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Articles on Earth science

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Magnetic traces suggest iron crystals in the innermost core are aligned east-west, rather than north-south. Lachina Publishing Services

Our view of Earth’s inner core is flipped on its side

The planet Earth’s inner core is not a single solid mass but comprised of two layers, and new evidence about the core’s composition from a team of US and Chinese geophysicists suggests that the innermost…
Spotting ancient volcanoes of Britain. University of Bristol

British volcanologist wins earth sciences ‘Nobel’ prize

A British volcanologist has won one of the most prestigious awards in science – the Vetlesen Prize, which is considered to be the earth sciences equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Stephen Sparks of the University…
Humans have ignored the signs. Thomas Hawk

Humanity is in the existential danger zone, study confirms

The Earth’s climate has always changed. All species eventually become extinct. But a new study has brought into sharp relief the fact that humans have, in the context of geological timescales, produced…
Over time, Earth’s plates went from static to dynamic. Modestas Jonauskas/Flickr

What a crack up: hefty continents got tectonic plates moving

Plate tectonics – the large-scale movement of Earth’s lithosphere or outer layers – started around three billion years ago, but how those movements started was a bit of a mystery – until today. With colleagues…
Extreme fire is part of life in places like San Diego, USA, pictured earlier this month. But local fire captain Richard Cordova says it’s “very odd for the month of May to have these types of fires”. Michael Nelson/EPA

Forget ‘saving the Earth’ – it’s an angry beast that we’ve awoken

Environmentalism is undergoing a radical transformation. New science has shown how long-held notions about trying to “save the planet” and preserve the life we have today no longer apply. Instead, a growing…
We live in a ‘wide brown land’ – but we need to figure out how to use it sustainably. Duncan Rawlinson

Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country

AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…
Broken plates? Thank your nearest shale gas well. pugshi

Can fracking cause bigger, more frequent earthquakes?

Injecting fluids into the Earth, whether to recover natural gas or to obtain thermal energy from the planet, can cause earthquakes. New reports that look at American fracking, deep waste-water injection…

Clouds not as cooling as thought

Clouds caused by air pollution have been overestimated in their ability to to reflect sunlight back into space, thus helping…
The earth’s crust might be our most valuable resource yet. prawnpie/Flickr

Earth’s most valuable resource is the space between the sand

For centuries, the shallow parts of the earth’s crust have provided us with fuels to burn in our fireplaces, foundries and generators. Now, as we try to break free from our reliance on some of the dirtier…
The public should be made aware of all possible scenarios within an earthquake sequence. Ettore Ferrari/EPA

L’Aquila charges leave earthquake scientists on shaky ground

You’ll know by now that six scientists and a government official have been found guilty of manslaughter (as reported yesterday) and sentenced to six years in prison for how they assessed and communicated…
A bigger hole in the ozone layer over Northern Hemisphere countries could mean more UV damage to humans, animals and plants. Flickr/cdsessums

Arctic ozone hole grew at record speed in 2011

A hole in the Arctic ozone layer grew at unprecedented levels this year, a new study has found, exposing densely populated northern hemisphere countries to potentially harmful levels of UV radiation. The…
We don’t know exactly how the Earth formed, but we know it was messy. adametrnal

Journey to the centre of the earth: how our planet evolved

We know a lot about how humans evolved. But when it comes to our planet, we’re on shakier ground. Inert (nonreactive) gases, such as helium, neon and argon, trapped inside the mantle (Earth’s thickest…
Dr Bernado de Bernardinis told residents to go home and enjoy a glass of red. Now he’s in the dock. AFP PHOTO/ TIZIANA FABI

Manslaughter trial of L'Aquila earthquake scientists will cause serious aftershocks

This week, a committee of six scientists (including Dr Enzo Boschi, formerly president of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) and one government official, whose role was to advise…

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