Featured
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Q&A |
Digging into deep water
Nature Geoscience spoke with Dr Qingyang Hu, a high-pressure mineralogist at HPSTAR; Prof. Suzan van der Lee, a geophysicist at Northwestern University; and Prof. Katherine Kelley, a geochemist at the University of Rhode Island about their work and what the future of deep-water research might bring.
- Rebecca Neely
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Editorial |
Deep Earth bound by water
Research efforts from across the geosciences are uncovering how water deep within the Earth affects its fundamental workings.
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Article |
Martian landscapes of fluvial ridges carved from ancient sedimentary basin fill
Numerical simulations of the exhumation of basin-filling river deposits suggest that ridge networks observed in Martian landscapes may represent erosional windows into sedimentary basins on Mars.
- Benjamin T. Cardenas
- , Michael P. Lamb
- & John P. Grotzinger
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Editorial |
Minerals matter
Permeating every aspect of life – and each with a multitude of stories to tell – we celebrate the utility, beauty and wonder of minerals in a new column: all minerals considered.
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Article
| Open Access
Long-range predictability of extratropical climate and the length of day
Ensemble forecasts from a dynamical model suggest that fluctuations in atmospheric angular momentum and the length of day can be predicted over a year in advance, thereby providing a source of long-range climate predictability.
- A. A. Scaife
- , L. Hermanson
- & D. Smith
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Research Briefing |
First seismic detections of natural impacts linked to craters on another planet
Seismometers on the NASA InSight lander have identified unusual signals from meteoroid impacts on Mars. Impact locations were confirmed by satellite images of new craters at these sites and directly constrain the martian interior, confirming its crustal structure and ground-truthing the scaling of impact-induced seismicity.
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Article |
Newly formed craters on Mars located using seismic and acoustic wave data from InSight
Impact-induced acoustic and seismic wave events on Mars recorded by the InSight lander’s seismometer have been traced to fresh craters observed in spacecraft imagery.
- Raphael F. Garcia
- , Ingrid J. Daubar
- & William Bruce Banerdt
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Article |
Early silicic magmatism on a differentiated asteroid
Geochemical analyses of an andesitic meteorite suggest the continental-crust-like composition is due to partial melting after core formation on a differentiated parent body.
- Robert W. Nicklas
- , James M. D. Day
- & Arya Udry
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Comment |
Atmospheric impacts of the space industry require oversight
Rocket emissions and debris from spacecraft falling out of orbit are having increasingly detrimental effects on global atmospheric chemistry. Improved monitoring and regulation are urgently needed to create an environmentally sustainable space industry.
- Jamie D. Shutler
- , Xiaoyu Yan
- & Hitoshi Nasu
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News & Views |
Moon’s crustal porosity records impact history
The bulk crustal porosity of the lunar highland may have been generated early in the Moon’s history by basin-forming impacts and then declined exponentially. A new porosity evolution model constrains the timing and sequence of basin formation.
- Zhiyong Xiao
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Article |
Bombardment history of the Moon constrained by crustal porosity
Constraints on the cratering history of the Moon from the modelled production and removal of crustal porosity by impacts are inconsistent with an extended period of bombardment.
- Ya Huei Huang
- , Jason M. Soderblom
- & H. Jay Melosh
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Editorial |
Rumbling rubble-pile asteroids
Recent missions to the rubble-pile asteroids Bennu and Ryugu have revealed asteroid surfaces that continue to be actively modified by a variety of processes while also recording the geologic history of these small bodies.
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News & Views |
A weak and active surface of Bennu
The surface of the asteroid Bennu is so weakly bonded that rockslide avalanches are easily triggered by small body impacts, and boulders fractured due to diurnal heating and cooling are readily dislodged. The result is a surface under continuous renewal.
- Masahiko Arakawa
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Article |
Low surface strength of the asteroid Bennu inferred from impact ejecta deposit
Observations of deposits associated with a crater on the rubble-pile asteroid Bennu indicate a surface with low strength that is readily reworked by impact processes.
- M. E. Perry
- , O. S. Barnouin
- & D. S. Lauretta
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Article |
Alignment of fractures on Bennu’s boulders indicative of rapid asteroid surface evolution
Fractures on the asteroid Bennu imaged by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft are consistent with cracking induced by diurnal temperature variations over geologically rapid timescales.
- Marco Delbo
- , Kevin J. Walsh
- & Dante S. Lauretta
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Article |
Winter particulate pollution severity in North China driven by atmospheric teleconnections
Recurring climatic patterns can be used to predict severe winter particulate air pollution over North China, according to an analysis of wintertime particulate concentrations and atmospheric circulation.
- Jiandong Li
- , Xin Hao
- & Jia Zhu
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Article |
Thermochemical structure and evolution of cratonic lithosphere in central and southern Africa
Cratons in central and southern Africa exhibit diverse structures, compositions and responses to geodynamic settings, according to a high-resolution thermochemical regional model constructed from land- and satellite-based geophysical observations.
