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☆ Mars volcano the size of Mount Everest was hiding in plain sight, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Scientists may have pinpointed a massive, oddly shaped volcano taller than Mount Everest on the surface of Mars — and it has been hiding in plain sight for decades, according to new research. Some of the largest volcanoes on Mars lie relatively close to the proposed “Noctis volcano.” Shown here: 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. This NASA visualization of the Tharsis rise shows Olympus Mons, Tharsis Montes, Noctis Labyrinthus, and Valles Marineris. NASA SVSA volcano, a glacier and the history of MarsThe existence of a volcano in Noctis Labyrinthus could also help explain the creation of this bizarre landscape. The existence of a volcano in the region, Lee said, might offer more support for the latter theory.

Persons: Everest, Pascal Lee, NASA SVS Lee, Sourabh, Lee, “ It’s, ”, NASA’s, Noctis Labyrinthus, “, ” Lee, Shubham, Adrien Broquet, we’ve, —, we’re, Noctis, Ernst Hauber, ” Hauber, David Horvath —, Tucson , Arizona —, Broquet, Horvath, ” Horvath, Carl Sagan Organizations: CNN —, Mars, Planetary Science Conference, Olympus, NASA, University of Maryland, College, CNN, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance, Marineris, Humboldt Research, German Aerospace Center, SETI Institute, German Aerospace Center’s, of Planetary Research, Planetary Science Institute Locations: The Woodlands , Texas, That’s, Mars, Noctis, Valles, Tharsis Montes, Labyrinthus, Tucson , Arizona

☆ A global gold rush for buried hydrogen is underway — as hype builds over its clean energy potential
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Geologic hydrogen, sometimes referred to as white, gold or natural hydrogen, refers to hydrogen gas that is found in its natural form beneath Earth's surface. Last year, researchers found what may be the world's largest geologic hydrogen deposit to date in France's eastern Lorraine region. The unexpected discovery further boosted interest in its clean energy potential. Some have expressed skepticism about the clean energy potential of natural hydrogen. Grey hydrogen — produced using natural gas and the most common form of hydrogen production — leads to large greenhouse gas emissions.

Persons: Alex Halada, Le, Canada's Hydroma, Ousmane Makaveli, Geoffrey Ellis, Ellis, we've, Minh, Energy's Le, Ana Maria Jaller, Makarewicz, Sebastien Salom Organizations: Geological Agency of, Ministry of Energy, Mineral Resources, Nurphoto, Afp, Getty, Research, Rystad Energy, CNBC, Energy Resources Program, . Geological Survey, U.S . Department of Energy, Institute for Energy Economics, videoconference, Carbon Trust Locations: Pute Jaya, Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, U.S, Canada, Australia, France, Spain, Colombia, South Korea, Gampern, Upper Austria, Mali's, Bamako, Malian, Bourakébougou, France's, Lorraine, Niger, Mali, gomis

☆ Billionaires going to space aim to industrialize the moon, asteroids, and Mars. It's time to set some ground rules.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewThe space business is in bloom and, so far, it's largely unregulated. Other space startups have ambitions including asteroid mining, in vitro fertilization (IVF) in space, and space hotels. As space startups and billionaires vie for a foothold on the moon and beyond, experts say governments probably need to start setting some ground rules. Seven of the world's 10 biggest commercial space operators are based in the US, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. AdvertisementIn another vein, last year Florida passed a bill to protect space companies and their owners from getting sued over spaceflight passenger death or injury.

Persons: —, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk, Bezos, NASA What's, George Nield, Galileo, Joel Kearns, Richard Branson, Galactic's, Lyndon B, Johnson, Jeff Bezos, Joe Raedle, Michelle Hanlon, Jared Isaacman, William Shatner, Hanlon Organizations: Service, NASA, Houston, SpaceX, Business, Northeastern University, Federal Aviation Administration's, Space Transportation, JPL, FAA, Virgin Galactic, Virgin, Getty, Artemis Accords, Hague Institute, Global Justice, Washington, Companies, Shepard, Center for Air, Space, University of Mississippi School of Law, titans, US International Trade Commission, Organisation for Economic Co, Federal Communications Locations: Mars, Russia, China, Blue, Florida

