Earth

A University of Wyoming researcher contributed to a paper that has apparently solved an age-old riddle of how constituent continents were arranged in two Precambrian supercontinents -- then known as Nuna-Columbia and Rodinia. It's a finding that may have future economic implications for mining companies.

A University of Wyoming researcher contributed to a paper that has apparently solved an age-old riddle of how constituent continents were arranged in two Precambrian supercontinents -- then known as Nuna-Columbia and Rodinia. It's a finding that may have future economic implications for mining companies.

Physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have discovered a topological metal, PtSn4 (platinum and tin), with a unique electronic structure that may someday lead to energy efficient computers with increased processor speeds and data storage.

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE - On April 7, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO), a partnership among New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, hosted a workshop for a group of leading scientists and federal agency managers to discuss the state of current science for the deepsea canyons ecosystem and existing management programs that have jurisdiction over current and potential uses related to these canyons.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Past research has indicated that Latino families, particularly Mexican-origin families, tend to be more family oriented and place a significant emphasis on family time. New research from the University of Missouri found that a father's family values can predict family values held by Mexican-origin youth as well as family time for late adolescents. Research also indicated that the link between family time and young adults' depressive symptoms depended on parental acceptance and warmth.

This news release is available in German.

Because concrete, the world's most-used construction material, is such a major contributor to climate change, it's worth knowing every detail about how it's manufactured, according to Rice University scientists.

The Rice lab of theoretical physicist Rouzbeh Shahsavari is looking into those details down to the atomic level. The lab has published the results of computer modeling studies that detail how dislocations - screw-like defects - in raw crystals used for concrete influence how efficiently it can be made.

JCU's Dr Rob Holm applied modern technology to existing geological data. He said the results open up completely new and original interpretations of geological processes.

"This research shows the value of applying new techniques to the extensive database of already existing scientific literature," he said.

"It can track the motion of tectonic plates to explain the formation of oceans and mountain ranges as these plates break apart and crash into one another, and even holds far-reaching implications for the distribution of animal species and Earth's climate though time."

Insights from pure mathematics are lending new insights to material physics, which could aid in development of new devices and sensors. Now an international team of physicists has discovered that applying a magnetic field to a non-magnetic metal made it conduct 70% more electricity, even though basic physics principles would have predicted the opposite.

"We never expected that magnetoresistance could be lowered even further in the compound we tested, because in theory it should have increased," says Kyoto University study author Shingo Yonezawa.

Water is simple and complex at the same time. A single water molecule (H20) is made up of only 3 atoms. Yet the collective behavior of water molecules is unique and continues to amaze us. Water molecules are linked together by hydrogen bonds that break and form several thousands of billions of times per second. These bonds provide water with unique and unusual properties. Living organisms contain around 60% water and salt. Deciphering the interactions among water, salt and ions is thus fundamentally important for understanding life.

Not 100 but 1,000,000 molecules react

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. (April 8, 2016)--Longer monsoon seasons with increased daily rainfall, aspects of climate change, are contributing to reduced tea yield in regions of China, with implications for crop management and harvesting strategies, according to findings by a global interdisciplinary team led by Tufts University researchers and published online today in Climate.

Collection, storage and management of water were top priorities for the ancient Maya, whose sites in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala were forced to endure seven months out of the year with very little rainfall. As researchers expand their explorations of the civilization outside of large, elite-focused research site centers, aerial imagery technology is helping them locate and study areas that are showing them how less urbanized populations conserved water for drinking and irrigation.

New magnetism research brings high-temp superconductivity applications closer

ARGONNE, Ill. - A research team led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has discovered that only half the atoms in some iron-based superconductors are magnetic, providing a conclusive demonstration of the wave-like properties of metallic magnetism in these materials.

Hundreds of iconic moai statues stand testament to the vibrant civilization that once inhabited Easter Island, but there are far fewer clues about why this civilization mysteriously vanished. Did they shortsightedly exhaust the island's resources? Were they decimated by European illnesses and slave trade? Or did stow-away rats devastate the native ecosystem? Such theories have spread widely, but recent evidence shows that the truth is not as simple as any one of these alone.

In a joint North European and North American study led by Umeå researcher Christer Nilsson, a warning is issued of underdocumented results of ecological restorations. The researchers show that continuous and systematic evaluations of cost-efficiency, planning, implementations and effects are necessary in order to make use of experiences in future projects. The results have been published in the journal Ecology and Society.