America
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Earth
Native American names extend the history of earthquakes in Northeastern North America
Mount Nashoba, a popular ski area, is a “swaying hill.” Credit: John Phellan/Wikimedia Commons In 1638, the current earthquake in Plymouth, Massachusetts caused water to stumble, sprint, from the pots Native Americans used to cook their midday meals along the St. Lawrence River. When Roger Williams, founder of the Rhode Island Colony, spoke with local Native Americans, he reported that…
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Earth
North America is dripping from below, Earth scientists discovered
Research figures showing rocks dripping from cratons. Researchers assume that the dropping is caused by the remains of the sinking Faralon Slab below the craton. Credits: Nature Geoscience, Hua et al. Researchers have discovered that the underside of the North American continent drips down rock masses, and that the remains of tectonic plates sinking into the Earth’s mantle may be…
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Science
Oldest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Mayan lowlands
Researchers scouting the Crooked Tree Wildlife Refuge CTWS have found evidence of large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facilities. Credit: Belize River East Archeology (BREA) Project Archaeologists at the University of New Hampshire and their team have collected data showing the existence of large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facilities. Discovered in Belize’s largest inland wetland, the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS), the researchers believe it…
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Environment
Why is South America burning?
A helicopter sprays water on a forest fire in the hills of Quito on September 25, 2024. A record wave of wildfires, driven by severe drought linked to climate change and deforestation, is wreaking havoc across South America. The fire killed at least 30 people, blanketed the city in toxic smoke and caused millions of dollars in economic losses. This…
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Earth
Ocean dust identifies oldest ice near South America dating back 1.5 million years
Benthic foraminiferal oxygen isotopes and marine and ice dust records from ODP site 1090, IODP site U1537, Dome Fuji (DF), and Epica Dome C (EDC). Dating back up to 2 million years. Climate cycles are indicated by dominant patterns of 40,000-year, 100,000-year, and irregular mid-Pleistocene transitions (MPTs). Credit: Past Climate (2024). DOI: 10.5194/cp-20-1437-2024 Earth’s climate has experienced significant changes over…
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Environment
Studies have shown that South America is facing an increased risk of heat waves, droughts and fires.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain In parts of South America, the number of extremely hot, dry and fire-prone days per year has tripled since 1970. South America is warming at a similar rate to the global average. However, some parts of the subcontinent are at increased risk of multiple simultaneous extreme weather events. These compound extreme weather events could have amplified…
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