New research reconstructs the Bering Strait’s flooding history, raising surprising questions about human migration and how ice sheets form.
paleoclimatology & paleoceanography
Lagos longevos cuentan una historia sobre el agua en Marte
Imágenes de alta resolución de paleolagos recientemente descubiertos en Marte demuestran un período de su historia con flujo de agua constante.
UV Radiation Contributed to Earth’s Biggest Mass Extinction
To find the first direct evidence of heightened UV radiation during the end-Permian mass extinction, researchers turned to chemical evidence preserved in pollen grains.
Small Shrubs May Have Played a Large Role in Decarbonizing the Ancient Atmosphere
Vascular plants may have contributed to shaping Earth’s atmosphere long before trees evolved.
Rare and Revealing: Radiocarbon in Service of Paleoceanography
While radiocarbon is best known as a dating tool, this rare isotope can also provide unique and wide-ranging insights into the cycling of carbon in the Earth system.
How Animals May Have Conquered Snowball Earth
We know there were animals during Earth’s chilliest era. The question is, What did they look like?
Marine Molybdenum Loss During the Toarcian Ocean Anoxic Event
The reconstructed loss of molybdenum during the Toarcian ocean anoxic event suggests deeply anoxic conditions during this time period allowing massive amounts of organic carbon being buried.
A Drier or Wetter Future for Southwestern North America?
Bhattacharya et al. present evidence that expansion of the North American Monsoon explains a wetter southwest in the mid-Pliocene and suggest this mechanism can explain current monsoon variations.
El Niño Varies More Intensely Now Than in the Past Millennium
Researchers found evidence for a strengthening El Niño in living and fossilized Galápagos corals.
Clumped 18O –18O in Ice Reveals Past Ozone and Wildfire
Reactive gases like ozone are hard to preserve, but clumped isotopes and models provide clues to past ozone and suggest a global increase in wildfire at megafaunal extinction.