Scientists have discovered planetary waves of vorticity on and inside the Sun similar to those that significantly influence weather on Earth. Rossby waves are a natural phenomenon in the atmospheres and oceans of planets that form in response to the rotation of the…
A new study suggests there is a likely link between the cyclic strengthening and weakening of ocean tides over tens of millions of years and another, longer cycle – the formation of Earth's supercontinents every 400 to 600 million years. The new research…
A joint research project of the Chronology Laboratory of the Finnish Museum of Natural History and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) suggests that large volcanic eruptions in the years 536 and 541–544 CE resulted in unusually gloomy and cold period…
ESA’s Swarm mission is continually yielding more insight into how our protective shield is generated, how it behaves and how it is changing. Adding yet another string to its bow, Swarm is now tracking changes in the magnetic field produced in the oceans in…
According to a team of European scientists, solar tornadoes are not rotating after all. Their new analysis of these gigantic structures, each one several times the size of the Earth, indicates that they may have been misnamed because scientists have so far only been…
Smithsonian scientists have recently defined a new ocean-life zone, comprising of reef fishes, including numerous new species, that live well below shallow coral reefs. The new zone was named Rariphotic. The new zone was defined based on the unique fish fauna…
A team of seismologists has developed a new measurement of seismic energy release that can be applied to large earthquakes. Called the Radiated Energy Enhancement Factor (REEF), it provides a measure of earthquake rupture complexity that better captures variations…
Scientists from the University of Aberdeen have created the world's first 3D thermal image of an active volcano. The spectacular 3D image of Stromboli in Italy was made using high-precision cameras which are mounted to an aerial drone. The team of geoscientists…
With a 10-year average rainfall of almost 1 990 mm (78.3 inches) per year, the decade from 2006 to 2015 was Ireland’s wettest on record. This compares with a long-term 300-year decadal average of 1 080 mm (42.5 inches) per year, and 940 mm (37 inches), the…
University of Newcastle's (UON) fresh research found further evidence to support the notion that severe flooding events occur cyclically, challenging the widely approved assumption that floods occur randomly. The study is now raising questions about the…
