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☆ ‘Doomsday fish:’ A rare oarfish returns to California shores for the second time this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Dawn Sawyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The elusive deep-water oarfish – considered to be a harbinger of bad news – was spotted yet again on the shores of Encinitas, California. “We took samples and froze the specimen awaiting further study and final preservation in the Marine Vertebrate Collection,” Ben Frable, manager of the Scripps Oceanography Marine Vertebrate Collection, said in the post. “Like with the previous oarfish, this specimen and the samples taken from it will be able to tell us much about the biology, anatomy, genomics and life history of oarfish,” Frable said in the post. The fish was found in good condition according to the release, and it was taken in for examination and preservation to become a part of the organization’s Marine Vertebrate Collection. “It may have to do with changes in ocean conditions and increased numbers of oarfish off our coast,” Frable said.

Persons: Alison Laferriere, ” Ben Frable, ” Frable, ” Scripps, Santa Ana, ”, Dahiana Organizations: CNN, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, Scripps, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science, Scripps Oceanography, Obscura, Ocean Conservancy, GeoScience Locations: Encinitas , California, Grandview Beach, San Diego, Japan’s, Japan, Ocean, La Jolla, Huntington Beach, Santa

☆ Antarctica is turning green at an alarming rate, satellite images show
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent. Vegetation covered less than 0.4 square miles of the Antarctic Peninsula in 1986 but had reached almost 5 square miles by 2021, the study found. The rate at which the region has been greening over nearly four decades has also been speeding up, accelerating by more than 30% between 2016 and 2021. Vegetation growing on Green Island on the Antarctic Peninsula, which is warming much faster than the global average. Matt AmesburyA part of Barrientos Island that has given way to plant life.

Persons: Matt Amesbury, Dan Charman, Thomas Roland, ” Roland, ”, Charman, Olly Bartlett, Matthew Davey, Davey, Mary Gilbert Organizations: CNN, British Antarctic Survey, Nature, University of Exeter, University of Hertfordshire, Scottish Association for Marine Science Locations: South America, Exeter, Hertfordshire, England, Barrientos, Antarctica

Mount Everest is astoundingly tall at 29,032 feet above sea level, besting its Himalayan neighbors by hundreds of feet. But the world’s tallest peak is still growing, scientists say, thanks in part to the merger of two nearby river systems tens of thousands of years ago. Everest has gained between about 50 and 160 feet as a result of that merger, researchers revealed in a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. Researchers also say this could explain why Everest is unusually tall, reaching nearly 800 feet higher than its neighbors. “While not entirely revolutionary, these findings are certainly surprising,” Dai said, adding that they could lead to a re-examination of current models of Himalayan formation and evolution.

Persons: Everest, ” Dai Jingen, ”, Dai, ” Dai Organizations: Nature, China University of Geosciences, NBC News Locations: Everest, Beijing, Eurasia

☆ Everest grew taller faster after Himalayan river ‘piracy,’ scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This process, known as river piracy, set in motion a chain of geological events that reshaped the landscape, scientists reported Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. While some instances of river capture and landscape remodeling began millions of years ago, others are happening today, she added. Evidence of one ancient example still exists around the edges of the Himalayas, where long-ago river capture eroded deep gorges. Han’s simulations suggested that river capture would have dramatically increased the flow of water in the Kosi’s lower segments. Compared with river piracy, erosion and uplift unspool over a much longer time span — and are still happening with Everest, Lhotse and Makalu.

Persons: Everest, ”, Jin, Dai, ” Dai, Devon A, Orme, ” Orme, Nanga Parbat, Xu Han, “ There’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Nature, China University of Geosciences, Colorado, Montana State University, of Earth Sciences, Resources, Slims, Scientific Locations: Arun, Beijing, Antarctica, Himalayas, Tibet, Nepal, Orme, Everest, Canada’s Yukon

☆ Scientists discover ‘dark oxygen’ being produced by seabed metals in ground-breaking study
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A team of international scientists has found that oxygen is being produced in complete darkness approximately 4,000 meters below the ocean's surface. An international team of scientists has discovered that oxygen is being produced by potato-shaped metallic nodules thousands of feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. A team of scientists led by Professor Andrew Sweetman at the U.K.'s Scottish Association for Marine Science found that oxygen is being produced in complete darkness approximately 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) below the ocean's surface. "For aerobic life to begin on the planet, there had to be oxygen and our understanding has been that Earth's oxygen supply began with photosynthetic organisms," Sweetman said. "But we now know that there is oxygen produced in the deep sea, where there is no light.

