Early Earth conditions and the chemistry that led to life were inextricably interwoven. Earth scientists and prebiotic chemists are working together in new ways to understand how life first emerged.
Oceans
Posted inNews
An Indian Ocean Network to Keep Track of Climate
Until this decade, the Indian Ocean was not well monitored. Today, the Indian Ocean Observing System helps with both weather monitoring and climate modeling.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Tracking Heat Gains and Losses in the Nordic Seas
The Nordic Seas experience influxes of warm water and losses of heat to the atmosphere with knock-on effects on sea ice, glacier retreat, and carbon dioxide uptake.
Posted inNews
Rising Seas Boost Tsunami Impacts on Distant Shorelines
Modeling suggests that rising sea levels will render Southern California ports increasingly vulnerable to waves from distant-source tsunamis.
Posted inScience Updates
Mapping a River Beneath the Sea
A recent expedition mapped one of the world’s longest submarine channels, revealing previously undiscovered physical features and raising questions about its unusual origin and shape.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Role of Magma in the Birth of the Atlantic Ocean
High-resolution seismic models of the Nova Scotia margin reveal a role for magmatism in continental breakup, even at magma-poor sections of the eastern North American margin.
Posted inENGAGE, Features
A New Mayflower, Named for the Past, Autonomously Navigates the Future
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ crossing, a ship guided by an AI captain will embark on the same journey, doing science along the way.
Posted inENGAGE, Features
The Century-Old Renewable You’ve Never Heard Of
Ocean thermal energy conversion could power the world’s tropical islands, if it ever gets out of the “innovation valley of death.”
Posted inFeatures
The 2-Year Countdown to Deep-Sea Mining
A small island nation is forcing the hand of international regulators to finalize rules for deep-sea mining, but scientists say the environmental consequences are not yet clear.