Earth

The average temperature at Antarctica’s Vostok station is minus 55°C, but a body of water the size of Lake Ontario has remained liquid under four kilometers of ice for 15 million years |

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The average temperature at Antarctica's Vostok station is minus 55°C, but a body of water the size of Lake Ontario has remained liquid under four kilometers of ice for 15 million years |

Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth, characterized by extreme temperatures, high altitudes and deadly ice and snow. The average temperature at Russia’s Vostok Station is minus 55°C, and on July 21, 1983, it recorded the lowest reliably measured temperature on Earth – -89.2°C.Yet beneath the region’s white ice caps lies a hidden ocean-sized lake … Read more

A planet 48 light-years away has the three key ingredients scientists are looking for: rock, an atmosphere and the right temperature. Could it have life?

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A planet 48 light-years away has the three key ingredients scientists are looking for: rock, an atmosphere and the right temperature. Could it have life?

This may be the closest humans have ever come to finding another planet that can support life. Astronomers have made a shocking discovery, discovering an atmosphere around a rocky Earth-like planet about 48 light-years from Earth.The planet, called LHS 1140 b, is orbiting within the habitable zone around its star, meaning it is just the … Read more

The world’s loneliest tree has no other tree for 400 kilometers across the Sahara Desert and has roots more than 30 meters deep to reach hidden groundwater, then was knocked down by a drunk truck driver and survived for 300 years | World News

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The world's loneliest tree has no other tree for 400 kilometers across the Sahara Desert and has roots more than 30 meters deep to reach hidden groundwater, then was knocked down by a drunk truck driver and survived for 300 years | World News

Deep in the Tenere Desert of Niger once stood what was widely regarded as the world’s loneliest tree, the Acacia parasol, which survived for some 300 years despite the fact that there were no other trees within a radius of about 400 kilometers. Hidden beneath the scorching Sahara Desert, its roots extend more than 30 … Read more

Japan’s 2011 earthquake sent seismic waves nearly 2,900 kilometers into the Earth’s center, which returned 13 minutes later and moved the entire country eastward |

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Japan's 2011 earthquake sent seismic waves nearly 2,900 kilometers into the Earth's center, which returned 13 minutes later and moved the entire country eastward |

Seismic waves from Japan’s devastating 9.0-magnitude Tohoku-Oki earthquake in 2011 traveled nearly 2,900 kilometers to the Earth’s core boundary, reflected back about 13 minutes later, and moved the entire country eastward by about 6 millimeters, according to a study published in the journal Science. The movement was too small for anyone to notice, but Japan … Read more

Antarctica: Scientists have discovered nanoplastics, including tire wear particles, in Antarctic soil for the first time, raising concerns that microscopic plastic pollution can travel through the atmosphere to the most remote places on Earth

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Antarctica: Scientists have discovered nanoplastics, including tire wear particles, in Antarctic soil for the first time, raising concerns that microscopic plastic pollution can travel through the atmosphere to the most remote places on Earth

Nanoplastics found in Antarctic soil for first time, indicating long-distance atmospheric transport Scientists have detected nanoplastics in Antarctic soil for the first time. This provides new evidence that tiny plastic particles can travel through the atmosphere and reach some of the most remote places on Earth. But how is this possible?The study was published in … Read more

Antarctica froze 25 million years before the Arctic, and scientists now think the answer lies beneath the continent

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Antarctica froze 25 million years before the Arctic, and scientists now think the answer lies beneath the continent

For a long time, the story seemed simple. As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere drop and the Earth cools, large ice caps are beginning to spread across the polar regions. However, there’s one awkward detail that doesn’t quite fit. About 34 million years ago, Antarctica was covered by a large amount of ice, while … Read more

Earth will reach its furthest point from the sun on July 6, but the summer heat won’t cool down yet: Here’s why |

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Earth will reach its furthest point from the sun on July 6, but the summer heat won't cool down yet: Here's why |

The Earth will reach its furthest point from the Sun on July 6, an annual astronomical event called aphelion. The planet is about 152.1 million kilometers from the sun, about 5 million kilometers farther than it was in early January. However, despite the distance, it will still be summer in the Northern Hemisphere and temperatures … Read more

Spanish athletes locked themselves in a 230-foot-deep cave for 500 days in an unusual experiment. When she came out, she thought only 160 days had passed | World News

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Spanish athletes locked themselves in a 230-foot-deep cave for 500 days in an unusual experiment. When she came out, she thought only 160 days had passed | World News

Spanish endurance athlete and mountaineer Beatriz Flamini spent 500 days alone in a cave 230 feet below the surface, without sunlight, clocks, or direct human contact, all in the name of science. This first-of-its-kind experiment aims to understand how long-term isolation affects the human brain, body and perception of time. Flamini has been isolated from … Read more

Japan sits on four tectonic plates and experiences about 1,500 earthquakes each year, but its cities rarely collapse. Here’s Why It’s Unbelievable |

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Japan sits on four tectonic plates and experiences about 1,500 earthquakes each year, but its cities rarely collapse. Here’s Why It’s Unbelievable |

Japan experiences about 1,500 powerful earthquakes every year, a shocking number that would seem catastrophic to most countries. However, despite Japanese cities being located in one of the most seismically active regions on Earth, widespread building collapses are rare after major earthquakes. The contrast has become even more striking with recent earthquakes in other parts … Read more

Cow Compass: How cows secretly tap into Earth’s magnetic field while grazing |

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Cow Compass: How cows secretly tap into Earth’s magnetic field while grazing |

A quiet venue may look ordinary until you notice the patterns within it. Many cattle and deer appear to be resting or grazing with their bodies aligned roughly north-south. This strange detail first attracted serious attention from the scientific community in 2008, when Sabine Begall, Hynek Burda and colleagues reported that cattle and deer in … Read more