Persons: Andrew Sweetman, Sweetman Organizations: Nature Geoscience, Scottish Association for Marine Science

☆ Scientists discover ‘dark’ oxygen being produced more than 13,000 feet below the ocean surface
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

It’s also possible, these scientists warn, that deep-sea mining could disrupt the way carbon is stored in the ocean, contributing to the climate crisis. A documentary about deep-sea mining that Sweetman watched in a hotel bar in São Paulo, Brazil, unleashed a breakthrough. However, several countries, including the United Kingdom and France, have expressed caution, supporting a moratorium or ban on deep-sea mining to safeguard marine ecosystems and conserve biodiversity. Earlier this month, Hawaii banned deep-sea mining in its state waters. Many unanswered questions remain about how dark oxygen is produced and what role it plays in the deep-sea ecosystem.

Persons: Andrew Sweetman, they’re, ”, Sweetman, ‘, SAMS, I’ve, “, Franz Geiger, ’ ”, Geiger, Charles E, Emma H, Morrison, Daniel Jones, Beth Orcutt, Orcutt, Craig Smith, Smith, Camille Bridgewater, Hawaii’s Smith, ” Geiger, Diva Amon, ” Sweetman Organizations: CNN, Clarion, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Nature, NHMDeepSea, SMARTEX, International, Authority, UN, AA, Northwestern University, Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, National Oceanography, Bigelow Laboratory, Ocean Sciences, University of Hawaii, Geological Survey, University Locations: São Paulo, Brazil, Evanston , Illinois, Southampton, England, Maine, Mānoa, Jamaica, United Kingdom, France, Hawaii, Clarion

☆ Ancient trilobite anatomy preserved in 3D by volcanic eruption, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Greg Edgecombe“It’s just incredible to have this in 3D without any alteration or deformation,” lead study author Dr. Abderrazak El Albani told CNN. The findings also underscore the urgency of protecting fossil-rich locations in Africa such as the Tatelt Formation, El Albani added. Such protections help to ensure that buried remnants of Earth’s distant past remain accessible for future study, El Albani said. Microtomographic reconstruction shows the newfound trilobite species Gigoutella mauretanica found in the Tatelt Formation in the High Atlas mountains. This example of commensalism — different types of animals living together — is also exceedingly rare in the trilobite fossil record, El Albani said.

Persons: Greg Edgecombe, Greg Edgecombe “, Abderrazak El Albani, Arnaud Mazurier, Matériaux de, El Albani, mauretanica, Melanie Hopkins, ”, Hopkins, “, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Chimie, Matériaux de Poitiers, University of Poitiers, geoscience, UNESCO, Heritage, University, Poitiers, American Museum of, Scientific Locations: what’s, Morocco, Vesuvius, London, France, Africa, Burgess, Canada, New York City, Morocco —

☆ Antarctic ice sheet: Scientists identify new ‘tipping point,’ warning future sea level rise may be underestimated
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A tipping point refers to the threshold at which a series of small changes accumulate to push a system beyond a point of no return. A small increase in ocean temperatures can have a very big impact on the amount of melting, the study found. The study does not give time frames for when the tipping point might be reached, nor does it give figures for how much sea level rise can be expected. A slew of research has looked at the vulnerability of this vast continent to the impacts of the climate crisis. “With every small increase in ocean temperature, with every small increase in climate change, we get closer to these tipping points,” he said.

