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☆ Scientists Have Found a Hot Spot on the Moon’s Far Side
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Kenneth Chang | More About Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The rocks beneath an ancient volcano on the moon’s far side remain surprisingly warm, scientists have revealed using data from orbiting Chinese spacecraft. They point to a large slab of granite that solidified from magma in the geological plumbing beneath what is known as the Compton-Belkovich Volcanic Complex. “I would say we’re putting the nail in the coffin of this really is a volcanic feature,” said Matthew Siegler, a scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., and who led the research. “But then what’s interesting is, it’s a very Earth-like volcanic feature.”The findings, which appeared last week in the journal Nature, help explain what happened long ago beneath an odd part of the moon. The study also highlights the scientific potential of data gathered by China’s space program, and how researchers in the United States have to circumvent obstacles to use that data.

Persons: Compton, ”, Matthew Siegler Organizations: Planetary Science Institute Locations: Tucson, Ariz, United States

☆ There's an enormous gravity hole in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Scientists say they've finally worked out what's causing it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There's a gravity hole in the Indian Ocean, where ocean levels are about 300 feet lower than surrounding areas. The gravity hole may have been caused by an ancient ocean bed that sank millions of years ago. But a new study suggests researchers should have been looking around, not under, the gravity hole to solve the mystery of how it formed. The blue dot over the Indian Ocean is a gravity 'hole' that has scientists baffled. But scientists have struggled to explain the gravity hole in the Indian Ocean, known as the Indian Ocean geoid low.

Persons: Attreyee Ghosh, Debanjan Pal, Steinberger, Himangshu Paul Organizations: Service, ESA, Research, of Geosciences, NASA, Goddard Space, Indian Institute of Science, National Geophysical Research Institute, New Locations: Bangalore, Africa, Australia, India, Eastern Africa

☆ Humans pump so much groundwater that Earth’s axis has shifted, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Humans’ unquenchable thirst for groundwater has sucked so much liquid from subsurface reserves that it’s affecting Earth’s tilt, according to a new study. That shift is even observable on Earth’s surface, as it contributes to global sea level rise, researchers reported in the study published June 15 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Seo and his colleagues had questions about long-term changes to the axis — specifically, how groundwater contributed to that phenomenon. Revealing groundwater extraction’s impactShifts in Earth’s axis are measured indirectly through radio telescope observations of immobile objects in space — quasars — using them as fixed points of reference. The redistribution of groundwater tilted Earth’s rotational axis east by more than 31 inches (78.7 centimeters) in just under two decades, according to the models.

Persons: ”, Ki, Weon Seo, Surendra Adhikari, Adhikari, Seo, ” Adhikari, “, ” Seo Organizations: CNN, Research, Seoul National University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Locations: South Korea, North America, India

☆ Mariana Trench and Challenger Deep: 6 facts about the oceanic chasm
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jackie Wattles | Amaya Mcdonald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘Titanic’ director James Cameron is one of the few people who have visitedFew human expeditions have ventured to the Challenger Deep. Explorer and Texas investor Victor Vescovo said he saw a plastic bag and candy wrappers at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. A trip to the Challenger Deep can put a vessel under pressure that is “equivalent to 50 jumbo jets,” Feldman noted. In 2005, tiny single-celled organisms called foraminifera, a type of plankton, were discovered in the Challenger Deep,” according to NOAA. Given high interest in the Mariana Trench, however, researchers have made several efforts to give increasingly detailed pictures of its features.

Persons: CNN —, Trench, James Cameron, Jacques Piccard, Don Walsh, Gene Feldman, Saeed Khan, ”, Victor Vescovo, Vescovo, Mariana Trench, Mariana, ” Feldman, That’s Organizations: CNN, NASA, Getty, Mariana Trench, Atlantic Productions, Discovery Channel, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Marianas Trench Locations: Everest, Trieste, Sydney, AFP, Texas, Chamorro, Mariana

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

☆ The moon's pull is so strong it may trigger earthquakes on Earth. Scientists are still baffled by its power.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A small handful of experts claim to have evidence that our satellite produces forces that can trigger earthquakes. The moon's effect on earthquakes was hiddenScientists have long pondered whether the moon's tides could be linked to earthquakes. And it seems that in some cases, the moon did help trigger earthquakes around the world. By digging into these datasets, a few studies have suggested a link between Earth tides and earthquakes. Rather, it is when the rock is on the very brink of collapse that the moon's small tug could push it past that final tipping point.

