Latest news with #Goldschmidt
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Horrifying Research Finds Melting Glaciers Could Activate Deadly Volcanoes
Scientists are warning that glaciers melting due to global warming could trigger explosive — and potentially deadly — volcanic eruptions around the world. As detailed in a new study presented at the Goldschmidt international geochemistry conference this week and due to be peer-reviewed later this year, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison analyzed six volcanoes in southern Chile to study how retreating ice sheets may have influenced past volcanic behavior. Using advanced argon dating and crystal analysis methods, they found that around the peak of the last ice age, around 20,000 years ago, a thick ice cover subdued volcanic activity, allowing a huge reservoir of magma to accumulate six to nine miles below the surface. However, the end of the ice age led the ice sheets to retreat rapidly. The sudden loss of ice weight allowed gases in the magma to expand, setting the stage for explosive eruptions from newly formed volcanoes. Now, scientists are warning that a similar scenario could unfold thanks to global warming. "Glaciers tend to suppress the volume of eruptions from the volcanoes beneath them," said University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student and lead author Pablo Moreno-Yaeger in a statement. "But as glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively." Scientists previously found that melting glaciers could increase volcanic activity by observing the phenomenon in Iceland. However, other places in the world could also be at risk. "Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanicity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica," Moreno-Yaeger explained. "The key requirement for increased explosivity is initially having a very thick glacial coverage over a magma chamber, and the trigger point is when these glaciers start to retreat, releasing pressure — which is currently happening in places like Antarctica." "Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention," he added. Worse, in the long term eruptions themselves could contribute to "long-term global warming because of a buildup of greenhouse gases," as Moreno-Yaeger explained. "This creates a positive feedback loop, where melting glaciers trigger eruptions, and the eruptions in turn could contribute to further warming and melting," he said. More on volcanoes: Scientists Say Something Is Corking the Yellowstone Supervolcano
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Melting glaciers and ice caps could unleash wave of volcanic eruptions, study says
The melting of glaciers and ice caps by the climate crisis could unleash a barrage of explosive volcanic eruptions, a study suggests. The loss of ice releases the pressure on underground magma chambers and makes eruptions more likely. This process has been seen in Iceland, an unusual island that sits on a mid-ocean tectonic plate boundary. But the research in Chile is one of the first studies to show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended. Global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels is now melting ice caps and glaciers across the world. The biggest risk of a resurgence of volcanic eruptions is in west Antarctica, the researchers said, where at least 100 volcanoes lie under the thick ice. This ice is very likely to be lost in the coming decades and centuries as the world warms. Volcanic eruptions can cool the planet temporarily by shooting sunlight-reflecting particles into the atmosphere. However, sustained eruptions would pump significant greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane. This would further heat the planet and potentially create a vicious circle, in which rising temperatures melt ice that leads to further eruptions and more global heating. Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, who led the research, said: 'As glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively.' The research, which was presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Prague, and is in the final stages of review with an academic journal, involved camping high in the Andes, among active and dormant volcanoes. Data revelation Detailed work on one volcano, called Mocho-Choshuenco, used radioisotope dating to estimate the age of volcanic rocks produced before, during and after the last ice age, when the 1,500-metre-thick Patagonian ice sheet covered the area. Analysis of the minerals in the rocks also revealed the depth and temperature at which the rocks formed. This data revealed that thick ice cover had suppressed the volume of eruptions between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago, allowing a large reservoir of magma to build up 10-15km below the surface. After the ice melted, from about 13,000 years ago, the pressure on the magma chamber was released, gasses in the liquid or molten rock expanded and explosive eruptions followed. 'We found that following deglaciation, the volcano starts to erupt way more, and also changes composition,' said Moreno-Yaeger. The composition changed as the magma melted crustal rocks while eruptions were suppressed. This made the molten rock more viscous and more explosive on eruption. 'Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanicity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica,' he said. 'Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention.' Previous research has shown volcanic activity increased globally by two to six times after the last ice age, but the Chilean study was one of the first to show how this happened. A similar phenomenon was reported via the analysis of rocks in eastern California in 2004. The Guardian Read More Tory grandee and Thatcher ally Norman Tebbit dies aged 94
New York Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Yankees benefitting from Paul Goldschmidt's Baseball IQ despite slump at plate