Persons: ”, Alex Bradley, Bradley, Sebnem, Eric Rignot, Ted Scambos Organizations: CNN, British Antarctic Survey, Nature, Getty, University of California, University of Colorado Locations: West Antarctica, East Antarctica, Antarctica, Anadolu, Irvine, University of Colorado Boulder

☆ Water frost detected on Mars volcanoes in ‘unexpected’ first
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“Based on rough estimates, it’s about 150,000 metric tons of water ice, the equivalent of 60 Olympic swimming pools,” he said. The volcanoes are near the Mars equator, the warmest area of the planet, which makes a water discovery particularly intriguing, Valantinas said. “Mars is a desert planet, but there’s water ice in the polar caps, and there’s water ice in the midlatitudes. Now we also have water frost in the equatorial regions, and equatorial regions are quite dry in general. “If the frost on these volcanoes is confirmed to be water (and not carbon dioxide), it would be surprising,” he said.

Persons: Adomas Valantinas, ”, Ceraunius, Valantinas, CaSSIS, ” Valantinas, “, Mars, John Bridges, ” Bridges, Taylor Perron, Cecil, Ida Green, Perron Organizations: CNN, Olympus, NASA, JPL, Brown University, University of Bern, Nature Geoscience, University of Bern’s, European Space Agency, Orbiter, ESA Mars Express, Stereo, Mars, ESA, University of Leicester, Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Locations: —, Mauna Loa, Hawaii, Switzerland, Ascraeus, Russian, CaSSIS, United Kingdom

☆ Ancient crystals reveal the earliest evidence of fresh water, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

We have discovered the earliest evidence of fresh water and representative evidence for dry land above the sea,” he added. The research indicates that the Earth’s water cycle — when water moves between land, oceans and atmosphere through evaporation and precipitation — was operating at that point in time. The earliest widely agreed upon evidence of life — and fresh water — comes from stromatolites, fossilized microbes that formed mounds in hot springs 3.5 billion years ago, Gamaleldien said. Two zircon crystals showed isotopic evidence of meteoric or fresh water; one was 4 billion years old, while the other was 3.4 billion years old, he said. What’s more, land and fresh water, which likely would have fallen as rain, would have provided the essential ingredients for the origin of life, he said.

Persons: ”, Hamed Gamaleldien, ” Gamaleldien, Gamaleldien, … landmasses, Hugo Olierook, Hamed, “, John Valley, Geochemist Beth Ann Bell, wasn’t, ” Bell Organizations: CNN, Nature, “, Curtin University’s School of, Planetary Sciences, Khalifa University, United Arab, Curtin’s School of, geoscience, University of Wisconsin Locations: Australia, United Arab Emirates, Western Australia, Jack, John, Madison

☆ Toxic ‘forever’ chemicals found in excessive levels in global groundwater, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow, a new study found. Groundwater can be contaminated by PFAS from food and consumer products added to landfills as well as from manufacturing facilities. Public concern led to a commitment by manufacturers in 2008 to phase out use of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely used chemicals. Generally PFAS concentrations are higher in urban areas or areas that used PFAS products extensively, O’Connell said, but it is also leached into the environment in ways that may not be obvious. “Another example is that PFAS used to be used in ski wax, so pristine environments, where people ski, have PFAS in their waters and soils,” he said.

Persons: Mario Tama, ”, David Andrews, Andrews, ” Andrews, “, Denis O’Connell, O’Connell, ” O’Connell Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine . Studies, Environmental, Agency, Toxic Substances, Disease, Nature, University of New, Geological Survey, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Mount Everest, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ The upcoming solar eclipse will cause shallow, cumulus clouds to disappear. Researchers explain why
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Ayurella Horn-Muller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

That’s at least what scientists expect to take place in swaths of Mexico, Canada and the United States during April 8’s total solar eclipse. They discovered that cumulus clouds dissipate during eclipses because of the relationship between solar radiation and the formation processes of the clouds. Shallow cumulus clouds, in particular, serve a critical function. But what exactly shallow cumulus clouds’ role is when it comes to the rapidly warming climate remains a long-standing subject of uncertainty in the scientific community. De Roode hopes those across North America gearing up for the next solar eclipse remember to keep an eye out for any vanishing low-lying cumulus clouds.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Victor Trees, Jake Gristey, Gristey, “, Kevin Knupp, Knupp, Stephan de Roode, de Roode, ” de Roode, ’ Gristey, De Roode, Ayurella, Muller Organizations: CNN, Environment, geoscience, Delft University of Technology, cumulus, Cooperative Institute for Research, Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Alabama, Climate Locations: Mexico, Canada, United States, Netherlands, Africa, Huntsville, North America, Axios

