May 9, 2024

Record-shattering Tonga volcanic eruption wasn't triggered by what we thought, new study suggests

Scientists have proposed an alternative explanation for why the record-shattering Tonga volcanic eruption of 2022 was so violent: The explosion may have been triggered by gas, rather than by a reaction between magma and water as previously suggested. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific Ocean, erupted on Jan. 15, 2022, unleashing the most intense lightning storm...

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May 9, 2024

Siberia's 'gateway to the underworld' is growing a staggering amount each year

The gateway to the underworld, a huge crater in Siberia's permafrost, is growing by 35 million cubic feet (1 million cubic meters) every year as the frozen ground melts, according to a new study. The crater, officially known as the Batagay (also spelled Batagaika) crater or megaslump, features a rounded cliff face that was first spotted on satellite images in...

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May 9, 2024

Earth from space: Mysterious wave ripples across 'galaxy' of icebergs in Arctic fjord

Quick factsWhere is it? Itilliarsuup Kangerlua fjord, Greenland [70.72910805, -50.71839266]. What's in the photo? A mysterious wave, or arc, rippling across the fjord's surface. Which satellite took the photo? Landsat 9. When was it taken? August 3, 2023. This striking satellite photo captured a mysterious arc in an ethereal, iceberg-covered fjord deep within the Arctic Circle. Researchers proposed several possible...

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May 9, 2024

Antarctic ice hole the size of Switzerland keeps cracking open. Now scientists finally know why.

Scientists have finally discovered what's causing a Switzerland-size hole to repeatedly open up in Antarctica's sea ice. Researchers first spotted the hole, called the Maud Rise polynya, in 1974 and 1976 in Antarctica's Weddell Sea, and since then it has reappeared fleetingly and sporadically opening up in different sizes but in the same place, then sometimes not at all for...

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May 9, 2024

Cave of Crystals: The deadly cavern in Mexico dubbed 'the Sistine Chapel of crystals'

QUICK FACTSName: Cave of Crystals Location: Chihuahua, Mexico Coordinates: 27.850823490019174, -105.4963675458159 The Cave of Crystals is an underground cavern filled with tree-size gypsum crystals, including some of the largest natural crystals ever found. The cave is located around 980 feet (300 meters) deep and is connected to a lead, zinc and silver mine in Naica, 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast...

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May 9, 2024

'You certainly don't see this every day': Ultra-rare backward-spinning tornado formed over Oklahoma

An ultra-rare backward-spinning tornado was spawned Tuesday (April 30) from a powerful supercell thunderstorm that formed over the Oklahoma-Texas border. This backward tornado burst to life in the wake of another odd twister, which was unusual in that it looped back over its own path, CNN reported. Tornadoes tend to travel from west to east, because the prevailing winds in...

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May 9, 2024

2 plants randomly mated up to 1 million years ago to give rise to one of the world's most popular drinks

The plants that provide most of the world's coffee supply emerged around 600,000 to 1 million years ago when two other species of coffee cross-pollinated in the forests of Ethiopia, scientists have discovered. About 60% of the world's coffee supply is sourced from Coffea arabica plants, which now grow in tropical regions across the world New research, published April 15...

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May 9, 2024

Deepest blue hole in the world discovered, with hidden caves and tunnels believed to be inside

Mexico's Taam Ja' Blue Hole is the deepest known underwater sinkhole in the world, researchers have discovered and they haven't even reached the bottom yet. New measurements indicate the Taam Ja' Blue Hole (TJBH), which sits in Chetumal Bay off the southeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, extends at least 1,380 feet (420 meters) below sea level. That's 480 feet...

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May 9, 2024

Earth from space: Lava bleeds down iguana-infested volcano as it spits out toxic gas

Quick factsWhere is it? Fernandina Island, Galpagos Islands [-0.3738657, -91.5395414]. What's in the photo? The erupting La Cumbre volcano. Which satellite took the photo? Landsat 8. When was it taken? March 7, 2024. This striking image captures the initial lava flow from the ongoing eruption at La Cumbre volcano. The active fissure is located on Fernandina Island the third largest...

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May 9, 2024

Eerie, orange skies loom over Athens as dust storm engulfs southern Greece

Clouds of dust have engulfed Athens and other Greek cities, turning the sky an apocalyptic orange. The dust originated from the Sahara desert and blew across the Mediterranean Sea on strong northwesterly winds, reaching Greece Tuesday (April 23). Skies over the Acropolis and other Greek landmarks turned a dramatic, fiery hue, prompting Greek authorities to issue a health warning over...