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free Paul Goldschmidt's bat has fluctuated, a line drive-hitting force in April and May who — along with much of the rest of the offense — sunk in June. Baseball IQ does not slump, though. Advertisement The likely future Hall of Famer showed off his savvy and his glove in his own standout double play Sunday, one that complemented Cody Bellinger's in the sweep-averting win over the Mets at Citi Field. In the eighth inning of a game the Yankees led by two, and the Mets beginning a threat with a leadoff single from Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty shot a ground ball at Goldschmidt. He fielded, somehow snatching the 88.2 mph batted ball with his bare hand, and noticed Mauricio hanging by first base awaiting a throw to second. Paul Goldschmidt's Baseball IQ has helped the Yankees. JASON SZENES/NY POST Advertisement Without a second thought, Goldschmidt shelved a potential throw and ran at Mauricio, whom he tagged and then stepped on the base for a quickly executed double play — the kind of heady play that the Yankees had missed during their skid. 'Just to slow the game down, a double play when he doesn't panic on kind of a weird-hit ball to him, makes sure he secures it,' manager Aaron Boone said of Goldschmidt, who does just about everything right on the field but whom the Yankees brought in largely because of his bat. He is not the MVP he was in 2022, but the Yankees also believed he was not the hitter who finished his Cardinals tenure with a .716 OPS last season. Advertisement After an excellent first two months this year, Goldschmidt went just 12-for-84 (.143) with a .464 OPS in 24 June games. But Goldschmidt, who has done the bulk of his damage against southpaws this season, added his third multihit effort in four July games by picking up a couple of singles Sunday and has shown some hope of snapping out of the funk. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS Advertisement 'I feel good,' Goldschmidt said. 'You got to go out there and perform, so just try to have good at-bats. I've really felt good the whole year, but definitely this last month or five or six weeks I haven't performed as well as I'm capable of.' Goldschmidt's glove helped out Tim Hill, who might be the most reliable member of a hurting bullpen. After throwing 1 ¹/₃ scoreless innings Sunday, the lefty has allowed two earned runs in 19 innings since May 23. Opposing hitters are batting .197 against him in the span.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Some Fig Trees Can Convert Large Amounts of Carbon Dioxide Into Stone: Research
Some fig trees can convert atmospheric CO2 into calcium carbonate, a process known as the oxalate carbonate pathway, effectively turning CO2 into stone. The process of carbon sequestration allows fig trees to store carbon in a more stable form, keeping it in the soil for longer periods compared to organic carbon. The research, presented at the Goldschmidt conference in Prague, revealed that fig trees are one of the first fruit trees shown to have this ability - a potential triple win for food production, organic carbon storage through photosynthesis and inorganic carbon storage as they convert CO2 into calcium carbonate. Mike Rowley at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and his colleagues found that three species of fig tree native to Samburu County in Kenya can also make calcium carbonate from CO2. "A large part of the trees becomes calcium carbonate above ground," said Rowley as quoted by New Scientist. "We [also] see entire root structures that have pretty much turned to calcium carbonate in the soil where it shouldn't be, in high concentrations." Incorporating fig trees into reforestation and agroforestry projects could enhance carbon capture efforts and provide additional benefits like improved soil quality. Scientists aim to quantify the amount of CO2 these trees can capture, assess their water requirements, and determine their viability for large-scale projects. "What was really a surprise, and I'm still kind of reeling from it, is that the [calcium carbonate] had really gone far deeper into the wood structures than I expected," Rowley added. "I expected it to be a superficial process in the cracks and weaknesses within the wood structure."
NBC Sports
01-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Ben Rice the catcher, Emmet Sheehan, and Dominic Canzone
We've just crossed the halfway point of the major league season and must take an honest look at who's playing well, who's playing poorly, and who we can truly count on to help us out through the long summer months ahead. With that, the waiver wire has been picked over and it's getting more difficult to find impact players readily available in most leagues. Fear not, because there are still a handful of available players that have the chance to be difference makers in both the short and long term. If you want a larger list, Eric Samulski wrote his extended waiver wire piece on Sunday. Ben Rice, 1B Yankees Rice was the first player featured on this column all the way back on April 8th, which feels like a lifetime ago. His incredible batted ball data and plate discipline made him exciting. He got even more exciting when he took over the Yankees' designated hitter job early this season. It was all systems go. He had a tremendous April with eight home runs and a .958 OPS while mostly hitting either first or second in the lineup. Again, incredible batted ball data and swing decisions made him seem like a burgeoning star. Then, May came and he regressed a bit with a .739 OPS as he continued to play everyday. He wasn't getting to his power as often and his walk rate fell sharply. June was even worse for Rice, where he has not even been a league average hitter. That, plus the return of Giancarlo Stanton, has cut into his playing time and made him a tough hold in most leagues. The Yankees clearly still value Rice's bat though and have begun to give him reps at catcher. He's been behind the plate in three of his last seven starts overall – two of those