☆ Vast reserves of clean hydrogen fuel could be hiding beneath our feet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trillions of tons of lightweight, energy-dense hydrogen gas may be hidden deep underground. Those natural reservoirs, known as geologic hydrogen, could be a fruitful carbon-free fuel source. Oil and gas giants BP and Chevron have joined a consortium to study geologic hydrogen. That's when an oil and gas company assessed a mine that had exploded in Mali and found it was full of hydrogen gas. In the US, two long stretches of this rock are a promising place to look for hydrogen reserves, and efforts are already underway.

Persons: Bill Gates, Geoffrey Ellis, Joe Biden's, didn't, Ellis, John Barrasso, Evelyn N, Wang, Pete Johnson Organizations: Service, United Airlines, BP, Chevron, US, Energy, Natural Resources, Business, Research Projects Agency, ARPA Locations: Alberta, Canada, Mali, Kansas, Ontario, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia, France, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Albania, Albania's, Tirana, GENT

☆ Moon landing attempt: Odysseus ran into last-minute navigation issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 lander, also called Odysseus or “Odie,” is on the lunar surface after experiencing unexpected issues hours prior to landing. “Intuitive Machines made the decision to reassign the primary navigation sensors from Odysseus … to use the sensors on NASA’s Navigation Doppler Lidar,” according to the webcast. With its landing legs and sensors pointed toward the lunar terrain, Odysseus relied on the Lidar payload to locate a safe landing spot. The IM-1 mission comes amid a renewed international dash for the lunar surface. Odysseus passes over the near side of the moon following lunar orbit insertion on February 21.

Persons: Odie, ”, Steve Altemus, Odysseus, Gary Jordan, …, landers, Farzin, Jeff Koons, We’re, ” Altemus, Altemus Organizations: CNN, NASA, Soviet, Columbia, Embry, Riddle Aeronautical University, Astrobotic Technology, Peregrine, Payload Services Locations: China, India, Japan, Malapert, Daytona Beach , Florida

For polar bears, the climate change diet is a losing proposition, a new study suggests. With Arctic sea ice shrinking from climate change, many polar bears have to shift their diets to land during parts of the summer. Usually polar bears eat high-fat seals while based on sea ice, near where the seals are. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service lists polar bears as a threatened species “due to the loss of its sea ice habitat." When polar bears have sea ice, they feast on seals.

Persons: Anthony Pagano, fatten, Pagano, Andrew Derocher, ” Derocher, ”, Derocher, Karyn Rode, “, ” Rode, Kristin Laidre, Laidre, Stephanie Windeler, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Nature Communications, Geological Survey, Data, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Alberta, University of Washington, Canada, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Hudson, London, AP.org

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook an area near Oklahoma City late Friday night, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The earthquake hit at 11:24 p.m. and was centered 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) northwest of Prague, Oklahoma, the agency said. Prague is about 57 miles (92 kilometers) east of Oklahoma City, where residents reported feeling the shaking. At least six earthquakes, including two greater than magnitude 4.0, were recorded near another Oklahoma City suburb in January. In April, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was among a series of six that struck the central Oklahoma town of Carney, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City.

Organizations: OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma City, U.S . Geological Survey, KFOR Locations: Oklahoma, U.S, Prague , Oklahoma, Prague, Oklahoma City, Shawnee, Stillwater, Tecumseh, Carney

☆ Humans are depleting groundwater faster than in the past 40 years, but places like Saudi Arabia and Thailand have figured out how to boost their freshwater reserves
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Suman Naishadham | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Humans in many parts of the world are pumping groundwater faster than it can be replenished. Places like Thailand and Saudi Arabia, however, have managed to slow groundwater depletion rates. USGSGroundwater is one of the largest freshwater sources anywhere in the world, making the depletion of aquifers a significant concern. AdvertisementGroundwater depletion is more severe now than a few decades agoFarms are responsible for much of the US's groundwater depletion. The Bangkok basin in Thailand is another example the study highlighted where groundwater levels rose in the early 21st century compared to previous decades.

