ocean”, during the formation of terrestrial planets.
In a deep magma...
Ages of the Navajo Sandstone
The real Jurassic Park was as an ancient landscape home to a vast desert covered mostly in sand dunes as far as the eye...
First direct evidence for a mantle plume origin of Jurassic flood basalts in southern Africa
The origin of gigantic magma eruptions that led to global climatic crises and extinctions of species has remained controversial.
Cosmic pearls: Fossil clams in Florida contain evidence of ancient meteorite
Researchers picking through the contents of fossil clams from a Sarasota County quarry found dozens of tiny glass beads, likely the calling cards of an ancient meteorite.
Scientists discover how and when a subterranean ocean emerged
"The mechanism which caused the crust that had been altered by seawater to sink into the mantle functioned over 3.3 billion years ago.
10 of the Largest “Super Volcanoes”
A supervolcano is classified as a volcano with an eruption magnitude of 8, the largest value on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) where the volume of deposits for that eruption is greater than 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cubic miles).
New model suggests lost continents for early Earth
A new radioactivity model of Earth’s ancient rocks calls into question current models for the formation of Earth’s continental crust, suggesting continents may have risen out of the sea much earlier than previously thought but were destroyed, leaving little trace.
Santorini volcano, a new terrestrial analogue of Mars
One of the great attractions of the island of Santorini, in Greece, lies in its spectacular volcanic landscape, which also contains places similar to those of Mars. A team of European and U.S. scientists has discovered it after analysing basaltic rocks collected in one of its coves.
Site of biggest ever meteorite collision in the UK discovered
Evidence for the ancient, 1.2 billion years old, meteorite strike, was first discovered in 2008 near Ullapool, NW Scotland by scientists from Oxford and Aberdeen Universities.
Rare volcanic rocks lift lid on dangers of little-studied eruptions
Unusual rocks discovered on a remote mountainside have alerted scientists to the dangers posed by a little-studied type of volcano.
