Latest news with #EarthSciences
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
How Humanity's Use Of Water Is Nudging Earth's Tilt
A spinning globe model visualizing how Earth's geographic poles coincide with an imaginary axis ... More around which the planet rotates. In the last 200 years humanity has constructed over 6,800 dams for agricultural use, as drink-water storage and to generate hydroelectric power. Together, they hold so much water that Earth's tilt is changing. Earth's geographic poles, which are the points around which the planet rotates, move with respect to the surface during a process called polar motion in response to the distribution of Earth's mass. The same physical principle can be seen on a much smaller scale during a hammer throw competition, as the swirling mass of the "hammer" — a metal ball attached by a steel wire to a grip — forces the athlete to wobble around the center of rotation. Over geological time, the gravitational pull of Sun and Moon, growing or shrinking ice sheets and the slow drift of the continents will move mass around and cause Earth's poles to shift, but human activity can cause significant changes on a much smaller timescale. 'As we trap water behind dams, not only does it remove water from the oceans, thus leading to a global sea level fall, it also distributes mass in a different way around the world,' says Natasha Valencic, a graduate student in Earth and planetary sciences at Harvard University and lead author of a new study. Valencic and her colleagues used a global database of dams to map the locations of each dam and the amount of water each impounds, comparing their construction history with recorded shifts of Earth's poles. From 1835 to 1954, many dams were built in North America and Europe, shifting these areas toward the equator. The North Pole moved 20.5 centimeters (8 inches) toward the 103rd meridian east, which passes through Russia, Mongolia, China, and the Indochina Peninsula. Then, from 1954 to 2011, dams were built in East Africa and Asia, and the pole shifted 57 centimeters (22 inches) toward the 117th meridian west, which passes through western North America and the South Pacific. Over the entire period from 1835 to 2011, the poles moved about 113 centimeters (3.7 feet), with about 104 centimeters (3.4 feet) of movement happening in the 20th century. Already in 2023, Seo et al. published a similar study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters focusing on groundwater use. By pumping water out of the ground and moving it elsewhere, humans have shifted such a large mass of water that the Earth tilted nearly 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) east between 1993 and 2010 alone. The melting of glaciers and ice caps due to climate change, resulting in a mass shift from the poles to the equator, is expected to amplify this effect further, as a study published in the journal Science Advances suggested as early as 2016. Observed polar motion (red arrow labelled 'OBS') due to water/groundwater mass redistribution Earth's poles normally change by several meters within a year due to the planet's natural wobbling, so the observed changes don't run the risk of catastrophic consequences. However, such studies highlight how profoundly human activity can influence the entire planet. The study,"True Polar Wander Driven by Artificial Water Impoundment: 1835–2011," was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Additional material provided by Samson Reiny for the American Geophysical Union.
India.com
15-07-2025
- Science
- India.com
Shubhanshu Shukla Return LIVE Updates: Dragon spacecraft carrying 4 crew members to splash down soon
Shubhanshu Shukla to return to Earth today at..., splashdown set for..., how to watch Axiom Mission-4 touchdown LIVE - Details Shubhanshu Shukla Earth Return Live Updates: The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, with India's Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts on the Axiom-4 Mission, is set to splash down back on Earth around 3 PM IST today at Space Station (ISS). The splashdown off the coast of California, US, is expected at 5.30 am EDT (3 PM IST) on July 15. 'These timings have a margin window of approximately 1 hour,' Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh said. Shukla's farewell message: '41 years ago, an Indian came to space and he told us how India looks from up above. Today's India looks ambitious from space, today's India looks fearless, today's India looks confident, today's India looks full of pride… today's India still looks 'saare jahan se acha,'' said Shukla in his farewell address aboard the ISS. He spoke both in English and Hindi on the eve of the commencement of the Axiom-4 crew's return journey to Earth. 'Our journey ahead into space exploration may be long and arduous, but it has begun,' he added. India's Shubhanshu Shukla, US' Commander Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz 'Suave' Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) astronaut Tibor Kapu left for the International Space Station on June 26 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Shubhanshu Shukla Return LIVE Update:
India Gazette
28-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We are feeling very proud": Parents of Group Captain Shukla on his interaction with PM Modi
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 28 (ANI): Parents of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), expressed immense pride and gratitude following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with their son on Saturday evening. The Group Captain's parents shared their emotions after witnessing the conversation, which highlighted Shubhanshu's role in Axiom Mission 4 and his representation of India in space. Asha Shukla, the mother of the Group Captain, stated that they felt 'very good' after the PM conveyed his best wishes to her son for the mission. 'We felt very good as PM Modi extended best wishes to my son and also took a lot of information from him regarding space... He took gajar ka halwa and moong dal ka halwa along with him to space... We are feeling very proud,' she said. Shambhu Dayal Shukla, the father of the Group Captain, echoed his wife's sentiments, noting that it was a moment of pride for the parents. 'We felt very good as PM Modi blessed and motivated him... This is a moment of pride for us... We thank PM Modi and the entire nation for extending best wishes to my son,' he stated. Union Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh also lauded the Group Captain Shukla's interaction with PM Modi stating, 'PM Sh Narendra Modi 's conversation with Shubhanshu Shukla has not only energised the entire crew onboard International Space Station #ISS, but is also a huge motivation for the entire Team #ISRO,' in a post on X. Earlier, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, during his interaction with the PM, said that India looks 'very big and grand' from Space. 