Persons: —, Vi Nguyen, Chris Scholtz, Scholtz, Juan, Scholz, C.H, Tan, Nat Commun, Davide Zaccagnino, Zaccagnino Organizations: Service, NASA, Columbia Climate School, Pictures, NOAA, US, Nature Communications, Sapienza University of Rome Locations: Fuca, Earthquakes

☆ The live volcano sitting below Santorini
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Elinda Labropoulou | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Everywhere you look on Santorini, you’re reminded that you’re on a volcano. Few realize that beneath the hypnotic kaleidoscope of colors lies an active volcano. The East Mediterranean’s most active underwater, and potentially dangerous, volcano, Kolumbo, is five miles northeast of Santorini and part of the same volcanic system. They include a visit to the volcano of Nea Kameni: one of five islands that form the Santorini volcanic complex, and a national geological park in itself. A simmering volcanoTourists can take boat trips to Nea Kameni, home to an active volcano.

☆ ICON prepares to build on the lunar surface. But first, a moonshot at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Casey Dunn/ICONA thread running through ICON’s work is building homes for disadvantaged people, including accommodation for the long-term homeless, often in collaboration with non-profits. Bailey suggested the success of 3D-printed housing could hinge on how it is perceived by prospective residents. Instead of Lavacrete, ICON is experimenting with using lunar regolith, the mineral-rich dust and rock that covers the moon’s surface. ICON's Project Olympus will see a construction system built by the company on the moon later this decade. Apis CorCOBOD is responsible for what it claims is the tallest 3D-printed building in the world, a three-story house in Saudi Arabia.

☆ New analysis reveals dynamic volcanism on Venus
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A February 1991 image showed the vent as a circular formation covering about one square mile (2.6 square km). A October 1991 image showed the vent with an irregular shape covering about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square km). Another study published in 2020 identified 37 volcanic structures apparently active in the past 2 million to 3 million years. Venus, with a diameter of about 7,500 miles (12,000 km), is slightly smaller than Earth. Its thick atmosphere - mainly carbon dioxide - traps in heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, rendering Venus the solar system's hottest planet.

☆ Scientists unlock secrets of Earth's wickedly hot innermost realm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The planet's internal structure comprises four layers: a rocky crust on the outside, then a rocky mantle, an outer core made of magma and a solid inner core. This metallic inner core, about 1,500 miles (2,440) wide, was discovered in the 1930s, also based on seismic waves traveling through Earth. Scientists in 2002 proposed that lurking within this inner core was an innermost section separate from the rest, akin to a Russian Matryoshka nesting doll. The researchers were able to differentiate the two regions because the seismic waves acted differently between them. "The latent heat released from solidifying the Earth's inner core drives the convection in the liquid outer core, generating Earth's geomagnetic field," Pham said.

☆ Fact Check-Video shows Devils Tower rock formation, not a stump from an ancient tree
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Devils Tower rock formation in Wyoming is made of a rare type of rock eroded over millions of years, not the remains of an ancient tree stump, as social media users are suggesting anew. A Twitter user posted the video with the remark, “This is a stump of what's left from the ancient tree” (here). The rock formation is a U.S. National Monument, whose exact geological origins remain partly unclear. In 2020, Reuters Fact Check debunked a similar false claim that Devils Tower was an ancient tree whose underground roots had just been discovered (here). It is footage of Devils Tower, a natural rock formation in Wyoming.

☆ Norway discovers trove of metals, minerals and rare earths on its seabed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Reuters Laura Paddison | Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A Norwegian study has found a “substantial” amount of metals and minerals ranging from copper to rare earths on the seabed of its extended continental shelf, authorities said on Friday in their first official estimates. “Of the metals found on the seabed in the study area, magnesium, niobium, cobalt and rare earth minerals are found on the European Commission’s list of critical minerals,” the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), which conducted the study, said in a statement. About 24 million tonnes of magnesium and 3.1 million tonnes of cobalt are estimated to be in manganese crusts grown on bedrock over millions of years, as well as 1.7 million tonnes of cerium, a rare earth element used in alloys. The manganese crusts are also estimated to contain other rare earth metals, such as neodymium, yttrium and dysprosium. “Costly, rare minerals such as neodymium and dysprosium are extremely important for magnets in wind turbines and the engines in electric vehicles,” the NPD said.

