Science News

This dataset shows how the global ocean's surface water temperatures vary over the course of few years. In addition to seeing the effects of the seasonal cycle, the viewer can see how surface ocean currents and eddies transport heat and water around the globe. The images were generated not from observations, but from a state-of-the-art computer model of Earth's climate created at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL).

A new study has increased the mystery surrounding the inner workings of the planet. The study by boffins at the University of London and published in Nature, found that the solid ball of iron that forms the Earth's core is losing heat 2-3 times faster than previously thought via a process called conduction. This suggests that the core could be solidifying much faster than earlier estimates. Source: NY Times

This animation of GOES data runs through the period of April 14-15, 2012. The imagery reveals the strong flow of warm, moist air from the Gulf into an advancing cold front. There were more than 135 reports of tornadoes and 124 different warnings during this period.

Everything throughout history shows us that Earth does not want to give up its copper to the continental crust," said Rice geochemist Cin-Ty Lee, the lead author of the study. "Both the building blocks for continents and the continental crust itself, dating back as much as 3 billion years, are highly depleted in copper."

In order to illustrate the earth's magnetic field, three datasets for Earth's Magnetism have been created. All of these datasets show the changes in the magnetic field from 1590 - 2010. The first dataset shows the magnetic field lines at the surface of the Earth. The magnetic poles are indicated by stars. The blue lines show where the magnetic field dips into the Earth and the red lines show where the magnetic field emerges from the Earth. Where the field lines are horizontal to the Earth, between the red and blue lines, is the magnetic equator shaded yellow.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003900/a003912/index.html...

In the winter of 479 B.C., a tsunami was the savior of Potidaea, drowning hundreds of Persian invaders as they lay siege to the ancient Greek village.

At a magnitude of 8.6, yesterday's earthquake off the Indonesian province of Aceh was one of the largest ever recorded.Yet the massive tremor, which was followed by an 8.2-magnitude aftershock, did not cause a severe tsunami such as the one on December 26, 2004, which devastated countries around the Indian Ocean and killed more than 200,000.

So what is the difference?

Pumice-like cratery indents formed by ancient raindrop splats are adding to the mystery of why the adolescent Earth was warm enough to host rivers and oceans, despite the dim sun of the day. Thanks to fossilized impressions from rains that fell down on Africa 2.7 billion years ago, the "Faint Young Sun" paradox is getting curiouser and curiouser.