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May 9, 2024

Hidden 'biosphere' of extreme microbes discovered 13 feet below Atacama Desert is deepest found there to date

A rich microbial biosphere lies buried 13 feet (4 meters) beneath the scorched surface of Chile's Atacama Desert, new research has found. The hidden world of bacteria is one of the deepest found in Atacama soils and could inform the search for life on Mars. Microbial life has previously been recorded down to depths of 2.6 feet (80 centimeters) in...

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May 9, 2024

Yellowstone Lake's weird resistance to climate change could be about to crack

In an unexpected discovery, scientists find climate change is yet to alter the ice cover on Yellowstone Lake. However, a tipping point may be coming for North America's largest high-altitude lake, researchers suggest in a new study. Located roughly 7,733 feet (2,357 meters) above sea level in the heart of Yellowstone National Park and spanning 132 square miles (342 square...

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May 9, 2024

Earth's magnetic field formed before the planet's core, study suggests

Earth's magnetic field may have been similarly as strong 3.7 billion years ago as it is today, pushing the earliest date for this planetary protective bubble back 200 million years. The timing puts the magnetic field in play around the same time life was first emerging on Earth. The oldest fossils on the planet bacterial mats called stromatolites date back...

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May 9, 2024

Massive heat wave and a supercell thunderstorm caused deadly, baseball-sized hailstones to rain down on Spain

A heat wave fueled by climate change helped create deadly, record-breaking hail in Spain, a new study finds. The baseball-sized hail hit northeastern Spain in August 2022, injuring 67 people and killing a 20 month old girl. Videos of the storm show balls of ice up to 4.7 inches (12 centimeters) wide dropping from the sky, smashing car windows and...

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May 9, 2024

Scientists discover 1st-of-its-kind cell part born from a swallowed microbe

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists uncovered the first known structure in complex cells that's capable of drawing nitrogen from the atmosphere and converting it into a form that the cell can use. They've dubbed the newfound cell part the nitroplast. And according to two recent studies, the researchers think it likely evolved 100 million years ago. The nitroplast probably developed...

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May 9, 2024

'We were in disbelief': Antarctica is behaving in a way we've never seen before. Can it recover?

Look out over Antarctica in the summer, and time seems frozen. The South Pole's midnight sun appears to hover in place, never dropping below the horizon for weeks between November and January. But the Antarctics timelessness is an illusion. Only a decade ago, on summer nights across the coast, the sun would glide ever so slightly over the ocean, dusting...

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May 9, 2024

'Unprecedented,' 'Gobsmacked', 'Unbelievable': Changes in Antarctica's sea ice could have dramatic impacts, says climate scientist Edward Doddridge

On Aug. 16, 1897, the Research Vessel Belgica set sail from Antwerp, Belgium. The ship's destination via Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and then Punta Arenas, Chile was Antarctica, a continent that until that time remained completely unexplored by westerners. The new land was not kind to its visitors. Shortly after its arrival, the Belgica became stuck in the thick halo...

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May 9, 2024

Hundreds of emperor penguin chicks spotted plunging off a 50-foot cliff in 1st-of-its-kind footage

Emperor penguin chicks have been recorded hurling themselves from a 50-foot (15 meters) cliff in Antarctica for the first time. The unprecedented footage, captured at Atka Bay in Northern Antarctica, shows roughly 700 fledglings braving a sheer drop to embark on their first swim in the ocean below. I had no idea that the chicks would be able to make...

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May 9, 2024

Earth from space: Trio of multicolor lakes look otherworldly in Africa's Great Rift Valley

Quick factsWhere is it? Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia [7.518881, 38.650099]. What's in the photo? From left to right: Lake Shala, Lake Abijatta and Lake Langano. Which satellite took the photo? Landsat 8. When was it taken? March 29, 2022. The trio of lakes in this striking image each have a different color thanks to a combination of factors including depth,...

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May 9, 2024

Scientists may have pinpointed the true origin of the Hope Diamond and other pristine gemstones

Researchers may have found the true origin of the Hope Diamond, the Koh-i-noor and other famous, flawless gemstones. These diamonds, known collectively as the Golconda diamonds, are special because they have few inclusions and are very low in nitrogen, making them very clear and free of sparkle-disrupting flaws. They are also large. The Koh-i-noor, now one of the British Crown...

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