Scientists examined rock cores taken from the Chicxulub crater in Mexico, site of the asteroid impact that triggered dinosaur extinction, and found iridium, a telltale sign of asteroids. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/asteroid-dust-iridium-chicxulub-crater-dinosaur-extinction…
Tag: seafloor
What’s the coldest Earth has ever been?
Our planet’s history includes episodes of cold so extreme that glaciers reached sea level in equatorial regions. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/whats-coldest-earth-has-ever-been…
Hundreds of fish species, including many we eat, are consuming plastic
As more and more plastic trash permeates the oceans, microplastics are making their way into fish and shellfish, and potentially into humans. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/hundreds-fish-species-consume-microplastics-including-human-food…
A giant undersea sand worm’s fossilized lair
In 20-million-=year-old rock off the coast of Taiwan, researchers have discovered what they think is the fossilized burrow of a giant, predatory sand worm. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/scientists-find-evidence-of-giant-predatory-sand-worms…
Giant worms terrorized the ancient seafloor from hidden death traps
Ancestors of giant Bobbit worms may have colonized the seafloor millions of years ago, building long, narrow burrows where they would wait for unsuspecting prey. Source: https://www.livescience.com/extinct-giant-sea-worm-fossils.html
Seagrass ‘Neptune Balls’ Sieve Millions of Plastic Particles From Water, Study Finds
Underwater seagrass in coastal areas appear to trap plastic pollution in natural bundles of fiber known as “Neptune balls,” researchers have found. The Guardian reports: With no help from humans, the swaying plants — anchored to shallow seabeds — may collect nearly 900 million plastic items in the Mediterranean alone every year, a study reported in the journal Scientific Reports said….
Huge methane cache beneath Arctic could be unlocked by the moon
The moon’s tides affect how much methane is released from seafloor sediments and the implications are huge. Source: https://www.livescience.com/moon-trigger-methane-release-arctic.html
World’s biggest iceberg on collision course with South Georgia Island
Antarctic iceberg A-68A has drifted menacingly close to a remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The giant iceberg could strike land this month. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/biggest-iceberg-a68a-nears-south-georgia-island-dec2020…
Worsening rifts, fractures spotted at 2 important Antarctic glaciers
Satellite imagery has revealed that 2 of the fastest-changing glaciers in Antarctica are fracturing and weakening faster than ever, a step towards the glaciers disintegrating and causing sea levels to rise dramatically. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/worsening-rifts-fractures-2-important-antarctic-glaciers…
15 million tons of microplastics pollute the seafloor
A new report finds that microplastic debris is twice as abundant in the deep ocean as it is on the sea surface. Source: https://www.livescience.com/14-million-tons-microplastics-ocean.html