- Juan C. Afonso
- , Walid Ben-Mansour
- & Yingjie Yang
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Article |
Crater population on asteroid (101955) Bennu indicates impact armouring and a young surface
Boulder armouring inhibits small-crater formation on the rubble-pile asteroid Bennu, substantially reducing surface age estimates, according to an analysis of the crater size–frequency distribution.
- E. B. Bierhaus
- , D. Trang
- & D. S. Lauretta
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Correspondence |
Estimating pi using geoscience
- Fabian B. Wadsworth
- , Jérémie Vasseur
- & Lucía Pérez-Díaz
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Article |
Earth’s Great Oxidation Event facilitated by the rise of sedimentary phosphorus recycling
Recycling of sedimentary phosphorus driven by increasing oceanic sulfide availability contributed to the persistent oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere, according to analysis of Archean drill-core samples and biogeochemical modelling
- Lewis J. Alcott
- , Benjamin J. W. Mills
- & Simon W. Poulton
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Article |
Surface characteristics of the Zhurong Mars rover traverse at Utopia Planitia
Analysis of interactions between the wheels of the Zhurong rover and the terrain along the rover’s traverse reveals soils with high bearing strength and cohesion.
- L. Ding
- , R. Zhou
- & K. Di
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Article
| Open Access
Equal abundance of summertime natural and wintertime anthropogenic Arctic organic aerosols
Organic aerosols in the Arctic are predominantly fuelled by anthropogenic sources in winter and natural sources in summer, according to observations from eight sites across the Arctic
- Vaios Moschos
- , Katja Dzepina
- & Imad El Haddad
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Article |
Emergence of felsic crust and subaerial weathering recorded in Palaeoarchaean barite
Chemical weathering of subaerial felsic crust modified the composition of Palaeoarchaean seawater, suggesting possible Eoarchaean crustal emergence, according to the radiogenic strontium isotope composition of 3.5–3.2 Ga barite deposits.
- Desiree L. Roerdink
- , Yuval Ronen
- & Paul R. D. Mason
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Article |
A nitrogen-rich atmosphere on ancient Mars consistent with isotopic evolution models
The isotopic composition of nitrogen in the Martian atmosphere can be explained by a nitrogen-rich ancient atmosphere, according to models of atmospheric evolution.
- Renyu Hu
- & Trent B. Thomas
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Article |
Earth’s missing argon paradox resolved by recycling of oceanic crust
Oceanic crust subduction sequesters substantial amounts of argon in the Earth’s mantle, while atmosphere-derived argon affects only the isotopic composition and not the overall budget, according to geodynamic–geochemical models of mantle convection.
- Jonathan M. Tucker
- , Peter E. van Keken
- & Chris J. Ballentine
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Article |
Lunar compositional asymmetry explained by mantle overturn following the South Pole–Aitken impact
The compositional asymmetry between the Moon’s near- and farsides can be explained as the result of impact-induced mantle convection and gravitational instability, according to numerical modelling of the South Pole–Aitken impact and the ensuing mantle evolution.
- Nan Zhang
- , Min Ding
- & Zongyu Yue
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Article |
Regulation of ionospheric plasma velocities by thermospheric winds
Observations from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ionospheric Connection Explorer confirm the link between thermospheric winds and ionospheric plasma variability.
- Thomas J. Immel
- , Brian J. Harding
- & Jonathan J. Makela
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News & Views |
Sulfur evaporation in planetesimals
Evaporative loss of sulfur from molten planetesimals can explain the sub-chondritic sulfur isotope composition of the bulk silicate mantle, suggesting an important role for planetesimal evaporation in establishing Earth’s volatile budget.
- Yuan Li
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Article |
Sulfur isotopic signature of Earth established by planetesimal volatile evaporation
Earth’s volatile element content was established largely by volatile evaporation from molten planetesimals before Earth’s formation, according to first-principles calculations and examination of sulfur isotope fractionation.
- Wenzhong Wang
- , Chun-Hui Li
- & Shui-Jiong Wang
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Article |
Delayed and variable late Archaean atmospheric oxidation due to high collision rates on Earth
The oxygenation of Earth may have been delayed due to high late Archaean extraterrestrial impact rates, which acted as a fluctuating sink of atmospheric oxygen, according to a reassessment of past impactor fluxes and atmospheric chemistry modelling.
- S. Marchi
- , N. Drabon
- & T. Lyons
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Matters Arising |
No 182W evidence for early Moon formation
- Thomas S. Kruijer
- , Gregory J. Archer
- & Thorsten Kleine
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Matters Arising |
Reply to: No 182W evidence for early Moon formation
- Maxwell Marzban Thiemens
- , Jonas Tusch
- & Carsten Münker
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Article |
Temperature control on CO2 emissions from the weathering of sedimentary rocks
The release of carbon dioxide during oxidative weathering of sedimentary rocks acts as a positive feedback to warming, according to 2.5 years of CO2 flux measurements from the Draix-Bléone Critical Zone Observatory, France.
