New evidence about where a major earthquake struck central Washington State 145 years ago raises the possibility that today’s unusually frequent quakes in the area still echo that 1872 event.
unsolved mysteries
Posted inFeatures
Hunting Rare Fossils of the Ediacaran
The search for fossil imprints and casts of squishy organisms takes time, perseverance, and sometimes a sprinkle of luck.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Ocean Dynamics May Drive North Atlantic Temperature Anomalies
A new analysis of sea surface temperature and salinity over several decades seeks to settle the debate on which of two mechanisms underlies the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation.
Posted inNews
VIDEO: The Weird, Wonderful Science Behind Titan’s Atmosphere
Scientists are baffled by a spacecraft’s detection of large molecules in a moon’s atmosphere.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Simulations Give New View of Global Auroral Storms
New computer models capture the movement of the strongest auroral storms as they sweep across Earth at night, challenging scientists’ views of what drives them.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Auroras May Explain an Anomaly in Earth’s Ionosphere
A new study finds that the ionospheric anomaly over the Weddell Sea is likely influenced by proximity to auroral energy input, rather than by tilting magnetic fields.
Posted inNews
Seafloor Data from Lost Airliner Search Are Publicly Released
Detailed maps of the bottom of the Indian Ocean reveal deep canyons and landslides but no wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing in 2014.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Geomagnetic Storms Light Up the Geocorona
After geomagnetic storms, Earth’s corona abruptly increases in hydrogen density. For the first time, serendipitous observations have allowed researchers to investigate why.
Posted inScience Updates
Resolving a Methane Mystery in the Arctic
International Workshop to Reconcile Methane Budgets in the Northern Permafrost Region; Seattle, Washington, 7–9 March 2017
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Where Are the Electrical Currents in the Enceladus Plume?
A plume of water ice that escapes Saturn’s moon Enceladus should be coursing with electrical currents, but data are mixed. Now simulations suggest that a sticky dust cloud may shield signals.