Latest news with #NationalScienceReview
NDTV
24-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Pacific Ocean Shrinking: Scientists Predict Formation Of A New Supercontinent
Scientists from Curtin University in Australia and Peking University in China have used advanced supercomputing models to predict that a new supercontinent may emerge within the next 200 to 300 million years. As the Pacific Ocean gradually shrinks and eventually closes, Earth's tectonic plates are set to converge, potentially creating a massive landmass that will reshape the planet's geography. These groundbreaking findings were published in the journal National Science Review. "Our new findings are significant and provide insights into what would happen to Earth in the next 200 million years," said Dr Chuan Huang, a researcher in the Earth Dynamics Research Group and the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University and the Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution at Peking University. "Over the past two billion years, Earth's continents have collided together to form a supercontinent every 600 million years, known as the supercontinent cycle." "This means that the current continents are due to come together again in a couple of hundred of million years' time." The resulting new supercontinent has already been named Amasia because some believe that the Pacific Ocean will close - as opposed to the Atlantic and Indian oceans - when America collides with Asia. Australia is also expected to play a role in this important Earth event, first colliding with Asia and then connecting America and Asia once the Pacific Ocean closes. "By simulating how the Earth's tectonic plates are expected to evolve using a supercomputer, we were able to show that in less than 300 million years' time it is likely to be the Pacific Ocean that will close, allowing for the formation of Amasia, debunking some previous scientific theories," Dr. Huang said. The Pacific Ocean is what is left of the Panthalassa superocean that started to form 700 million years ago when the previous supercontinent started to break apart. It is the oldest ocean we have on Earth, and it started shrinking from its maximum size since the dinosaur time.
The Star
13-05-2025
- Science
- The Star
‘Marsquakes' point to liquid water in red planet's crust, study finds
Liquid water may be locked in rock just a few kilometres beneath Martian ground – much closer to the surface of the red planet than previously thought. Using data from Nasa's now-retired InSight lander, a China-led international team of researchers analysed seismic waves from 'marsquakes' and meteorite impacts recorded between 2018 and 2022. They revealed a mysterious zone in the planet's crust they said was best explained by a layer of water-saturated rock. If confirmed, this underground layer – between 5.4km and 8km (3.3-5 miles) deep – could hold as much water as a global layer up to 780 metres (2,550 feet) thick, according to their paper published in National Science Review last month. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The amount matched what scientists believe to be Mars' missing water, after taking into account the water that has escaped into space, become locked into rocks or remains as ice and vapour, said the researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Australian National University and the University of Milano-Bicocca. 'Our results provide the first seismic evidence of liquid water at the base of the Martian upper crust, shaping our understanding of Mars' water cycle and the potential evolution of habitable environments on the planet,' they wrote in the paper. Nasa's InSight lander arrived on Mars in 2018 with a unique mission: not to roam the surface, but to listen to what was happening beneath it. For four years, it used a sensitive seismometer to detect subtle ground movements caused by crustal stress and meteorite impacts. Just as doctors use ultrasounds to scan inside the human body, scientists pieced together information about Mars' subsurface layers by studying how seismic waves travel through the Martian interior. Before shutting down in 2022, InSight recorded more than 1,000 seismic events, creating a trove of data that researchers are still analysing today. A breakthrough came in 2024, when a team from the University of California San Diego and UC Berkeley found that Mars' mid crust – around 11-20km deep – could contain fractured rock fully saturated with liquid water. Their study, based on theoretical models, made the first strong scientific case that Mars might still hold underground water. The new study, led by Sun Weijia from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geology and Geophysics, went a step further. While most previous Mars seismic studies relied on low-frequency data, which could only detect large-scale structures, Sun's team used higher-frequency signals, which gave them a much sharper view to about 500 metres in resolution, of the top 10km of Mars' crust. Looking at signals from three specific seismic events recorded by InSight – including the strongest quake ever recorded on another planet – the researchers identified a clear drop in wave speed at around 5.4km to 