Earth | Page 608 | Science Codex

'Slow' NZ seabed quake sheds light on tsunami-earthquake mechanism

Slow earthquakes such as slow slips are drawing the attention of researchers due to their potential connection to tsunami earthquakes.

An international team of seismologists recorded a slow slip event in a shallow area of plate boundary at the Hikurangi margin off the northeast shore of New Zealand, showing for the first time that such slippage can occur near troughs. This implies that subduction plates may be accumulating much more stress and strain than previously believed --before they bounce back to set off tsunami earthquakes.

Droughts can have detrimental impacts on aquatic invertebrates

At temporary stream sites, researchers found that just three types, or 'taxa', of invertebrates remained following a long drought. At sites that experienced shorter dry spells, 24 taxa remained.

The findings shed light on the potential effect of climate change-related increases in drought length on aquatic invertebrates in these common but poorly-researched streams, which regularly lose surface water during dry spells.

NRL completes ICEX2016 expedition, mapping of Arctic ice

WASHINGTON - A team of U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientists from the Marine Geoscience Division have concluded a month-long sea-ice research expedition as part of the Navy's March 2016 ICe Exercise (ICEX) designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the physical structure and evolution of Arctic sea-ice. The project collected data useful in assessing the operability and safety of Navy and commercial assets along future Arctic routes.

New study shows we are bad judges of friendship

Most of us think that friendship is a two-way street -- but that's true only half the time, according to research from Tel Aviv University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Their new joint study says only half of your buddies would consider you their own friend. People have a very poor perception of friendship ties, and this limits their ability to influence their "friends," according to the research, published in PLoS One on March 22, 2016.

Getting a better measure of spin with diamond

Diamonds are one of the most coveted gemstones. But while some may want the perfect diamond for its sparkle, physicists covet the right diamonds to perfect their experiments. The gem is a key component in a novel system that enables precision measurements that could lead to the discovery of new physics in the sub-atomic realm -- the domain of the particles and forces that build the nucleus of the atom.

JILA extends laser 'combing' method to identify large, complex molecules

BOULDER, Colo. - JILA physicists have extended the capability of their powerful laser "combing" technique to identify the structures of large, complex molecules of the sort found in explosives, pharmaceuticals, fuels and the gases around stars.

Study finds ice isn't being lost from Greenland's interior

Scientists studying data from the top of the Greenland ice sheet have discovered that during winter in the center of the world's largest island, temperature inversions and other low-level atmospheric phenomena effectively isolate the ice surface from the atmosphere -- recycling water vapor and halting the loss or gain of ice.

A team of climate scientists made the surprising discovery from three years of data collected at Summit Camp, an arid, glaciated landscape 10,500 feet above sea level in the middle of the Greenland ice sheet.

Skepticism about climate change may be linked to concerns about economy

WASHINGTON -- Americans may be more likely to accept the scientific evidence of human-caused climate change and its potentially devastating effects if they believe the economy is strong and stable, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

NASA Study: Rising carbon dioxide levels will help and hurt crops

Elevated carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere may increase water-use efficiency in crops and considerably mitigate yield losses due to climate change, according to a new NASA study.

The results, published in the journal Nature Climate Change on April 18, 2016 show some compensation for the adverse impacts of temperature extremes and water scarcity caused by increasing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

As global temperatures rise, children must be central climate change debates

PRINCETON, N.J.--Rising temperatures, rising sea levels and the increasing likelihood of extreme weather will all alter children's lives and the lives of their own children. And yet, children are largely left out of discussions about appropriate responses to climate change, according to a journal released by Princeton University and the Brookings Institution.

Newspapers often publish false depictions of gout

A new analysis reveals that popular newspaper articles depict gout as a self-inflicted condition that is socially embarrassing and the focus of humor.

Specifically, social embarrassment due to gout was reported in 27 of 114 (23.7%) articles in the 21 highest circulation newspapers in the United Kingdom and United States between 2010 and 2015. Jokes or humorous references to gout were reported in 30 of the 114 articles (26.3%).

In addition, dietary solutions were over-emphasized compared with effective medication.

Obesity rates are not declining in US youth

A clear and significant increase in obesity continued from 1999 through 2014, according to an analysis of data on United States children and adolescents age 2 to 19 years.

In 2013-2014, 17.4% of children met criteria for class I obesity, 6.1% for class II, and 2.3% for class III, none statistically different than 2011-2012. Because children are growing, obesity is defined using BMI growth charts, but values are equivalent to an adult BMI of 30.0 to 34.9 for class 1 obesity. Class 2 obesity is a BMI of 35.0 to 39.9, and class 3 obesity is a BMI ?40.0.

Unique nano-capsules promise the targeted drug delivery

By now, the research is quite fundamental. However, one of the authors, Igor Potemkin (Professor of the Chair of Polymer and Crystal Physics, Physics Department, the Lomonosov Moscow State University) argues that the creation of the perfect nano-capsules for targeted drug deliverywould be possibleon the basis of the reported system in the nearest years, and the production will be relatively cheap.

Comet craters -- literal melting pots for life on Earth

DUBLIN, IRELAND, Wednesday May 4th, 2016 - Geochemists from Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences may have found a solution to a long-debated problem as to where - and how - life first formed on Earth.

A compact, efficient single photon source that operates at ambient temperatures on a chip

Quantum information science and technology has emerged as a new paradigm for dramatically faster computation and secure communication in the 21st century. At the heart of any quantum system is the most basic building block, the quantum bit or qbit, which carries the quantum information that can be transferred and processed (this is the quantum analogue of the bit used in current information systems). The most promising carrier qbit for ultimately fast, long distance quantum information transfer is the photon, the quantum unit of light.