The Atlantic: The driving force behind ocean circulation and our taste for cod
The Atlantic Ocean is still growing physically, but humans are over-harvesting its rich fisheries. The most famous one – North Atlantic cod – has become a textbook example of harmful overfishing.
Dec. 6, 2020 • ~17 min
geology atmosphere cod fishing oceans weather ocean-currents wind atlantic-ocean continents tectonic-plates earths-crust ocean-circulation oceans-21
Magnetism of Himalayan rocks reveals the mountains' complex tectonic history
Earth's magnetic field locks information into lava as it cools into rock. Millions of years later, scientists can decipher this magnetic data to build geologic timelines and maps.
Nov. 2, 2020 • ~9 min
geology lava plate-tectonics india magnetism rocks mountains himalayas magnetic-fields mantle earths-mantle tectonic-plates subduction paleomagnetism
Newly discovered mass extinction event triggered the dawn of the dinosaurs
Our new research has discovered how a series of volcanic eruptions 233 million years ago fundamentally changed life on Earth.
Sept. 16, 2020 • ~7 min
geology dinosaurs paleontology tetrapods volcanoes mass-extinctions cretaceous-period
Video: How ancient ice cores show ‘black swan’ events in history – even pandemics
Ice cores can preserve evidence of 'black swan' events like pandemics and droughts, but the glaciers from which they are collected are disappearing.
Sept. 3, 2020 • ~8 min
geology climate-change atmospheric-science glaciers ice-cores paleoclimatology glaciology
Marie Tharp pioneered mapping the bottom of the ocean 6 decades ago – scientists are still learning about Earth's last frontier
Born on July 30, 1920, geologist and cartographer Tharp changed scientific thinking about what lay at the bottom of the ocean – not a featureless flat, but rugged and varied terrain.
July 28, 2020 • ~10 min
earth-science geology women-in-science women plate-tectonics maps mapping oceans cartography continents ocean-floor geosciences seamounts marine-geology continental-shelf
What will COVID-19 look like to geologists in the far future?
They will find minimal traces of the virus itself, but lots of PPE.
July 28, 2020 • ~7 min
geology covid-19 coronavirus anthropocene
Billions of years ago, the rise of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere caused a worldwide deep freeze
Scientists have now dated the 'Great Oxidation Event' to just before the planet's first 'snowball' period.
June 2, 2020 • ~6 min
geology geochemistry snowball-earth
Prehistoric climate change damaged the ozone layer and led to a mass extinction
New research on the Late Devonian extinction suggests the ozone layer could be naturally depleted as the temperature rises.
June 1, 2020 • ~7 min
geology climate-change palaeontology mass-extinction ozone-layer ozone ozone-depletion devonian-period
Tomanowos, the meteorite that survived mega-floods and human folly
Tomanowos, aka the Willamette Meteorite, may be the world's most interesting rock. Its story includes catastrophic ice age floods, theft of Native American cultural heritage and plenty of human folly.
April 24, 2020 • ~8 min
astrophysics space geology ice-age native-americans museums meteorites oregon native-american-culture washington outer-space
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