Earth
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Animals
Shipwreck provides window into Tudor-era cod fishing
In the 1500s, England was feeding its navy with fish caught far from home, a new study finds.
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Climate
Burning remaining fossil fuels would eradicate Antarctic ice
Finishing off Earth’s available carbon resources would nearly eliminate the Antarctic ice sheet and raise sea levels by more than 50 meters, new research calculates.
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Earth
Earth’s magnetic mystery forces scientists to get creative
In explaining the Earth’s magnetic field paradox, scientists may discover a new question with an even more interesting answer.
By Eva Emerson -
Oceans
Earth got first whiff of oxygen 3.2 billion years ago
Photosynthesis by early cyanobacteria pumped oxygen into Earth’s oceans 200 million years earlier than once thought, new geochemical analyses show.
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Environment
Molting seals shed mercury along with fur
Seals spew amassed mercury when they shed, creating hotbeds of pollution in otherwise pristine coastal environments.
By Beth Mole -
Planetary Science
The sad magnetic state of the solar system’s rocky worlds
While a strong magnetic shield protects Earth from the sun’s occasional outbursts, the solar system’s other rocky planets are mostly defenseless.
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Environment
Latest BPA replacement seeps into people’s blood and urine
Replacements for BPA called BPS and BPSIP may raise health risks for cashiers.
By Beth Mole -
Earth
The magnetic mystery at the center of the Earth
The history of the planet’s all-important magnetic field has scientists ramping up simulations and lab experiments to resolve a baffling paradox.
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Climate
Virtual twister reveals possible source of tornado longevity
First computer simulation of a long-lived EF5 tornado may reveal why some twisters stick around.
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Earth
Volcanic activity convicted in Permian extinction
Precision dating confirms that Siberian volcanic eruptions could have triggered the Permian extinction.
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Climate
Hurricane’s tiny earthquakes could help forecasters
Hurricane Sandy set off small earthquakes under its eye as it moved up the U.S. East Coast in 2012. The tiny tremors could help researchers track the behavior of future storms, researchers propose.
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Climate
Katrina’s legacy: Refining hurricane forecasting
Ten years following Hurricane Katrina’s formation, the storm’s devastating legacy in New Orleans and beyond continues to drive storm forecast improvements.