Researchers from Western Sydney University have uncovered the novel strategies Australian eucalypt trees use to survive extreme heatwaves. One remarkable process involves the tree evaporating large volumes of water through its leaves in a process is similar to sweating.
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NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have both released reports stating that 2017 was one of the hottest years since records began in 1880. That continues a long-term trend of rapid warming that doesn’t bode well for the future.
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Bacteria are hardy, but even they have their limits. One of those was previously thought to be polar ice, but a new study has now observed bacteria living in those conditions. That discovery has implications for our understanding of Earth's past climate, as well as life elsewhere in the universe.
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A team of astronomers may have discovered a “hot Jupiter” exoplanet with an atmosphere that snows titanium oxide – a kind of sunscreen – exclusively on the one side of the planet that is bathed in perpetual darkness.
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According to new research, the colossal caldera of the Yellowstone supervolcano was created by not one, but two powerful and closely spaced eruptions that took place some 630,000 years ago. The eruptions were powerful enough to affect the global climate as the planet was recovering from an ice age.
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Earlier this year, geologists argued that a new, mostly sunken landmass called Zealandia should be classified as our planet's eighth continent. Now scientists have returned from a two-month expedition exploring this subsea mystery, with data revealing new insights into the Earth's geological past.
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Scientists working in Antarctica have drilled the oldest ice core ever found. Dating back an estimated 2.7 million years, this ice sample is more than 1.5 million years older than any other previously recovered and offers a rich insight into the climate of the planet millions of years ago.
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Many predictions examining the consequences of a nuclear strike focus on either the immediate fatalities or the radioactive aftermath. A team has taken a broader look at what effect the detonation of a nuclear weapon would be on global climate patterns and the conclusions are a little frightening.
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The Larson C ice shelf in Antarctica is creeping closer to breaking off, and when it does, it’s set to form one of the biggest icebergs on record. The ESA’s CryoSat is keeping watch from above, and scientists have now estimated the dimensions of this inevitable iceberg and where it might drift.
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Around 12,800 years ago, the Earth suddenly dipped into a mini ice age. One of the leading theories is it was triggered by a comet striking the planet, and now, archaeologists believe they’ve found a first-hand account of the story recorded in the remains of an ancient Turkish temple.
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