8km deep. This usually points to a layer of porous rock filled with liquid water. At that depth, conditions on Mars are warm and pressurised enough for water to stay liquid. The researchers say this zone could represent a kind of 'last refuge' for liquid water on modern Mars. While the discovery is scientifically significant, the water is still far too deep to be accessed with existing drilling technology. It cannot be used for future missions – at least not any time soon. The team also cautioned that their estimate was based only on data from the region directly beneath the InSight lander. Future missions with better seismometers could help confirm their findings, both at the InSight site and in other regions across Mars, they wrote. More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists find hint of hidden liquid water ocean deep below Mars' surface
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. There might be a hidden ocean's worth of liquid water below the surface of Mars, seismic evidence suggests. According to a new paper published April 25 in the journal National Science Review, recordings of seismic waves from deep within the Red Planet indicate that a layer of liquid water may be lurking in the Martian rocks between 3.4 and 5 miles [5.4 to 8 kilometers] below the surface. The total volume of hidden water could flood the whole of Mars' surface with an ocean 1,700 to 2,560 feet [520 to 780 metres] deep, around the same volume of liquid that is contained within Antarctica's ice sheet, the study authors estimated. Related: NASA rover discovers out-of-place 'Skull' on Mars, and scientists are baffled Our neighboring planet was once abundant in water. In the time between Mars' formation 4.1 billion years ago to about 3 billion years ago, the Red Planet is thought to have been extremely wet, with features like valley networks, delta formations, and layered sedimentary rocks suggesting sustained water flow. However, this abundant liquid water "vanished as the planet transitioned to become the cold, dry environment we see today," paper co-author Hrvoje Tkalčić, a professor of geophysics at the Australian National University, said in a statement. Over time, Mars lost its magnetic field, and solar radiation began stripping away its atmosphere. With a thinner atmosphere, surface temperatures dropped; the planet's liquid water began to escape into space, become trapped as ice in the subsurface or polar caps, or become locked in hydrated minerals within the planet's crust, the researchers said. However, these methods of water loss have previously been shown to not entirely account for all the water that is estimated to have once flowed on the Red Planet, with a large volume of "missing" water going unaccounted for. This conundrum has long puzzled scientists, posing the question of whether there is still liquid water hidden on Mars that we have yet to find. This new research suggests that there is indeed liquid water buried deep below the surface of the planet. Upon analyzing seismic data from NASA's InSight lander, which landed on Mars in 2018, researchers found that seismic waves within the planet's interior — caused by asteroid impacts and marsquakes in 2021 and 2022 — appeared to slow down between 3.4 and 5 miles [5.4 to 8 kilometers] below the surface. They suggest that this could be due to the presence of liquid water hidden within porous rocks, as seismic waves travel more slowly through liquid than they do through more solid materials. "This 'low-velocity layer' is most likely highly porous rock filled with liquid water, like a saturated sponge," Tkalčić and another study co-author Weijia Sun, a professor of geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained in an essay for the Conversation about the new study. "Something like Earth's aquifers, where groundwater seeps into rock pores." The researchers suggest that this liquid water could make up the total volume of water missing from previous calculations. "Our study indicates it's possible that much of that ancient water percolated through the porous surface rocks and was retained underground," Tkalčić said. "This also matches estimates of the 'missing' water on Mars from other studies." RELATED STORIES —NASA Mars satellite uncovers markings 'like paint dripping down a wall' on Martian surface —NASA rover discovers out-of-place 'Skull' on Mars, and scientists are baffled —Life on Mars could survive — so long as you're one of these strange, hybrid lifeforms Previous studies have also found that large volumes of water may be stored beneath the Martian surface in ice form, and a study from 2024 suggested that liquid water could be stored within rocks between 7 to 13 miles (11.2 to 21 km) beneath the surface. The potential presence of liquid water on Mars is exciting to scientists, as liquid water is essential to life as we know it. While these potential reservoirs deep below the planet's surface could host some form of Martian life, we won't know if the liquid water even exists until we can drill deep into Mars and find it for ourselves. "Future missions with seismometers and drills are needed to confirm the presence of the water at these depths and gather more clues," Tkalčić said.