coming during their three-game series against the Athletics this past weekend – and appeared there six other times. At nine total games, that puts him on the precipice of gaining catcher eligibility in most leagues. Rice was originally drafted as a catcher out of Dartmouth and was still playing there regularly during the last two seasons when he moved through the upper minors. He's never been regarded for his defense, but he has one of the quickest pop times in the league according to Baseball Savant and he's caught one of two base stealers against him so far. At the same time, the Yankees' regular catcher Austin Wells has had another disappointing season. He's never been regarded as a good defender and is not hitting nearly enough with a .214/.275/.424 slash line to have complete job security. Also, he's missed a few games recently with a circulatory issue in one of the fingers on his left hand. Similarly, Rice has started four of the Yankees' last nine games at first base with Paul Goldschmidt getting five. While he started the season red-hot, Goldschmidt has just a .233/308/.386 slash line since May 1st and looks more like the player that struggled through his last two seasons with the Cardinals than the one looked rejuvenated this past April. Rice is a better hitter than either Wells or Goldschmidt and will likely siphon off starts from each moving forward. He would instantly become a great option at catcher in practically every league when he gets that eligibility. Emmet Sheehan, SP Dodgers There needs to be a bit of optimism (and ample bench space) for adding Sheehan to make sense at this exact moment. If it's something that can work for your team, the upside is huge. Sheehan picked up steam while moving through the Dodgers system after being drafted in 2021 out of Boston College. He had an explosive fastball, plus changeup, and a newly developed slider that led him to a gaudy 40.6% strikeout rate in the minors before debuting with the team in 2023. Those strikeouts came with Sheehan to the majors with a high walk rate and some very loud contact. In all, that came out to a 4.92 ERA in 60 1/3 major league innings. Yet, he ended the season on a high note with 24 strikeouts and just three runs allowed over 13 2/3 innings in three appearances. He was viewed as a pitcher with serious upside heading into last season. Then, injury news trickled out starting last March that kept getting worse and ended with him having Tommy John surgery in May, 2024. Well, he's fully healthy now and impressed in his return to the big leagues with six strikeouts over four innings with one run allowed against the Padres two weeks ago. Then, surprisingly, the Dodgers sent him back down to Triple-A after that start. Clearly too good for the level, he struck out 13 batters across six perfect innings in his first start back down there. He's mandated to spend a minimum of 15 days in the minors after being demoted, so the soonest the Dodgers can call him back up – unless it's to replace an injured player – is after this week. He will make another start at Triple-A in the coming days and it makes sense for him to be back with the Dodgers after that. As they've patched their rotation together well in spite of a litany of injuries, there's plenty of space for Sheehan to mix back into it. Shohei Ohtani is still pitching one-inning at a time as he builds himself back up after Tommy John surgery with Ben Casparius pitching bulk behind him. Dustin May has been a disaster lately and is no longer generating swings-and-misses. Justin Wrobleski had a 2.63 ERA in June over 26 1/3 innings with 26 strikeouts to stabilize this staff alongside ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the ghost of Clayton Kershaw, who continues to be effective. It may not be in the most traditional sense, but there is space for Sheehan to pitch with this team at least until Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell complete their lengthy rehab back from injury. When that happens, his strikeout upside will make him viable in nearly every league. It could make sense to try and forecast his promotion by stashing him now. Dominic Canzone, OF Mariners A fellow Ohio State graduate, the 27-year-old Canzone just finished up a red-hot June since being recalled by the Mariners. Through 62 plate appearances, he had five home runs and a .288/.323/.576 slash line that came with just an 11.3% strikeouts rate. The most notable of those home runs traveled 450 feet to tie a game in the ninth inning against the Diamondbacks a few weeks ago. DOMINIC CANZONE GAME TYING DINGER IN THE 9TH Starved for any type of offense they can get, Seattle is not about to turn their backs on what Canzone is doing. They recently gave him a serious vote of confidence by designating veteran Rowdy Tellez for assignment on June 20th to make room for Luke Raley as he came off the injured list. They easily could've sent Canzone back down since he still has two minor league options, but kept him on the roster in favor of the vet and it's paid off so far. As far as trying to identify late bloomer types, Canzone has the traits we'd look for. His raw power is real with a 115.9 max exit velocity and that 450 foot homer from above. He both pulls and lifts the ball at a high rate too, allowing him to access what's suddenly plus raw power. This is a bit of a new development though, as Canzone has added over 2.5 mph to his average bat speed since 2023. First, last season, he lengthened his swing from 7.2 feet to 7.6 feet to generate that extra force. So far this season, he's shortened it back down to 7.2 feet and is somehow swinging even faster. That's how a player can add serious power while also maintaining their plus hit tool. Legit power, great contact ability, and what looks like a starting spot is what makes him exciting. His swing decisions remain poor, so don't dream on a high on-base percentage to follow with this hopeful breakout. Yet, the profile lends itself to the type of player that could hit a new gear at this point in their career.
