Earth and Atmospheric Sciences News

In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled apart, but the claim was controversial.

Investigation has found that carbon loss stemming from the displacement of food crops and pastures for biofuels crops may be twice as much as the CO2 emissions from land dedicated to biofuels production.

The strikingly banded rocks scattered across the upper Midwest and elsewhere throughout the world are actually ambassadors from the past, offering clues to the environment of the early Earth more than 2 billion years ago.

The findings may lead to a better understanding of historical continental movement, which relates to changes in climate.

A new study indicates most of the world's low-lying river deltas are sinking from human activity, making them increasingly vulnerable to flooding from rivers and ocean storms and putting tens of millions of people at risk.

Scientists have found the "Rosetta Stone" of supervolcanoes, those giant pockmarks in the Earth's surface produced by rare and massive explosive eruptions that rank among nature's most violent events.

Using a carbon nanotube instead of traditional silicon, Cornell researchers have created the basic elements of a solar cell that should lead to much more efficient ways of converting light to electricity than now used in calculators and on rooftops.

Tornadoes that occur from hurricanes moving inland from the Gulf Coast are increasing in frequency, according to researchers. This increase seems to reflect the increase in size and frequency among large hurricanes that make landfall from the Gulf.

Subtle connections between the 11-year solar cycle, the stratosphere, and the tropical Pacific Ocean work in sync to generate periodic weather patterns that affect much of the globe.

Solar cells could soon be produced more cheaply using nanoparticle “inks” that allow them to be printed like newspaper or painted onto the sides of buildings or rooftops to absorb electricity-producing sunlight.