Plate tectonics is a relatively young scientific theory, only gaining traction among geologists in the late 60s and early 70s. One key tenet of the theory is subduction where plates meet and one Keep reading
Tag: geophysics
Bay of Fundy Tides
Canada’s Bay of Fundy has some of the wildest tidal flows in the world. Every six hours, the flow direction through the strait shifts and tidal currents rise to several meters per Keep reading
Blowing Smoke
It’s unusual – but not entirely unheard of – to see volcanoes blowing smoke rings during inactive periods. But given their unpredictability, scientists had not studied this phenomenon in much depth. In a Keep reading
Rays in Craters
On bodies around the solar system, there are craters marking billions of years’ worth of impacts. Many of these craters have rays–distinctive lines radiating out from the point of impact. Keep reading
Anak Krakatoa Tsunami
In late December 2018, a landslide on the island Anak Krakatoa triggered a deadly tsunami in Indonesia. The island (upper left, pre-landslide) lost an estimated 300 meters of height in Keep reading
Forming a Waterfall
Many factors can affect a waterfall’s formation – changes in bedrock structure, tectonic shifts, and glacial motion, to name a few. But a new study suggests that some waterfalls may Keep reading
Magma Mixing
Magmas typically consist of a mixture of molten liquid, bubbles, and solid crystals. As they mix, those crystals can sink from one viscous layer into another. To investigate this sort Keep reading
Slow Mo Geyser
Geysers are one of the most surreal wonders of our planet – pools of turquoise that periodically erupt into towers of water and steam. But what we see from the Keep reading
Inside Avalanches
Avalanches have traditionally been difficult to model and predict because of their complex nature. In the case of a slab avalanche, the sort often triggered by a lone skier or Keep reading
Titan’s Dust Storms
Earth and Mars are well-known for their dust storms, but a new source of extraterrestrial dust storms is joining them: Saturn’s moon Titan. Titan already shares unusual similarities to Earth: Keep reading