The study of Earth’s systems, including its physical structure, natural processes, and interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Earth sciences investigate phenomena such as weather, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions to understand our planet’s past, present, and future.
A 40 000-year cycle in Earth’s axial tilt influenced subtropical marine productivity about 34 million years ago, during the early expansion of the Antarctic ice sheet, according to a study published in PNAS. The authors link this signal to obliquity-driven Antarctic ice-sheet variability that affected ocean circulation and nutrient delivery far from the polar region.
Sunken Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets in the Norwegian Sea continues to release radioactive material more than three decades after sinking on April 7, 1989, according to a 2026 study. Measurements show extremely high concentrations of radionuclides near the wreck, while rapid dilution in surrounding seawater limits broader environmental impact.
A new seismic study of the Kikai Caldera in Japan, published on March 27, 2026, finds that a large shallow magma reservoir beneath the volcano has been replenished by newly injected melt since the giant eruption 7 300 years ago.
A team of researchers has confirmed that the Silverpit structure beneath the southern North Sea is an ancient asteroid impact crater formed approximately 43–46 million years ago. The finding resolves a long-standing geological debate and identifies one of the best-preserved marine impact structures known on Earth.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz sharply declined in early March after escalating conflict in the Gulf disrupted commercial navigation through the narrow corridor between Iran and Oman. While the strait is widely known as one of the world’s most important oil routes, it also connects natural gas exports from Gulf producers to global fertilizer production and agricultural supply chains. Disruptions affecting this corridor can therefore propagate beyond energy markets and influence fertilizer availability, agricultural input costs, and ultimately food prices worldwide.
Satellite measurements from 2014 to 2025 show that the northern hemisphere’s strongest magnetic field region is shifting from Canada toward Siberia as the Canadian lobe weakens and the Siberian lobe intensifies. The redistribution is directly linked to the continued eastward drift of the north magnetic pole, now moving at about 36 km/h (22 mph), and requires updates to global navigation models. Over the same 11-year interval, the southern hemisphere’s strong-field region between Australia and Antarctica remained largely stable.
An international research team led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has resolved how the King’s Trough Complex formed between 37 and 24 million years ago. The study shows it originated along a temporary plate boundary guided by an early branch of the Azores mantle plume.
A revised statistical reconstruction of Earth’s magnetic polarity history suggests that some short-duration geomagnetic reversals may be absent from the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale, particularly during four intervals following the Cretaceous Normal Superchron approximately 83 million years ago. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters in 2026, applies a cross-validated adaptive-bandwidth kernel density estimation method to analyze reversal frequency in the GPTS 2020 dataset. The results identify localized dips in modeled reversal frequency that may correspond to undocumented short-lived polarity switches.
A study published recently in Geology identifies marine large igneous provinces (LIPs) as the cause of at least four mass extinctions during the Triassic period, addressing a long-standing question about what triggered the era’s repeated die-offs.
Using earthquakes to ‘see’ into the interior of our planet, scientists were able to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of the Antarctic gravity hole and reveal its development over millions of years, establishing a link with major climate changes in Antarctica.