'Jab pehli baar Bharat ko dekha, Bharat sach mein bohat bhavya dikta hain, jitna ham map pe dekhten hain, usse kahin jyada bada (When we saw India for the first time, we saw that India looks very grand, very big, much bigger than what we see on the map),' Group Captain Shukla said during his interaction Speaking aboard the ISS, Group Captain Shukla also said that it looks from space that no borders exist on Earth. 'The first view was of the Earth and after seeing the Earth from outside, the first thought and the first thing that came to mind was that the Earth looks completely one, no border is visible from outside. When we see the Earth from outside, it seems that no border exists, no state exists, and no countries exist. We all are part of humanity, and the Earth is our one home, and all of us are in it,' he said. Captain Shukla, who is the second Indian to reach Space, said he feels very proud as India has reached the International Space Station, and it is a collective achievement of the country. He said he is feeling very emotional and happy after the conversation with PM Modi. He also urged youth to work hard and never stop trying and said, 'the sky is never the limit.' Group Captain Shukla said Indian scientists have prepared seven unique experiments for the mission. 'I can say with great pride that for the first time Indian scientists have prepared seven unique experiments which I have brought here to the station. The first experiment, which is scheduled today, is on stem cells... My experiment focuses on how we can prevent or delay muscle loss in space by taking a specific supplement. We will also see if these supplements can be beneficial for older people on Earth as well,' he said. PM Modi also congratulated Group Captain Shukla for hoisting the Tricolour in space and said, 'While you are away from our motherland, you are the closest to the hearts of Indians.' 'Today, you are away from our motherland, but you are the closest to the hearts of Indians... Aapke naam mein bhi shubh hai aur aapki yatra naye yug ka shubharambh bhi hai,' PM Modi said. Group Captain Shukla is serving as Mission Pilot on the four-member Axiom Mission 4, which launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and docked with the ISS on Thursday. Axiom 4 mission aboard the Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the ISS on Thursday, ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module. The Ax-4 crew was welcomed by the seven-member Expedition 73 team at the ISS and took part in a safety briefing. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are part of the crew for the Axiom 4 mission. The astronauts plan to spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. (ANI)
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
How Life Survived Snowball Earth
Artist's impression of "Snowball Earth." The Snowball Earth hypothesis suggests that, hundreds of ... More millions of years ago, the Earth's surface may have frozen solid as a result of severe climate change. During the Cryogenian period about 700 to 635 million years ago, Earth experienced a super ice age, one that froze the entire planet from the poles to the equator. Scientist have long wondered how life survived this 'Snowball Earth.' Most of the surface was covered by ice, so there was no to little sunlight reaching the oceans, and with no weathering happening on the frozen-solid continents, no nutrients were washed into the sea. Maybe hot springs deep beneath the ice provided a last viable spot where life persisted until the ice receded. In a new study, researchers at MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Waikato in New Zealand, propose an alternative hypothesis. 'We're interested in understanding the foundations of complex life on Earth. We see evidence for eukaryotes before and after the Cryogenian in the fossil record, but we largely lack direct evidence of where they may have lived during,' says lead author Fatima Husain, a graduate student in MIT. 'The great part of this mystery is, we know life survived. We're just trying to understand how and where.' The scientists found that lifeforms could have survived the global freeze by living in watery oases on the surface. Similar environmental conditions still exist today in cryoconite holes. Dark-colored dust and debris transported by glaciers to the surface absorb sunlight, heating up and melting into the ice forming small pockets and holes. At temperatures hovering around 0 degrees Celsius, the resulting meltwater ponds could have served as habitable environments for early life. Cryoconite hole on a glacier The researchers analyzed samples from a variety of cryoconite holes and meltwater ponds located on the McMurdo Ice Shelf in an area that was first described by members of Robert Falcon Scott's 1903 expedition as 'dirty ice.' They discovered clear signatures of life in every pond. Even more surprising, the communities varied from pond to pond, revealing a high diversity of life forms. There were cyanobacteria, prokaryotic, single-celled photosynthetic organisms that lack a cell nucleus or other organelles. The oldest cyanobacteria-like fossils appear on Earth over 3 billion years ago. While these ancient microbes are known to survive within some of the the harshest environments on Earth, the researchers wanted to know whether eukaryotes — complex organisms that evolved a cell nucleus and other membrane bound organelles — could also weather similarly challenging circumstances. Chemical analysis showed the presence of various molecules clearly associated with eukaryotic life. The team found that salinity plays a key role in the kind of life a pond can host: Ponds that were more brackish or salty had more similar communities, which differed from those in ponds with fresher waters. 'No two ponds were alike,' Husain explains. 'There are repeating casts of characters, but they're present in different abundances. And we found diverse assemblages of eukaryotes from all the major groups in all the ponds studied. These eukaryotes are the descendants of the eukaryotes that survived the Snowball Earth. This really highlights that meltwater ponds during Snowball Earth could have served as above-ice oases that nurtured the eukaryotic life that enabled the diversification and proliferation of complex life — including us — later on.' Additional material and interviews provided by MIT News.
Zawya
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Zawya
India retains forecast of above average monsoon rains
India is likely to see above average monsoon rains for the second straight year in 2025, the government said on Tuesday, retaining the forecast it gave last month. The monsoon is expected to total 106% of the long-term average this year, said M. Ravichandran, secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The India Meteorological Department defines average or normal rainfall as ranging between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 87 cm (35 inches) for the four-month season from June to September. (Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; writing by Rajendra Jadhav; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
