Climate change may boost toxic mercury levels in sea life
Science News, January 2017The muddying of coastal waters by climate change could drastically increase levels of neurotoxic mercury in sea life, contaminating food supplies.
Devastation detectives try to solve dinosaur disappearance
Science News, January 2017Below the shimmering turquoise waters of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula lies the scene of a prehistoric mass murder. In a geologic instant, most animal and plant species perished. Drilling through hundreds of meters of rock, investigators have finally reached the footprint left by the accused: Earth’s most notorious space rock impact, Chicxulub. The dinosaur killer.
A feature article about new clues about the apocalyptic final days of the dinosaurs, including the first direct victims of the Chicxulub impact. Lead feature in a special issue on the K-Pg extinction. Cover story of issue. Adapted for Science News for Students. The special issue co-won the 2017 Eddie award for full-issue consumer magazine in science or technology.
Humans’ stuff vastly outweighs humans
Science News, January 2017Have you ever felt weighed down by your material possessions? The boundless variety of stuff that humans manufacture — tractors, buildings, ballpoint pens, Hello Kitty backpacks — has serious heft: 30 trillion metric tons, a new study estimates. That’s about 50 kilograms for every square meter of Earth’s surface.
Asteroid barrage, ancient marine life boom not linked
Science News, January 2017An asteroid bombardment that some say triggered an explosion of marine animal diversity around 471 million years ago actually had nothing to do with it.
Earth’s last major warm period was as hot as today
Science News, January 2017The last time Earth’s thermostat was cranked as high as it is today, sea levels were high enough to completely drown New Orleans (had it existed at the time), new research suggests.
Syndicated to Business Insider.
For three years in a row, Earth breaks heat record
Science News, January 2017For the third year running, Earth’s thermostat broke a new record: 2016 was the warmest year since record-keeping began in 1880.
Adapted for Science News for Students.
Coastal waters were an oxygen oasis 2.3 billion years ago
Science News, January 2017Earth was momentarily ripe for the evolution of animals hundreds of millions of years before they first appeared, researchers propose.
Petrified tree rings tell ancient tale of sun’s behavior
Science News, January 2017The sun has been in the same routine for at least 290 million years, new research suggests.
Many tiny moons came together to form moon, simulations suggest
Science News, January 2017The moon is made of moons, new simulations suggest. Instead of a single colossal collision forming Earth’s cosmic companion, researchers propose that a series of medium to large impacts created mini moons that eventually coalesced to form one giant moon.
Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf nears breaking point
Science News, January 2017One of Antarctica’s largest ice shelves is nearing its breaking point, scientists warn. A colossal crack in the Larsen C ice shelf abruptly grew by 18 kilometers during the second half of December 2016, members of the Antarctic research group Project MIDAS reported January 5. The crack is now only about 20 kilometers away from reaching Larsen C’s edge and snapping off a hunk of ice the size of Delaware.
Adapted for Science News for Students.