☆ Norway finds 'substantial' mineral resources on its seabed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Nerijus Adomaitis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The resources estimate, covering remote areas in the Norwegian Sea and Greenland Sea, showed there were 38 million tonnes of copper, almost twice the volume mined globally each year, and 45 million tonnes of zinc accumulated in polymetallic sulphides. About 24 million tonnes of magnesium and 3.1 million tonnes of cobalt are estimated to be in manganese crusts grown on bedrock over millions of years, as well as 1.7 million tonnes of cerium, a rare earth metal used in alloys. The manganese crusts are also estimated to contain other rare earth metals, such as neodymium, yttrium and dysprosium. "Costly, rare minerals such as neodymium and dysprosium are extremely important for magnets in wind turbines and the engines in electric vehicles", the NPD said. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTEnvironmental groups have called on Norway to postpone its seabed mineral exploration until more studies are conducted to understand the organisms living on the seabed and the impact of mining on them.

☆ NASA hasn't heard from its InSight lander in 5 days. It may have run out of power and died on Mars.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

NASA's InSight lander on Mars isn't responding to communications from Earth, likely due to low power levels. The solar arrays on NASA's InSight lander are deployed for a test at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, on April 30, 2015. An illustration of the InSight Mars lander. An artist illustration of the InSight lander on Mars. Then they instructed the robot to scoop up dirt and slowly trickle it next to the solar panels.

A NASA spacecraft is set to swing past one of Jupiter’s moons on Thursday, giving astronomers a close-up view of one of the most volcanic spots in the solar system. The Juno probe, which has been orbiting Jupiter since July 2016, is set to conduct a flyby of Io, one of the 80 known moons in Jupiter’s system. Over the course of the next year and a half, the Juno spacecraft will carry out a total of nine flybys of Io. NASA / JPL-CaltechEarlier this year, Juno captured a dramatic view of Io from a distance of around 50,000 miles. Last year, NASA extended the Juno mission through September 2025.

Mount Semeru, which lies around 640 kilometers (400 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta, began erupting at 2:46 a.m. local time Sunday (2:46 p.m. Pyroclastic flow rolls down the slope of Mount Semeru during an eruption in Lumajang, East Java. Standing at 3,676 meters (12,060 feet), Mount Semeru is the tallest volcano on Java – and one of its most active ones. People take shelter at a community hall in Candipuro village following Mount Semeru's volcanic eruption in Lumajang, East Java on December 4, 2022. Rescue workers monitor the flow of volcanic materials from the eruption of Mount Semeru, in Lumajang, East Java, Indonesia, on December 4, 2022.

☆ The political and spiritual symbolism of Mauna Loa’s historic eruption
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

For many in the Native Hawaiian community, it carried a larger cultural and political symbolism and a message to respect Indigenous communities and land. Many Native Hawaiians are drawing from their mythology around Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and creator of the islands, to help assign meaning to the historic eruption. “You don’t have authority to shape our sacred lands.”The eruption, Ing said, “is Pelehonuamea saying, ‘They’re right. And Pele’s lava flow, ho’omanawanui said, is associated with a cleansing that the Native Hawaiian community receives with gratitude rather than fear. So now Pele is coming in.”The symbolism around the eruption can also be applied to another lasting colonial force on the island: the tourism industry, Ing said.

☆ Here's what Pele's hair and the other volcanic terms you're hearing mean
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Lava: Lava is what scientists call magma that breaks through the Earth’s surface – like during a volcano eruption. Lava flows: Lava flows describe both the moving masses of lava that spew onto the earth’s surface during an eruption and the solidified deposit they leave behind once they cool down. Pele’s hair: This term describes long, thin strands of volcanic glass that form from lava fountains and fast lava flows, the USGS says. Volcanic ash: Volcanic ash isn’t the same as the ash produced after burning a piece of paper. Volcanic ash, a finer form of tephra, consists of tiny, sharp pieces of rock and glass.

☆ Factbox: Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano erupts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Mauna Loa’s summit region glows during an eruption as viewed by a geologist of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in Hawaii, U.S. November 28, 2022. USGS/Ken Hon/Handout via REUTERSNov 29 (Reuters) - Hawaii's Mauna Loa began erupting on Nov. 27 for the first time in nearly four decades. * Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on the planet, rising some 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above the Pacific Ocean and dominating the Island of Hawai'i, also known as the Big Island. Geologists estimate that Mauna Loa first erupted on the sea floor between 600,000 and 1 million years ago, and emerged above sea level about 300,000 years ago. * Mauna Loa has previously erupted 33 times since modern record-keeping began in 1843, according to the USGS.

☆ Hawaii’s Big Island warned to be ready as huge volcano rumbles
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

HONOLULU — Hawaii officials are warning residents of the Big Island that the world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, is sending signals that it may erupt. Hawaii’s civil defense agency is holding meetings across the island to educate residents about how to prepare for a possible emergency. “Not to panic everybody, but they have to be aware of that you live on the slopes of Mauna Loa. Molten rock flows from Mauna Loa, located on the south-central part of the island of Hawaii, on April 4, 1984. Alternatively, the temblors could subside and Mauna Loa may not erupt this time.