☆ Scientists drilled an ice core from Antarctica and were alarmed by what they found
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Evidence from a 2,000-foot-long ice core reveals that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrank suddenly and dramatically around 8,000 years ago, according to new research — providing an alarming insight into how quickly Antarctic ice could melt and send sea levels soaring. Map showing the location of the Skytrain Ice Rise, part of the Ronne Ice Shelf, from where the ice core was taken. The ice core analyzed in the study was drilled from Skytrain Ice Rise located at the edge of the ice sheet, near the point where the ice starts to float and become part of the Ronne Ice Shelf. Inside the drilling tent at Skytrain Ice Rise, scientists preparing the drill for its next drop into the borehole. University of Cambridge/British Antarctic SurveyInsulated boxes full of ice cores being loaded into the Twin Otter aircraft, Skytrain Ice Rise, Antarctica.

Persons: Eric Wolff, “ We’ve, we’ve, Wolff, Ted Scambos, “, that’s, ” Wolff, Isobel Rowell, ”, David Thornalley, Thwaites, Scambos Organizations: CNN, West, Empire, Nature, University of Cambridge, University of Colorado, Ronne Ice Shelf, University of Cambridge / British Antarctic Survey, Ronne, Shelf, Twin, British Antarctic Survey, University College London Locations: Antarctica, University of Colorado Boulder, West Antarctica

☆ AI is setting humanity on the path to a new age of discovery
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AI is paving the way to the future tooBill Gates-backed company KoBold Metals has used AI to discover a huge new copper mine. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesAs well as seeing AI be used to excavate the past, it seems to be getting used to forge a path to the future too. Clearly then, billions of dollars aren't just being spent on AI for the sake of achieving some productivity and efficiency hacks. AI could also help usher humans into a new age of discovery.

Persons: —, Nat Friedman, Bill Gates, Chip Somodevilla, Jeff Bezos, Josh Goldman reckons Organizations: Service, Business, KoBold Metals, KoBold, Democratic Locations: Rome, Egypt, Switzerland, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo

☆ Scientists discovered a surprising cooling trend on glaciers in Mount Everest 10 years ago. Now they think they know what's causing it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Saugat Bolakhe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's been collecting hourly data on measurements like the mountain's air temperature, total precipitation, humidity, and wind speed since the early '90s. On warm days, as sunlight heats the glaciers, the air just above the glacier's surface warms and rises. This creates a vacuum causing the cold air around the snowy peaks to rush down due to gravity. Then at night, the ice releases some of that stored heat energy, preventing the air temperature from dropping too low. The terrain has also gotten more technical as melting glaciers open up huge crevasses.

Persons: Everest, It's, Yifei Fang, Franco Salerno, Gordon Janow, Mount Rainier, We're, it's Organizations: Service, Nature, Business, Researchers, National Research Council, Institute of Polar Sciences Locations: Mt, Milan, Janow, Mount

☆ Lunar Anthropocene: Humans may have kicked off a new geological period on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Touching down on the lunar surface is incredibly difficult, as evidenced by numerous crashes that have made their mark and created new craters. Ultimately, 12 NASA astronauts walked on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Declaring a Lunar Anthropocene could make it clear that the moon is changing in ways it wouldn’t naturally due to human exploration, the researchers said. But a propulsion issue noticed hours after liftoff means that Peregrine won’t be able to attempt a moon landing, and currently, its fate is uncertain. NASA/JSCThe Apollo 11 lunar landing marked the first time humans set foot on another world.

