Phys.org: Earth science

The magnetosphere, formed by Earth's magnetic field, acts as a protective shield that deflects solar wind—the flow of charged particles constantly streaming from the sun toward our planet. This magnetic barrier protects our atmosphere and the technology we increasingly depend on in near-Earth space, such as communication satellites.

Lightning has a greater impact on forests than previously thought. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed new model calculations that, for the first time, estimate the global influence of lightning on forest ecosystems.

Loretta Mickley first started thinking about smoke in the summer of 2002.

Located about 3 miles offshore and 5 miles north of the Naval Postgraduate School is a first-of-its-kind ocean-sensing buoy. With 5G technologies and solar panels built in, the buoy has the capabilities to collect oceanographic and meteorological data 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the next three years.

A new study published in Science Advances has revealed the first detailed images of a newly developing subduction zone off the coast of British Columbia's Haida Gwaii archipelago.

Submarine canyons are among the most spectacular and fascinating geological formations to be found on our ocean floors, but at an international level, scientists have yet to uncover many of their secrets, especially those located in remote regions of Earth like the North and South Poles.

A new study published in Nature Geoscience has revealed that the global ocean's chemical makeup is undergoing a transformation, with key nutrient ratios critical to marine life shifting away from the long-accepted Redfield Ratio over the past decades.

Dramatic CCTV video of fault slip during a large earthquake in Myanmar thrilled both scientists and casual observers when it was posted to YouTube. But it was on his fifth or sixth viewing, said geophysicist Jesse Kearse, that he spotted something even more exciting.

The trek across the North Sea island of Norderney—a barrier island in the German North Sea—is around five kilometers long. Designed by Lena Thissen, a researcher from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, together with a social scientist from the University of Hamburg, the "Freshwater Lens Walk" is all about a hidden treasure: the island's freshwater supply.

Earth's continents may look fixed on a globe, but they've been drifting, splitting and reforming over billions of years—and they still are. Our new study reveals fresh evidence of rhythmic pulses of molten rock rising beneath east Africa, reshaping our understanding of how continents break apart.

Scientists present at the latest effort to hash out international rules for deep-sea mining say it's unclear if it's possible to restore damaged seafloor ecosystems—or how long it would take.

The Dead Sea is a confluence of extraordinary conditions: the lowest point on Earth's land surface, with one of the world's highest salinities. The high concentration of salt gives it a correspondingly high density, and the water body's status as the deepest hypersaline lake gives rise to interesting and often temperature-related phenomena below the water's surface that researchers are still uncovering.

Yellowstone, a popular tourist destination and namesake of an equally popular TV show, was the first-ever national park in the United States. And bubbling beneath it—to this day—is one of Earth's most seismically active networks of volcanic activity.

The first studies of the 28 March 2025 magnitude 7.8 Myanmar earthquake suggest that the southern portion of its rupture occurred at supershear velocity, reaching speeds of 5 to 6 kilometers per second.

Chinese researchers have recently challenged the long-held belief that "all life depends on sunlight." In a study published in Science Advances, the researchers identified how microbes in deep subsurface areas can derive energy from chemical reactions driven by crustal faulting, offering critical insights into life deep below Earth's surface.

A new study published in the journal One Earth reveals that the way ecosystems collapse—abruptly or gradually—may depend on internal complexity, much like how magnetic materials behave under stress.

If you're in an earthquake-prone area and own an Android phone, it could save your life. It may even have already done so. The Android Earthquake Alert (AEA) system, which began in the U.S. in 2020 and has since expanded globally, sends an automatic alert approximately one minute before the ground starts shaking. That can be enough time to take cover or warn others nearby.

How is ventilation at various depth layers of the Atlantic connected and what role do changes in ocean circulation play? Researchers from Bremen, Kiel and Edinburgh have pursued this question and their findings have now been published in Nature Communications.

Clear-cutting can make catastrophic floods 18 times more frequent with effects lasting more than 40 years, according to a new UBC study.

When a hurricane is in the forecast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deploys its famed Hurricane Hunter team to gather data directly from the storm. The team uses specialized aircraft to fly into the hurricane and collect information about its intensity, structure, and movement, which is used to improve forecasts and warnings.