Credit: Pixabay The levels of dissolved oxygen in the world's water bodies are dropping quickly, and scientists consider this a major threat to Earth's life support system. Much like atmospheric oxygen is crucial for animals, dissolved oxygen (DO) is key for the health of aquatic ecosystems, whether in freshwater or marine environments. Given that billions of...
Credit: RMS Titanic The first expedition to the Titanic since last year's Titan submersible disaster, which resulted in the loss of five lives, is currently underway. The mission aims to conduct the most detailed imaging survey yet of the historic wreck to study the impact of the sea environment on the ship. When the RMS Titanic...
Credit: Pixabay NASA announced on Tuesday that it has chosen SpaceX to construct a spacecraft that will return the International Space Station to Earth’s atmosphere and guide it to its final resting place in the Pacific Ocean upon its retirement in 2030. Elon Musk’s company has secured a contract potentially worth $843 million to develop and...
Studies of marine shales and isotopic data from the Great Oxidation Event period reveal dynamic oxygen fluctuations in Earth’s early atmosphere and oceans, highlighting the prolonged and complex nature of this critical evolutionary stage. Recent findings indicate that Earth's "Great Oxidation Event" unfolded over a span of 200 million years. Fresh research underscores the intricate nature...
The Ocean Cleanup's Boyan Slat with an EcoRecord, which is made using a mix of plastic waste recovered from a river in Guatemala and recycled plastic bottles instead of vinyl, and will be the headline act for a limited-edition release of Coldplay's upcoming albumThe Ocean Cleanup Marine plastic waste is a significant issue, but for...
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) has located the wreck of the ship used for Sir Ernest Shackleton's final Antarctic expedition off the coast of Labrador. The vessel, named the Quest, sank in May 1962, the same ship on which Sir Ernest Shackleton passed away in 1922.
Credit: Depositphotos A new study has confirmed that Earth's inner core rotation has indeed slowed, raising questions about the central dynamics of our planet and potential impacts on us. Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) believe this alteration in the core’s rotation might slightly lengthen our days, though only by fractions of a second—so...
The fungus Parengyodontium album has been found to break down polyethylene waste in the marine environment at a rate of around 0.05% per dayCredit: Depositphotos It's evident that we have a significant plastic waste problem, but various initiatives aim to curb it while also addressing the existing pollution. Nature is also stepping in, as scientists have discovered...
Credit: Pixabay On May 20th, 2024, a 380 square kilometer (~147 mi²) iceberg separated from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. This event, known as A-83, marks the third major iceberg calving in this area in the last four years. In 2021, the first significant event occurred when A-74 separated from the ice sheet, followed by...
Credit: Pixabay In Antarctica, massive glaciers are constantly shifting, with ice streams acting like conveyor belts that transport most of the ice and sediment debris from these glaciers to the ocean. According to new research from Washington University in St. Louis, one such ice stream displaces the entire Ross Ice Shelf at least once daily. This...
