Phys.org: Earth science

Zircons, a mineral nearly as old as Earth itself, crystalize when magmas (molten rocks) cool and can be found in trace quantities in magmatic rocks. The formation of magma constitutes the mountains on the Earth. Through interactions with water and the atmosphere, the mountains break down into sediments.

The present solid Earth is actually active, with new plates generating in the mid-ocean ridges and some old plates sinking back into the interior through subduction zones. Subduction is thus a key process of the tectonics and geodynamics of the Earth. However, the formation mechanism of a new subduction zone, i.e., subduction initiation (SI), is widely debated.

Annual snow cover days in all major skiing regions are projected to decrease dramatically as a result of climate change, with one in eight ski areas losing all natural snow cover this century under high emission scenarios. These results are published in a new study in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Veronika Mitterwallner from the University of Bayreuth, Germany and colleagues.

Gas hydrates are great alternative energy sources but they could also harm us and the environment, note geologists from the University of the Philippines.

A new report from an influential real estate organization calls on Chicago to take a bold step to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.

Geologists on an international subcommission recently voted down a proposal to formally recognize that we have entered the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch representing the time when massive, unrelenting human impacts began to overwhelm the Earth's regulatory systems.

The springtime persistent rainfall is the major rainy period before the onset of summer monsoon in East Asia. For example, it accounts for about 35% of the annual precipitation in South China, which brings plentiful water for agricultural and industrial use but can also cause heavy rainfall and flash flooding.

A thermometer dipped in a bucket of sea water on New Year's Day in 1967 began a unique record that shows the dramatic intensification of warming in the Hauraki Gulf.

Our world may seem fragile, but Earth has been around for a very long time. If we ventured far back into the past, would we reach a time when it looked fundamentally different?

Heat waves are becoming more extreme as climate change exacerbates, with susceptible locations experiencing more frequent, prolonged and higher intensity events. As such, they pose a hazard to agricultural practices that rely upon sufficient water to ensure sustainable food supplies.

Researchers from China and Japan have discovered distinct characteristics of Earth's lower mantle flow field. They investigated seismic anisotropy in the upper part of the lower mantle beneath the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and found that the ancient lower mantle flow field is still preserved there.

Scientists from the Universities of Sydney and Sorbonne University have used the geological record of the deep sea to discover a connection between the orbits of Earth and Mars, past global warming patterns and the speeding up of deep ocean circulation.

Winter storms that provide crucial snow and rainfall to northern India are arriving significantly later in the year compared to 70 years ago, a new study has found, exacerbating the risk of catastrophic flooding while also reducing vital water supplies for millions of residents of India.

A new study led by UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography postdoctoral scholar Jennifer Bowen finds that canals used to drain soggy peatlands in Southeast Asia are likely hotspots for greenhouse gas emissions.

East Africa has recently had an unprecedented series of failed rains. But some rainy seasons are bringing the opposite: huge amounts of rainfall.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), human activities have significantly impacted the planet. As global greenhouse gas emissions (mainly carbon dioxide) have continued to increase, so too have global temperatures—with severe ecological consequences. Between 2011 and 2020, global surface temperatures rose by an estimated 1.07°C (2.01°F) above the average in 1850–1900. At this rate, temperatures could further increase by 1.5°C to 2°C (2.7°F to 3.6°F) in the coming decades, depending on whether we can achieve net zero by 2050.

Climate change will be the main driver of future economic risks, with countries in the Asia Pacific region among the most vulnerable to extreme weather events, according to new analysis.

Arctic sea ice is shrinking as the world continues to warm, and a new study led by researchers at Penn State may provide a better understanding of how the loss of this ice may impact daily weather in the middle latitudes, including the United States.

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used numerical simulations to show how conditions on land impact weather during Asian summer monsoons. Focusing on the Tibetan plateau, they studied how varied land conditions combined with fixed maritime conditions illuminate the specific effects of the land on the weather. The work is published in the journal Climate Dynamics.

Rivers in Scotland's west and northwest could be the most sensitive to climate change and should be monitored more closely, according to a study, published in the journal, Science of The Total Environment, by scientists at The James Hutton Institute and the University of Aberdeen.