- Guillaume Soulet
- , Robert G. Hilton
- & Caroline Le Bouteiller
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Article |
Muted multidecadal climate variability in central Europe during cold stadial periods
Central European multidecadal climate variability was subdued during cold stadials through the last glacial cycle due to atmospheric and oceanic circulation shifts, according to almost annual-resolution terrestrial climate proxy records from varved maar lakes in Germany.
- Frank Sirocko
- , Alfredo Martínez-García
- & Gerald H. Haug
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Article
| Open Access
Possible link between Earth’s rotation rate and oxygenation
Rotational deceleration has increased daylength on Earth, potentially linking the increased burial of organic carbon by cyanobacterial mats and planetary oxygenation, according to experiments and modelling of Precambrian benthic ecosystems.
- J. M. Klatt
- , A. Chennu
- & G. J. Dick
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Article |
The number and location of Jupiter’s circumpolar cyclones explained by vorticity dynamics
Vorticity gradient force balance explains the location and number of circumpolar cyclones at Jupiter’s poles, and the absence of circumpolar cyclones on Saturn, according to calculations.
- Nimrod Gavriel
- & Yohai Kaspi
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Article |
Rates of protoplanetary accretion and differentiation set nitrogen budget of rocky planets
Rates of protoplanetary accretion and differentiation control the depletion of nitrogen in rocky planets, according to high-pressure/temperature experiments that show that nitrogen is extremely siderophilic.
- Damanveer S. Grewal
- , Rajdeep Dasgupta
- & Alexandra Farnell
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Article |
Heinrich Stadial aridity forced Mediterranean-wide glacier retreat in the last cold stage
Mountain glacier growth around the Mediterranean repeatedly stalled during cold, dry Heinrich Stadials, according to an analysis of cosmogenic isotope-dated glacial landforms from across the region.
- James L. Allard
- , Philip D. Hughes
- & Jamie C. Woodward
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Article |
A pole-to-equator ocean overturning circulation on Enceladus
Enceladus’s interior ocean could sustain a pole-to-equator overturning circulation, which might mean its bulk salinity is greater than that estimated from plume sampling by Cassini, according to numerical simulations.
- Ana H. Lobo
- , Andrew F. Thompson
- & Saikiran Tharimena
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Article |
Recent European drought extremes beyond Common Era background variability
European summer droughts in recent years are anomalously severe compared with those of the previous 2,000 years, according to a synthesis of annually resolved tree-ring carbon and oxygen isotope records.
- Ulf Büntgen
- , Otmar Urban
- & Miroslav Trnka
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News & Views |
Intermittent warmth on young Mars
Warm and wet conditions could have episodically punctuated a generally cold early climate on Mars, according to a multidisciplinary modelling approach that potentially solves a five-decade long debate regarding warm conditions on early Mars.
- Nicolas Mangold
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Article |
A coupled model of episodic warming, oxidation and geochemical transitions on early Mars
Mars’s early climate and surface chemistry varied between a generally cold, oxidizing environment and warmer, more reducing conditions, according to a model of atmospheric evolution driven by stochastic, random injection of greenhouse gases.
- Robin Wordsworth
- , Andrew H. Knoll
- & Kathryn Steakley
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Article |
The future lifespan of Earth’s oxygenated atmosphere
Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere will probably persist for only one billion more years before it sharply deoxygenates to low-level oxygen similar to those of the Archaean, according to a combined biogeochemistry and climate model.
- Kazumi Ozaki
- & Christopher T. Reinhard
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Article |
Implications of the iron oxide phase transition on the interiors of rocky exoplanets
The interior structure and rheology of large terrestrial exoplanets is strongly affected by the phase transition of iron-oxide, according to dynamic compression and X-ray diffraction FeO experiments up to 700 GPa and calculation of the binary MgO–FeO phase diagram.
- F. Coppari
- , R. F. Smith
- & T. S. Duffy
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Article |
Implantation of Martian atmospheric ions within the regolith of Phobos
Martian atmospheric atoms are implanted in and alter regolith grains on the nearside surface of Phobos, according to an analysis of observations of ion escape from Mars’s atmosphere.
- Q. Nénon
- , A. R. Poppe
- & J. P. McFadden
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Article |
The vertical structure of CO in the Martian atmosphere from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
The CO mixing ratio in Mars’s atmosphere increases towards the poles because of downward transport of CO from the upper atmosphere, according to an analysis of data from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.
- K. S. Olsen
- , F. Lefèvre
- & A. Shakun
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Article |
Archaean seafloors shallowed with age due to radiogenic heating in the mantle
In contrast to present-day seafloor subsidence with age, there may have been Archaean seafloor shallowing and landmass exposure due to high internal heating in the mantle that halted subsidence, according to numerical models of mantle convection.
- Juan Carlos Rosas
- & Jun Korenaga
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Article |
Eleven-year solar cycles over the last millennium revealed by radiocarbon in tree rings
11-year solar cycles consistently occurred throughout the last thousand years, according to a synthesis of annually resolved tree ring radiocarbon records from central Europe.
- Nicolas Brehm
- , Alex Bayliss
- & Lukas Wacker
Earth-like lithospheric thickness and heat flow on Venus consistent with active rifting
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