Persons: —, ”, Justin Holcomb, ” Holcomb, bootprints, NASA’s, Micrometeorites, Eugene A, Cernan, It's, ‘, landers, Russia’s Luna, Astrobotic, Peregrine won’t, “, we’re Organizations: CNN, NASA, Geoscience, Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, ”, Humanity, ASU, Apollo, JSC, Navajo Locations: Soviet, Mare Imbrium, Kansas, Canada, ’, Africa

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - A lively crowd gathered on a sunny Sunday in San Francisco to protest a meeting of cross-Pacific political leaders and a wide spectrum of other issues, prominently including those calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The home of 1960s counterculture, San Francisco has retained an anti-authoritarian sensibility even as tech companies and employees have made the city a global influencer. The action could become confrontational on Wednesday, with protesters calling to block attendees from entering the San Francisco conference center. San Francisco is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic slower than many cities, with some major retailers abandoning Market Street. San Francisco tourism is much reduced from pre-pandemic levels, according to data from hotel analytics firm STR published in June.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, Roberto Ruiz, Sarah R, Marty Brewer, Ann Saphir, Matt McKnight, Peter Henderson, Grant McCool Organizations: FRANCISCO, Pacific, Protesters, Economic Cooperation, Police, APEC, San, Market, Geoscience, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Israel, Francisco's, Asia, Francisco, Gaza

☆ APEC San Francisco Protesters Span Gamut of Political Issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Ann Saphir and Matt McKnightSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A lively crowd gathered on a sunny Sunday in San Francisco to protest a meeting of cross-Pacific political leaders and a wide spectrum of other issues, prominently including those calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The home of 1960s counterculture, San Francisco has retained an anti-authoritarian sensibility even as tech companies and employees have made the city a global influencer. The action could become confrontational on Wednesday, with protesters calling to block attendees from entering the San Francisco conference center. San Francisco is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic slower than many cities, with some major retailers abandoning Market Street. San Francisco tourism is much reduced from pre-pandemic levels, according to data from hotel analytics firm STR published in June.

Persons: Ann Saphir, Matt McKnight, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, Roberto Ruiz, Sarah R, Marty Brewer, Peter Henderson, Grant McCool Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Pacific, Protesters, Economic Cooperation, Police, APEC, San, Market, Geoscience Locations: San Francisco, Israel, Francisco's, Asia, Francisco, Gaza

☆ Asteroid that doomed the dinosaurs halted key process for life on Earth, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This dust blocked the sun to an extent that plants were unable to photosynthesize, a biological process critical for life, for almost two years afterward. Pim KaskesAn unexpected killing mechanismTo reach their findings, scientists developed a new computer model to simulate the global climate after the asteroid strike. Fossilized fish found at the site have revealed that the asteroid struck off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula in springtime. The team determined that this fine dust could have remained in the atmosphere for up to 15 years after the asteroid strike. The researchers suggested the global climate may have cooled by as much as 15 degrees Celsius.

Persons: ”, Cem Berk Senel, Pim Kaskes, ” Senel, Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, Chiarenza Organizations: CNN, Royal Observatory of, …, University of Vigo Locations: Mexico, Royal Observatory of Belgium, “, North Dakota, Spain

☆ Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact fouled Earth's atmosphere with dust
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The total amount of dust, they calculated, was about 2,000 gigatonnes - exceeding 11 times the weight of Mt. While prior research highlighted two other factors - sulfur released after the impact and soot from the wildfires - this study indicated dust played a larger role than previously known. "It was cold and dark for years," Vrije Universiteit Brussel planetary scientist and study co-author Philippe Claeys said. "While the sulfur stayed about eight to nine years, soot and silicate dust resided in the atmosphere for about 15 years after the impact. "Without the impact, my guess is that mammals - including us - had little chance to become the dominant organisms on this planet."

Persons: grâce, Cem Berk Senel, Philippe Claeys, Özgür Karatekin, Karatekin, Claeys, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Royal Observatory of, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Nature, Dinos, Thomson Locations: North Dakota, WASHINGTON, Yucatan, Everest, Dakota, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Vrije, Belgium

☆ New ‘supercontinent’ could wipe out humans and make Earth uninhabitable, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The formation of a new “supercontinent” could wipe out humans and all other mammals still alive in 250 million years, researchers have predicted. They found it would be extremely hot, dry and virtually uninhabitable for humans and mammals, who are not evolved to cope with prolonged exposure to excessive heat. Humans – along with many other species – would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies,” Farnsworth added. This grim outlook is no excuse for complacency when it comes to tackling today’s climate crisis, the report authors warned. “While we are predicting an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is detrimental to human health.