Persons: Scott Jasechko, Upmanu Lall, Jasechko, Richard Taylor, Taylor, Hydrologists, Felicia Marcus, Marcus, you've Organizations: Service, University of California, Columbia University, Columbia Water Center, University College London hydrogeology, Stanford, Water, West Program Locations: Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Santa Barbara, drylands, Mexico, Iran, California, Bangkok, Thai, Tucson , Arizona, Colorado

☆ Modern US earthquakes could be century-old aftershocks, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Allison Chinchar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Earthquakes vs. aftershocksThe modern seismic activity the researchers studied is likely a mixture of aftershocks from the big quakes from the 1800s and background seismicity, Chen said. “Are small earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone aftershocks of 1811-1812 or not?” Hough said in an email. “The new study considers the question from a different angle, considering how tightly clustered earthquakes are, and concluding that some of the events are ongoing aftershocks,” Hough said. Aftershocks might still be continuing, but once the normal seismic rate for the area returns, she said, you can no longer identify them as aftershocks. “For this reason, we seismologists sometimes disagree about which earthquakes are foreshocks or aftershocks,” Ebel said, “and I think those disagreements are inherently unresolvable.”

Persons: —, ”, Yuxuan Chen, geoscientist, Chen, “, Susan Hough, Hough, ” Hough, “ We’ve, . Fuller, Morgan Page, John Ebel, Ebel, John Karl Hillers, ” Ebel Organizations: CNN, Missouri -, of Geophysical Research, Wuhan University, Earthquakes, US Geological Survey, Survey, . Geological, USGS Earthquake Science, Boston College, . Geological Survey, San Locations: States, Missouri, Missouri - Kentucky, Charleston , South Carolina, Madrid, Memphis, Mississippi, Charleston, North America, China, New Madrid, Chickasaw, Reelfoot Lake , Tennessee, Boston, California, Eastern North America, Southern California, Northern California, San Andreas, Central

☆ Magnitude 7 earthquake strikes Vanuatu region - USGS
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - A magnitude 7 earthquake struck the Vanuatu region in the South Pacific on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles) below the Earth's surface, USGS said. Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Utkarsh Organizations: South Pacific, U.S . Geological Survey, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, South, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ U.S., Indonesia to discuss potential for deal on EV minerals: Reuters, citing sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

NORTH KONAWE, SOUTHEAST SULAWESI, INDONESIA - AUGUST 03: In this aerial view - A view of nickel mining site on August 3, 2023 in North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) showed that global nickel production grew 21% in 2022 alone. Indonesia holds the world's largest nickel reserves and leverages those reserves to attract investment in the battery supply chain, a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies said. Indonesia alone will account for roughly half of global nickel supply growth through to 2025. As of 2020, Indonesia has 292 nickel mining permits, mostly in Sulawesi, as the island hosts most of the national nickel reserves, the same CSIS report said.

Persons: Ulet Ifansasti, Ifansasti, Joko Widodo, Joe Biden, Biden, Katherine Tai Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, Getty, White, U.S, . Trade Locations: SULAWESI, INDONESIA, North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, U.S, Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi Province, United States

☆ 5.3 magnitude earthquake rattles western Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sara Smart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Mentone, Texas, at around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said. The earthquake had a depth of about 4.9 miles, and its epicenter was about 22 miles west-southwest of Mentone, the USGS said. The earthquake was felt as far away Santa Teresa, New Mexico, about 200 miles west of where the earthquake was detected, according to the National Weather Service in El Paso. CNN has reached out to the Loving County Sheriff’s Office for further information. Mentone is in a sparsely populated area about 75 miles west of Odessa.