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Image shows Mars 4 billion years ago revealing OCEAN world – and scientists say ‘lost' sea may still be hiding on planet
A LOST Martian ocean may be hiding beneath the red planet's surface. Today Mars is a cold and dry desert – but it may have been covered in rivers, lakes, and seas around four billion years ago. 7 Mars may have been a wet world with vast rivers, lakes, and seas Credit: NASA 7 Today Mars is a cold and dry wasteland – but it wasn't always the case Credit: National Science Review Even as recently as 3.1 billion years ago, it may have still had "shimmering" liquid water in large quantities. Scientists say that some of this escaped to space or froze on the polar caps – as well as the water that was trapped in minerals. But scientists say that a there is still a significant amount of "missing" water that may be lurking under the ground. In fact, this missing water is enough to cover the entire planet in an ocean "at least 700 metres deep, and perhaps up to 900 metres deep", according to Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, of the Australian National University. Read more on space The scientists have used seismic data from Nasa's And this may have revealed a vast ocean underground. "We uncovered evidence that the seismic waves slow down in a layer between 5.4 and 8 kilometres below the surface," Tkalčić explained. "Which could be because of the presence of liquid water at these depths." Most read in Science Nasa's And scientists were able to track down a "significant underground anomaly". Inside futuristic plans for NASA-inspired spaceship that can shorten travel times for the Moon and Mars This was a layer where the vibrations were moving more slowly – a "low-velocity layer". The scientists believe this is very porous rock that has filled up with liquid water – just like a spone. "We calculated the 'aquifer layer' on Mars could hold enough water to cover the planet in a global ocean 520–780m deep," said Tkalčić. "Several times as much water as is held in Antarctica's ice sheet." 7 Scientists used data captured by the seismometer on board Nasa's InSight lander Credit: Nasa The downside is that the seismic data only covers a small slice of Mars. So scientists will need to get more seismometers to the red planet to fully map these potential water layers. If they can find these water layers and drill into them, it could lead to a major breakthrough in the "Liquid water is essential for life as we know it. On Earth, microbes thrive in deep, water-filled rock," Tkalčić explained. 7 "Could similar life, perhaps relics of ancient Martian ecosystems, persist in these reservoirs? There's only one way to find out. Tkalčić continued: "The water may be a lifeline for more complex organisms, too – such as future human explorers. "Purified, it could provide drinking water, oxygen, or fuel for rockets. "Of course, drilling kilometres deep on a distant planet is a daunting challenge." 7 A primitive ocean may have once covered the Martian surface Credit: NASA/GSFC MARS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Here's a quick guide to Mars... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and Earth's space neighbour. The blood-red planet was named by the ancient Romans after their god of war. It's about 2,100 miles wide and roughly half the size of Earth. The planet is around 142 million miles from the Sun on average, with sunlight taking 13 minutes to reach the red planet's surface. A single Martian day lasts about 24.6 hours – while a year lasts 669.6 sols, or 687 Earth days. The planet has two small moons named Phobos and Deimos. It's home to Olympus Mons, which is the largest volcano in our solar system and around three times the height of Mt Everest. Temperatures can range from 20C to -153C. Picture Credit: Nasa / Reuters Scientists think that this lost water could account for the "missing" water on the planet. It may have ended up underground by seeping through cracks in the crust. Those cracks may have been formed after Mars was "heavily bombarded by meteorites". "Deep beneath the surface, warmer temperatures would keep the water in a liquid state – unlike the frozen layers nearer the surface," Tkalčić explained. 7 7 Mars may have once looked a lot more like Earth than it does today Credit: Getty - Contributor This research was published in the National Science Review , and authored by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Australian National University, and University of Milano-Bicocca.
South China Morning Post
24-04-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Eat, prey, eat: fossil find in China reveals unusual dinosaur-mammal food chain
A remarkable fossil discovery in northeastern China has revealed a twisted prehistoric food chain – a dinosaur species that devoured a mammal, which itself may have preyed on dinosaurs Advertisement The findings, detailed in a study published in National Science Review, highlight a complex predator-prey dynamic between dinosaurs and mammals 125 million years ago. The fossilised remains of Huadanosaurus sinensis – a newly identified compsognathid-like theropod dinosaur – were found in Liaoning province in what is known as the Yixian geological formation , a treasure trove of Early Cretaceous fossils. The fossilised remains were found in the Yixian Formation in Liaoning province. Images: Handout Scientists discovered two small mammals inside the juvenile dinosaur's stomach cavity. One was a eutherian, a distant relative of modern placental mammals. The second was a gobiconodontid, a group that includes the Repenomamus – a badger-sized mammal known to feast on small dinosaurs. This discovery creates a striking ecological loop. Earlier fossils showed Repenomamus mammals with baby dinosaur bones in their stomachs, suggesting they actively hunted or scavenged dinosaurs. Now it appears that Huadanosaurus turned the tables, preying on mammal predators. The eutherian in its gut was swallowed whole, indicating Huadanosaurus likely killed its prey with a powerful bite. Advertisement 'We describe two new compsognathid-like species, [Sinosauropteryx lingyuanensis] and [Huadanosaurus sinensis] from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation,' the researchers from China and the United States said in a paper in the May issue of the peer-reviewed journal National Science Review. Compsognathidae are a family of coelurosaur theropods, a group of carnivorous, mostly bipedal dinosaurs that also included the Tyrannosaurus.
