Newly mapped fast velocity slabs in the lower mantle may be remnants of westward dipping intra-oceanic subduction, before flipping to the present eastward subduction beneath South America at 85 Ma.
South America
Posted inNews
The Rocky Roads of Colombian Paleontology
Colombia has a wealth of fossils, and geologists are leading the charge to both collect data and share ancient history with local communities.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Upwind Forest Buffers Rondonia Cropland Against Regional Drought
During severe Amazonia droughts when oceanic supply of moisture failed, the magnitude of rainfall reduction over Rondonia was moderated by enhanced moisture supply from upwind forests.
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Vicuña Poop Nourishes “Dung Gardens” High in the Andes
The excrement delivers nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, kick-starting islands of vegetation at the edge of the cryosphere.
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Women Are Still Not Heard in the Climate Policy Conversation
A case study in Brazil points to a deep gender gap that still has to be bridged in the policymaking debate.
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Urbanization, Agriculture, and Mining Threaten Brazilian Rivers
Harder to analyze and quantify, diffuse pollution is often overlooked when it comes to water quality assessments.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Structural Style Controls Crustal Fluid Circulation in Andes
Variations in hot spring geochemistry from adjacent mountain ranges with different styles of faulting highlight the influence of crustal-scale structures on circulating fluids in the Peruvian Andes.
Posted inScience Updates
Earth Observations Inform Cities’ Operations and Planning
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Chicago, Ill., are using NASA Earth observations to map, monitor, and forecast water and air quality, urban heat island effects, landslide risks, and more.
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Niveles Altos de Contaminación en Chile se Relacionan Con Parrilladas de Hinchas del Fútbol
Misteriosos picos de contaminación—10 veces más altos que los niveles normales—ocurren en Santiago durante los partidos de fútbol televisados y son causados por decenas de miles de parrilladas, revelan nuevos resultados.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Other, Deeper, South American Flat Slab
Tomographers trace the slab subducting beneath South America into the lower mantle, providing the most complete picture of structure beneath the continent to date.