Organizations: CNN, United States Geological Survey, Santa, National Weather Service, Office Locations: Mentone , Texas, Mentone, Santa Teresa , New Mexico, El Paso, Odessa

In Jajarkot district, close to the quake’s epicenter, 92 people were confirmed dead and another 55 injured. Army personnel carry an injured person on a stretcher after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023. Jajarkot district has a population of 190,000 with villages scattered in remote hills. A damaged building is seen after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023 Nepal Prime Minister Office/Handout/ReutersIndia’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed in the earthquake. “Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal,” Modi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Persons: Kuber Kadayat, Kadayat, Harish Chandra Sharma, ” Sharma, Narendra Modi, ” Modi Organizations: Kathmandu CNN, United States Geological Survey, CNN, Reuters, Jajarkot . Army, Nepal Army, AFP, Reuters India’s Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Jumla, Karnali province, New Delhi, Jajarkot, Rukam West, Reuters Earthquakes, India

☆ Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes central Philippines - USGS
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MANILA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck the central Philippines on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The offshore quake was at a depth of 19.2 km (12 miles), USGS said, off the central province of Eastern Samar. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of damage and aftershocks in an advisory but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The Philippines lies on the "Ring of Fire", a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is prone to earthquakes. Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mikhail Flores, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: United States Geological Survey, Philippine Institute of, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Eastern Samar

☆ China curbs graphite exports in latest critical minerals squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here are key details on graphite and China's limits on exports of strategic minerals. That's about double the amount of lithium in an EV battery. China also refines more than 90% of the world's graphite into material used in virtually all EV battery anodes. Top buyers of graphite from China include Japan, the U.S., India and South Korea, according to Chinese customs data. OTHER CHINESE MINERAL EXPORT CURBSIn July, China announced export restrictions on eight gallium and six germanium products starting on Aug. 1.

Persons: Tony Munroe, Amy Lv, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . Geological Survey, EV, Mercedes, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, Shandong province, China, Rights SINGAPORE, Mozambique, Madagascar, Brazil, Japan, U.S, India, South Korea

☆ The world will pay a high price if China cuts off supplies of chipmaking materials
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Last year, it accounted for 98% of the global production of gallium and 68% of refined germanium production, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). “Refining technologies and facilities for processing gallium and germanium cannot be built overnight, particularly considering the environmental implications of their extraction and mining,” she wrote in July. Analysts from the think tank said China’s leading position in the aluminum industry has allowed it to establish a dominant share of global gallium production. According to the USGS, Russia, Japan, and Korea produced a combined 1.8% of global gallium in 2022. Last year, the US Defense logistics Agency introduced a program to recycle optical-grade germanium used in weapon systems.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Xiaomeng Lu, Marina Zhang, Zhang, Ewa Manthey, haven’t, Chris Miller, Gregory Allen, Nyrstar, ” Lu, Manthey Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, geotechnology, Eurasia Group, China, Geological Survey, University of Technology, “, ING Group, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Washington, Analysts, Corporation, CNN, Global, Wadhwani Center, AI, Technologies, CSIS, Rostec, Reuters, US Defense, Agency, Commerce Ministry Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Europe, Japan, University of Technology Sydney, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Germany, Russia, Korea, Teck, American, Netherlands, Australia, ” Lu, Eurasia, Canada

Deadly earthquake hits Afghanistan Earthquake impact mapPowerful earthquakes struck northwestern Afghanistan on October 8, killing more than 2,400 people, the Taliban administration said, in the deadliest tremors to rock the mountainous country in years. A boy cries as he sits next to debris, in the aftermath of an earthquake in the district of Zinda Jan, in Herat, Afghanistan, October 8, 2023. For example, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 is ten times larger than a magnitude 6 earthquake. Afghanistan’s five highest magnitude earthquakes (7.4 to 7.8 magnitude) have occurred along the Hindu Kush mountain range in the country’s north-east region. A man carries the body of his child, in the aftermath of an earthquake in the district of Zinda Jan, in Herat, Afghanistan October 8, 2023.

Persons: Zinda Jan, Stringer Afghanistan’s, Damage Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey, REUTERS, Stringer Poor, Diplomats, International Committee, World Health Organization, WHO Locations: Afghanistan, Herat, U.S, Turkey, Syria, Zinda, Pakistan, South Asia, Kabul, Herat province

☆ Afghan earthquakes kill 2,445, Taliban say, as death toll mounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

More than 2,400 people were killed in earthquakes in Afghanistan, the Taliban administration said on Sunday, in the deadliest tremors to rock the quake-prone mountainous country in years. They were among the world's deadliest quakes this year, after tremors in Turkey and Syria killed an estimated 50,000 in February. Afghan residents sit at a damaged house after earthquake in Sarbuland village of Zendeh Jan, district of Herat province, on October 7, 2023. Diplomats and aid officials say concerns over Taliban restrictions on women and competing global humanitarian crises are causing donors to pull back on financial support. The Islamist government has ordered most Afghan female aid staff not to work, although with exemptions in health and education.

