Islands
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Environment
Study finds that eddies provide upwelling nutrients and improve productivity around the Hawaiian Islands
Credit: Troy Squillaci from Pexels Other than colorful coral reefs and diverse coastal ecosystems, the Pacific waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands are relatively devoid of marine life and have low biological productivity. A new study published by oceanographers at the University of Hawai’i (UH) Mānoa shows that eddies on the leeward side of the Hawaiian Islands can provide nutrients not…
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Physics
Study of chromium-62 helps researchers better understand the geometry around inversion islands
In a recent paper published in Nature Physics, an international collaboration used world-class equipment at the Rare Isotope Beam Facility (FRIB) to study the rare isotope chromium-62. Researchers used gamma-ray spectroscopy experiments in parallel with theoretical models to identify an unexpected variety of shapes for chromium-62. This discovery provides further insight into inversion islands. Credit: Rare Isotope Beam Facility In…
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Earth
Easter Island’s volcanic history suggests that Earth’s mantle behaves very differently than previously assumed
The structure of the mantle plume beneath Easter Island. Credit: Douwe van Hinsbergen Geography textbooks describe the Earth’s mantle, which lies beneath the plates, as a well-mixed, viscous rock that moves with the plates like a conveyor belt. But this idea was first broached about 100 years ago, and it’s surprisingly difficult to prove. A mysterious discovery on Easter Island,…
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Biology
Chagos Islands: How to ensure coral reefs are not damaged on return to Mauritius
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Britain has agreed to cede sovereignty over the largely uninhabited Chagos Islands to Mauritius. These islands have been known as the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965, when they were administratively separated from the then colony of Mauritius. The islands have remained uninhabited since 1973, with the exception of the US military base on Diego Garcia…
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