Phys.org: Earth science

Seismic isolation is crucial for safeguarding buildings from earthquake damage. While traditional systems are effective, they struggle with multidirectional forces and adequate damping. These challenges highlight the need for innovative solutions that provide enhanced protection against the complex dynamics of seismic activity. Addressing these issues necessitates in-depth research into advanced seismic isolation technologies.

In June 2016, the San Gabriel Complex Fire raged through southern California. As it burned, the fire caused damage that negatively affected the surrounding area long after the flames died down. In 2019, three years after the fires had been extinguished, the effects of the disaster contributed to a series of landslides following a rainstorm.

The 2015–2016 El Niño hit the Amazon basin hard, causing a drought that severely reduced aboveground vegetation and caused the basin to release nearly 1 gigaton of carbon into the atmosphere.

Air pollution is increasing the severity of summertime thunderstorms, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at James Madison University and published in the journal Atmospheric Research.

A recent study has pinpointed the top-performing solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) products for precise global monitoring of photosynthesis and vegetation dynamics. By thoroughly evaluating eight widely-used SIF datasets, the research team identified Global OCO-2 SIF (GOSIF) and Contiguous Solar-Induced Fluorescence (CSIF) as leading tools for estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) and forecasting key phenological stages.

A recent study is transforming the field of streamflow prediction. By harnessing the power of transfer learning, researchers have developed a model that significantly boosts the precision of daily streamflow forecasts.

Scientists at The University of Manchester have effectively simulated how bubbles grow in volcanic magma thanks to a novel pressure vessel that can mimic the eruption process in a laboratory setting.

The preservation of organic carbon in marine sediments has long been a key question remaining unclear in understanding the long-term carbon cycling on Earth.

International researchers from Finland, Germany, South Africa, and Ethiopia report that deforestation during the last two decades induced a higher warming and cloud level rise than that caused by climate change, which threatens biodiversity and water supply in African montane forests.

Cape Cod scientists are delaying a geoengineering project that looks to dump more than 60,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide into the ocean and has caught federal concerns around potential impacts on the ecosystem.

For the decades since their discovery, seismic signals known as PKP precursors have challenged scientists. Regions of Earth's lower mantle scatter incoming seismic waves, which return to the surface as PKP waves at differing speeds.

Researchers led by Professor Feng Xiaojuan from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS) have analyzed the divergent responses of carbon-degrading enzymes to wetland drainage and found that enzymatic response to long-term drainage diverges in Sphagnum versus non-Sphagnum wetlands due to varied vegetational shifts.

A University of Queensland library—full of hailstones instead of books—is helping researchers to better understand and predict damaging storms.

The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water for hydropower, irrigation and drinking water in seven U.S. states and Mexico. Much of this water comes from the snowpack that builds up over the winter and then melts each spring. Every year in early April, water managers use the snowpack to predict how much water will be available for the upcoming year.

An international team of climate scientists have used a 627-year coral record from Fiji to reveal unprecedented insights into ocean temperatures and climate variability across the Pacific Ocean since 1370.

A megadrought that occurred 4,200 years ago had catastrophic impacts, potentially wiping out early empires and leading to large-scale changes worldwide. It was so significant it marked a turning point in the Earth's geologic history.

A rock formation spanning Ireland and Scotland may be the world's most complete record of "snowball Earth," a crucial moment in planetary history when the globe was covered in ice, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

The Yukon River flows west across Alaska toward the Bering Sea, eroding Arctic permafrost along its banks and transporting sediment downstream. Within that sediment lurks a toxic stowaway: mercury.

This Dec. 27, 2023 image of the São Francisco River in southeast Brazil showcases the range of vibrant colors in the area including blues, reds, greens, and yellows. Much of the unvegetated land, such as unplanted fields and unpaved roads, appears in bright shades of red and yellow. This coloration comes from the underlying clays and soils of Brazil's state of Minas Gerais.

With the unpredictable and destructive nature of earthquakes, a few extra seconds of notice can make all the difference in the world.