Scientists are studying how the Earth–Moon distance has changed over time, and what effect that change might have had on our planet. Future changes will extinguish total solar eclipses entirely.
sediments
Mars as a Driver of Deep-Sea Erosion
An analysis of breaks in deep-sea sediment links the geological record to a 2.4-million-year cycle that heats Earth and ventilates our oceans.
Submarine Avalanche Deposits Hold Clues to Past Earthquakes
Scientists are making progress on illuminating how undersea sedimentary deposits called turbidites form and on reconstructing the complex histories they record. But it’s not an easy task.
Scientists Quantify Blue Carbon in Bahamas Seagrass
The island nation’s underwater fields store huge reserves of carbon, though not as much as scientists thought.
Mapping Sinking Land for Tribal Resilience in Louisiana
The Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw Tribe has been losing land to the sea, which could hamper efforts to gain federal recognition.
Roman Plagues Struck During Cool, Dry Periods
Marine sediments from the Gulf of Taranto offer a high-resolution look at climate during ancient disease outbreaks.
El Niño May Have Kicked Off Thwaites Glacier Retreat
Antarctica’s “Doomsday Glacier” started losing mass midcentury, around the same time as its neighboring glacier.
Going Through a Rough Patch: Modeling Sediment Moving in Rivers
Irregularities of the rocky surface due to bumps and sediment patches are key to capturing the movement of sediment grains in rivers.
Mysterious Seafloor Pits May Be Made on Porpoise
Some shallow seafloor depressions off the coast of Germany that look like those associated with methane might instead be the work of porpoises.
New Tracers of Wind Erosion Provide Insight into Dryland Vegetation
Rare earth element tracers provide insight into how fire and wind transport influence the vegetation state of the world’s drylands.