Persons: Janan Sayeeq, Sayeeq, Danish, Suhail Shaheen, Mohsen Karimi, Naseema Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey, Ministry, Taliban, AFP, Getty, Afp, Diplomats, International Committee Locations: Afghanistan, Herat, U.S, Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan's, Iran, Qatar, Sarbuland, Zendeh Jan, Herat province, Pakistan

☆ Afghan earthquakes kill 2,053, Taliban say, as death toll spikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Mohammad Yunus Yawar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Janan Sayeeq, spokesman for the Ministry of Disasters, said 2,053 people were killed, 9,240 injured and 1,320 houses damaged or destroyed. More than 200 dead had been brought to various hospitals, said a Herat health department official who identified himself as Dr Danish, adding most of them were women and children. Beds were set up outside the main hospital in Herat to receive a flood of victims, photos on social media showed. It was not immediately clear if the Herat hospital was on that list. "While search and rescue operations remain ongoing, casualties in these areas have not yet been fully identified," it said.

Persons: Janan Sayeeq, Sayeeq, Danish, Suhail Shaheen, Naseema, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Ariba Shahid, Gibran Peshimam, William Mallard, Sanjeev Miglani Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey, Ministry, Diplomats, International Committee, Reuters, World Health Organization, WHO, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan, Herat, U.S, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan, Herat province, Kabul, Karachi

☆ Afghanistan earthquakes kill 2,053, Taliban says, as death toll spikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Mohammad Yunus Yawar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Amid the confusion, the death toll from Saturday's quakes spiked from 500 reported on Sunday morning by a Red Crescent spokesperson and 16 from Saturday night. The quakes hit 35 km (20 miles) northwest of the city of Herat, with one measuring 6.3 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. Mullah Janan Sayeeq, spokesman for the Ministry of Disasters, told Reuters 2,053 people were dead, 9,240 injured and 1,329 houses damaged or destroyed. Bodies had been "taken to several places - military bases, hospitals," Danish said. Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul; Editing by William Mallard and Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mullah Janan Sayeeq, Danish, Naseema, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, William Mallard Organizations: Red Crescent, U.S . Geological Survey, Ministry, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan, Herat, U.S, Kabul

☆ At least 15 dead in Afghanistan earthquakes, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Mohammad Yunus Yawar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, Oct 7 (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed and 40 injured after multiple earthquakes struck western Afghanistan on Saturday, a disaster management official told Reuters. The quake registered a magnitude of 6.3, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, with subsequent quakes striking 35 km (20 miles) northwest of the city of Herat. The casualty figures are based on primary reports from the Zinda Jan district of Herat province, said Mullah Jan Sayeq, spokesperson for Afghanistan's ministry of disaster management. He added that the earthquakes had also shaken the provinces of Farah and Badghis, where there are reports of widespread damage to houses, but no details about casualties there yet. Emergency teams and volunteers are preparing to go Herat and help victims, Erfanullah Sharafzoi, spokesperson for the Afghan Red Crescent said.

Persons: Jan Sayeq, Erfanullah Sharafzoi, Crescent, Naseema, Rishabh, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Giban Peshimam, Edwina Gibbs, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Geological Survey, Afghan, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan, U.S, Herat, Herat province, Farah, Badghis, Bengaluru, Kabul

☆ New tests confirm antiquity of ancient human footprints in New Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A 2021 study by these researchers also dated the footprints, based on tiny plant seeds embedded in the sediment alongside them, to about 21,000 to 23,000 years ago. This paper is that corroborative exercise," added study co-lead author Kathleen Springer, also a USGS research geologist in Denver. Scientists believe our species entered North America from Asia by trekking across a land bridge that once connected Siberia to Alaska. The researchers also used optically stimulated luminescence dating to determine the age of quartz grains within the footprint-bearing sediments. "And just like today, if anyone walks in a similar setting, their footprints are preserved if they are covered with another layer of sediment," Springer added.

