Not so long ago, Earth’s interior was thought to be made up of four layers: the crust, mantle, (liquid) outer core, and (solid) inner core. In a new study published in Nature Communications, we provide further evidence for the existence of an “innermost inner core” — a distinct internal metallic ball embedded in the inner ...
Meteorites aside, Earth started out with as much material as it has today. So why are most rocks much younger than the planet itself? Our expert Maud Boyet says the answer is written in stone. The rocks on Earth are not all the same age. In fact, most are significantly younger than the planet itself. ...
Over billions of years, our planet has attracted a large number of meteorites that have crashed on the surface. People have collected pieces of such meteorites throughout history, with some attributing a divine nature to them, while others collect them purely out of scientific curiosity. The Skystone and Hypatia stone are two such stones.
The Earth remains an evolving planet, and researchers at Stony Brook University are leading a research project that focuses on the interplay between the evolution of the landscape, climate, and fossil record of mammal evolution and diversification in the western United States. A little explored aspect of this geosciences research is the connection between gravitational ...
Geology is an amazing subject. Especially now when so much is happening around the world in terms of volcanic eruptions and seismic activities. Let’s review how the interior of the Earth is structured. We’ll take a journey into the depths of the Earth, down through the crust and mantle, nearly to the core. We’ll use ...
A world-first study has revealed how space travel can cause lower red blood cell counts, known as space anemia. Analysis of 14 astronauts showed their bodies destroyed 54 percent more red blood cells in space than they normally would on Earth.
You may have read about creatures in fairy tales that resemble humans but are way too big in stature. Numerous fantasy movies have been made that include such creatures and their worlds. You may also recall poems like ‘The Giant Toy’ by Adelbert von Chamisso mentioning them. However, have you ever thought about whether or ...
Although the Earth has long been studied in detail, some fundamental questions have still to be answered. One of them concerns the formation of our planet, about whose beginnings researchers are still unclear. An international research team led by ETH Zurich and the National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS is now proposing a new ...
Scientists have found evidence that the Earth’s inner core oscillates, contradicting previously accepted models that suggested it consistently rotates at a faster rate than the planet’s surface. Their study, published in Science Advances, shows that the inner core changed direction in the six-year period from 1969–74, according to the analysis of seismic data. The scientists say their ...
Scientists for the first time have found strong evidence that RNA and DNA could have arisen from the same set of precursor molecules even before life evolved on Earth about four billion years ago. The discovery, published in Nature Chemistry, suggests that the first living things on Earth may have used both RNA and DNA, as ...