Tag Archives: Geophysics

Ancient lightning may have provided the phosphorus necessary for life

Posted on April 6, 2021 by rberkowitz

On early Earth, lightning strikes created glassy rocks that hosted abundant soluble minerals, which were rich in phosphorus, a vital ingredient in biomolecules. Continue reading →

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Railways could double as a tool for probing Earth’s shallow crust

Posted on January 12, 2021 by rberkowitz

Seismologists prospect for mineral deposits in Canada by recording the humming vibrations from freight trains. Continue reading →

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Real-Time Measurements of Earth’s Spin and Tilt

Posted on July 17, 2020 by rberkowitz

An array of ring lasers provides the first continuous measurement of Earth’s motion from a single location.  Continue reading →

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Seafloor avalanches travel fast and far

Posted on June 3, 2020 by rberkowitz

Acoustic measurements of sediment concentration quantify the wide-reaching influence of turbidity currents.  Continue reading →

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Pressure alters rock magnetization

Posted on May 18, 2020 by rberkowitz

A rock buried in Earth’s crust or a meteorite compressed on impact may end up with increased magnetization.  Continue reading →

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Monitoring Volcanic Eruptions Using Lightning

Posted on March 27, 2020 by rberkowitz

Volcanologist Alexa Van Eaton explains the origins of electrical activity in volcanic ash plumes and why it sometimes leads to detectable lightning. Continue reading →

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Real-time observations explain magma dynamics of Kilauea’s 2018 eruption

Posted on January 3, 2020 by rberkowitz

Piston-like caldera collapses drove episodic lava flows far from the summit.  Continue reading →

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Plants slow river migration

Posted on December 13, 2019 by rberkowitz

Rivers in unvegetated landscapes migrate an order of magnitude faster than their vegetated counterparts. Continue reading →

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Volcano topography can distort ground deformation data

Posted on May 10, 2019 by rberkowitz

Cliff-like features could explain the anomalous measurements taken by tiltmeters deployed at Hawaii’s Kilauea and other volcanoes. Continue reading →

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Measurements of elusive mineral could explain mantle discontinuity

Posted on March 1, 2019 by rberkowitz

A predicted phase transition shows up in high-pressure experiments. Continue reading →

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