Persons: Jeff Pigati, Kathleen Springer, sapiens, Matthew Bennett, Bennett, Pigati, Springer, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Sands, U.S . Geological Survey, Scientists, North America, Bournemouth University, Thomson Locations: North America, New Mexico, Illinois, Denver, Africa, Asia, Siberia, Alaska, North, England

☆ Scientists say they’ve confirmed evidence that humans arrived in the Americas far earlier than previously thought
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This date dramatically pushed back the timeline of humans’ history in the Americas, the last landmass to be settled by prehistoric people. National Park ServiceHowever, some archaeologists questioned the age of the footprints established by those initial findings. Human footprints infilled with white gypsum sand at White Sands National Park. A trench at the study site with David Bustos, White Sands National Park's resource program manager, in the foreground. Nor, despite advances in genetic evidence, is it clear whether one or many populations of early modern humans made the long journey.

Persons: ”, Kathleen Springer, “, David Bustos, Jeff Pigati, there’s, Bente, Jennifer Raff Organizations: CNN, Service, Science, Sands, Park Service, Geological Survey, White Sands, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, North, University of Kansas Locations: what’s, New Mexico, Americas, Tularosa, White Sands, North America, Asia, New York City, Cincinnati, Des Moines , Iowa, Alaska

☆ 6 ways humans are transforming Antarctica from a pristine preserve to a polluted wasteland
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Antarctica was once a pristine preserve, but humans are ruining it. And this past winter, the frozen continent reached record-low sea ice levels. USGS"This region is nearing a threshold of rapid landscape change," researchers noted in 2017. Pauline Askin/ReutersAnd depending on the location, that ice melt could turn up some pretty nasty stuff. What's even more worrisome is that "human impacts are disproportionately concentrated on the most environmentally significant areas of Antarctica," the researchers noted.

Persons: It's, Emma MacKie, Eric Rignot, MacKie, Pauline Askin, huskies — that's, Sharon Robinson, Auscape, Logan Pallin, Wolfgang Kaehler, Rignot Organizations: Service, University of Florida, University of California, NASA, Reuters, huskies, University of Wollongong, ABC News, Tourists, University of Colorado Boulder, British Atlantic Survey, University of San Locations: Antarctica, Irvine, Beaufort, Antarctica's Ross, Australia, Antarctica ., Santa Cruz, Georgia, University of San Francisco

She cited unpublished information from Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which did not respond to requests for comment. In recent years, Japanese investors Toyota Tsusho and Sojitz abandoned projects at Dong Pao after China ramped up supply, pummelling prices. Reuters GraphicsStill, rare earths at Dong Pao are relatively easy to access and are mostly concentrated in bastnaesite ores, according to the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology. The plant has capacity to process 5,000 tons of REO a year but the company plans to treble that to accommodate input from Dong Pao, Tuan said. The metallization process is controlled by China, which produces 90% of rare-earth metals, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Persons: Dong Pao, Blackstone, VTRE, Tessa Kutscher, Anh Tuan, Joe Biden, Kutscher, Sojitz, Dylan Kelly, Vingroup, Rivian, Dong, Tuan, David Merriman, John Rockhold, Dudley Kingsnorth, Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio, Khanh, Melanie Burton, Trevor Hunnicutt, Mai Nguyen, Phuong, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, Australia's Blackstone Minerals Ltd, Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources, Earth JSC, U.S, . Geological Survey, Reuters, Toyota, Terra Capital, Blackstone, Hanoi University of Mining, REO, White House, Department of Commerce, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Strategic, ASM, Reuters Graphics Reuters, U.S . Department of Energy, Western Australian School of Mines, Curtin University, Thomson Locations: Nam, Lai Chau, Vietnam, Pao, HANOI, Dong, Beijing, China, Hanoi, U.S, Dong Pao, VTRE, South, Khanh Vu, Melbourne, Seoul, Washington, Phuong Nguyen

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