Persons: ” Alexander Farnsworth, ” Farnsworth, Farnsworth, ” Benjamin Mills, Eunice Lo, ” Lo Organizations: CNN, University of Bristol, Nature, University of Leeds Locations: United Kingdom, UN

☆ Mammals’ Time on Earth Is Half Over, Scientists Predict
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Carl Zimmer | More About Carl Zimmer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s been about 250 million years since reptile-like animals evolved into mammals. Now a team of scientists is predicting that mammals may have only another 250 million years left. The researchers built a virtual simulation of our future world, similar to the models that have projected human-caused global warming over the next century. Using data on the movement of the continents across the planet, as well as fluctuations in the chemical makeup of atmosphere, the new study projected much further into the future. Alexander Farnsworth, a paleoclimate scientist at the University of Bristol who led the team, said that the planet might become too hot for any mammals — ourselves included — to survive on land.

Persons: It’s, Alexander Farnsworth, —, Dr, Farnsworth Organizations: University of Bristol, Nature

☆ There Might Be Less Plastic in the Sea Than We Thought. But Read On.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The LatestThere’s less plastic pollution flowing into the ocean from land than scientists previously thought, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. The researchers estimated that about 500,000 metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year, with about half from land. The other half comes from the fishing industry in the form of nets, ropes, buoys and other equipment. An earlier, widely publicized study in 2015 estimated that about 8 million metric tons of plastic were entering the ocean each year from rivers alone. Within 20 years, the amount of plastic on the sea surface could double, the authors found.

Organizations: Nature Geoscience

☆ Rapidly retreating Arctic glaciers are triggering the release of ancient methane. Here's why scientists are worried.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The springs were exposed by retreating glaciers in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Scientists think the methane in the Svalbard springs comes from somewhere else. The researchers estimate springs across the archipelago alone could represent about 2,000 tonnes of methane emissions a year. Scientists have found springs full of methane bubbling near retreating glaciers in Svalbard. Kleber suspects these methane emissions are only one of several "invisible feedback loops that we're just not aware of."

Persons: —, hasn't, Gabrielle Kleber, Kleber, Andy Hodson, ", Rick Spinrad Organizations: Service, University of Cambridge, Nature Geoscience, International Energy Agency, NOAA Locations: Svalbard, Norwegian, Alaska, Norway

What lies at the bottom of the oceanWhile what’s considered the deep ocean extends from 3,280 feet to 19,685 feet (1,000 meters to 6,000 meters) beneath the surface, deep-sea trenches can plunge to 36,000 feet (11,000 meters), according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Alessandro Mancini/Alamy Stock PhotoWhy mapping the ocean is so challengingFrom a strictly scientific perspective, touristic trips to the ocean floor do little to advance our understanding of the ocean’s mysteries. “We want to go to the highest, the lowest, the longest.”But only a “very small percentage of the deep ocean, and even the middle ocean, has been seen by human eyes — an infinitesimal amount. “However, 150 years of modern oceanography have led to better understanding of many aspects of the ocean such as the life it contains, its chemistry and its role in the Earth system.”Mapping the ocean “helps us to understand how the shape of the seafloor affects ocean currents, and where marine life occurs,” Rogers added. Researchers say the ocean and the life it contains could provide answers to some of medicine’s biggest challenges, such as antibiotic drug resistance.

Persons: ”, Gene Feldman, Jamie Pringle, Pringle, Cornelis Drebbel, Auguste Piccard, Feldman, ” Feldman, Jacques Piccard, Don Walsh, what’s, “, Robert Ballard, Alvin, Ballard, Alessandro Mancini, Alamy, Alex Rogers, ” Rogers Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Oceanographic, NASA, OceanGate Expeditions, England’s Keele University, bathyscaphe, Keystone, Hulton, NOAA, Bluegreen, Sea Ventures, of Ocean Exploration, Research, University of Oxford Locations: Cape Cod , Massachusetts, Washington, Dutch, Trieste, bathyscaphe Trieste, Italy, Massachusetts, Japan, United Kingdom

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