Earths
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Space & Cosmos
X-rays advance understanding of Earth’s core-mantle boundary and super-Earth magma oceans
Schematic diagram of the experimental setup available at the MEC end station. Four epiX 10k detectors cover the Q range from 15 to 106 nm-1 with an X-ray beam energy of 17 keV. The complete signal can be reconstructed by stitching together the diffuse scattering recorded by each detector. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51796-7 Researchers at the Department of…
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Earth
Geologists discover mysterious subduction zone beneath the Pacific Ocean, reshaping understanding of Earth’s interior
A map depicting the area where the ancient ocean floor was discovered. Credit: Jingchuan Wang, University of Maryland. Scientists at the University of Maryland have discovered evidence of an ancient ocean floor that sank deep into the Earth during the age of dinosaurs, casting doubt on existing theories about the Earth’s internal structure. This previously unstudied section of the ocean…
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Earth
Australian crater could provide new insights into Earth’s geological history
Surface geological map of a proposed large Precambrian/Cambrian impact structure in Australia. Courtesy of Daniel Connelly. A crater believed to stretch more than 370 miles (600 kilometers) across the center of Australia could transform our understanding of Earth’s geological history. Researchers Daniel Connelly and Dr Arif Sikder from Virginia Commonwealth University believe they have found evidence supporting the existence of…
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Earth
Study identifies superionic iron hydride as key to ultra-low velocity zone at the boundary between Earth’s core and mantle
Mean square displacements (MSD) of Fe and H atoms in fcc-FeH at different temperatures and volumes from NVT-FPMD simulations. The core-mantle boundary (CMB) is a key boundary within the Earth, marking the boundary between the outer core and the lower mantle. Over the past two decades, seismological studies have identified anomalously low-velocity regions above the CMB, such as the Large-Scale…
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Earth
Earth’s biggest mass extinction event 250 million years ago shows what can happen when El Niño gets out of control
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain About 252 million years ago, the Earth suddenly warmed. Over a geologically short period of a few tens of thousands of years, 90% of species became extinct. Even insects, which are rarely affected by such events, suffered devastating losses. The Permian-Triassic mass extinction was the largest of the “Big Five” mass extinctions in Earth’s history. Scientists…
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