☆ How super-hot rocks miles under the earth's surface could provide limitless clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The Clean Air Task Force commissioned a non-profit geothermal organization, the Hot Rock Energy Research Organization, and an international clean energy consultancy, LucidCatalyst, to estimate the levelized cost of commercial-scale superhot rock electricity. Graphic courtesy Clear Air Task ForceRegular versus superhot geothermalWhile energy from superhot rocks is not being used now, geothermal energy is being used in a few places where super-hot temperatures exist close to the surface of the earth. But accessing superhot rock energy involves tapping into hotter, dry rock — which is everywhere, but sometimes far beneath the surface. Graphic courtesy Clear Air Task ForceIceland is a leader in investigating superhot rock geothermal energy with its Iceland Deep Drilling Project. Beyond Iceland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and the United States are leaders in superhot rock geothermal, according to Friðleifsson.

☆ How super-hot rocks miles under the earth's surface could help combat climate change
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

"It will take public and private investment similar to those being allocated to nuclear, carbon capture, and hydrogen fuels," Hill told CNBC. But accessing superhot rock energy involves tapping into hotter, dry rock — which is everywhere, but sometimes far beneath the surface. Graphic courtesy Clear Air Task ForceIceland is a leader in investigating superhot rock geothermal energy with its Iceland Deep Drilling Project. Beyond Iceland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and the United States are leaders in superhot rock geothermal, according to Friðleifsson. Oil and gas companies could use their resources to help spur development in the superhot rock industry, the CATF report said.

☆ Mars may have molten lava, scientists discover from quakes detected by NASA's Insight lander
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NASA's InSight lander has detected Mars quakes that mostly come from one region: Cerberus Fossae. But now, using a seismometer on NASA's InSight lander, scientists have discovered the first evidence of molten lava deep below the Martian surface. A series of Mars quakes clued the scientists in to the potential lava hotspot. The biggest Mars quakes point to an underground chamber of magmaInSight has detected more than 1,300 Mars quakes since landing on the red planet in 2018. To get the global picture of Mars quakes and volcanic activity, NASA would need to send more seismometers to the red planet.

☆ Vulcanul Taal, unul dintre cei mai activi din Filipine, zguduit de o serie de erupţii
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-07 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Vulcanul Taal, unul dintre cei mai activi din Filipine, a fost zguduit miercuri de o serie de erupţii slabe şi de scurtă durată, au anunţat oamenii de ştiinţă, avertizând că explozii mult mai puternice ar putea avea loc, relatează dpa. Patru erupţii freatomagmatice, cauzate de interacţiunea dintre magmă şi apă, au avut loc miercuri la craterul principal al vulcanului Taal, a anunţat Institutul de Vulcanologie şi Seismologie din Filipine (PHIVOLCS). Starea de alertă în zona vulcanului Taal rămâne la nivelul 3, ceea ce înseamnă că "expulzarea magmei din craterul principal ar putea conduce la o erupţie explozivă", a precizat institutul. Cea mai recentă erupţie a vulcanului Taal a avut loc la data de 12 ianuarie 2020, când peste 376.000 de locuitori din aşezările învecinate au fost evacuaţi. Taal este o destinaţie turistică populară datorită lacului pitoresc din crater.

Persons: Renato Solidum Locations: Taal, Filipine, Batangas, Manila

☆ ”Oraşul care moare”, nominalizat pentru a fi inclus în patrimoniul UNESCO
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-06 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +3 min

Italia dorește ca orașul Civita, supranumit și „orașul care moare”, să fie inclus de UNESCO în Patrimoniul Mondial, scrie digi24.ro. Cu multe secole în urmă, oraşul ocupa o suprafaţă mult mai mare şi era conectat printr-un drum cu alte aşezări. ”Sloganul nostru este 'rezistenţă' întrucât Civita a fost fondată de etrusci, a dăinuit în timpul perioadei romane şi a întregii perioade medievale pentru a ajunge aşa cum este în prezent”, a spus Luca Profili, de 32 de ani, primarul comunei Bagnoregio, de care aparţine Civita. ”Locul acesta este atât de fragil”, a spus el. Înaintea pandemiei, Civita a fost o atracţie pentru turiştii care călătoreau între Roma şi Florenţa.

Persons: Luca, Civita, Turiştii, Roberto Organizations: UNESCO Locations: Italia, Civita, etrusci, Bagnoregio, Roma, Florenţa, Oraşul

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