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Mercury's spin and its orbit around the Sun are tied to each other in a unique arrangement. According to a set of calculations, random asteroid impacts may have aided the planet's evolution into the current spin-orbit pattern.
Atmospheric CO2 levels were much lower during the last glacial maximum than in the pre-industrial period. Ice-core data and biogeochemical modelling suggest that difference is partly due to the greater mass of inert carbon in glacial terrestrial biomes.
Formic acid exerts a significant influence on atmospheric chemistry and rainwater acidity. Satellite observations and model simulations suggest that terrestrial vegetation accounts for around 90% of the formic acid produced annually.
Mixed-phase clouds, comprising both ice and supercooled liquid water, have a large impact on radiative fluxes in the Arctic. Interactions between numerous local feedbacks sustain these complex cloud systems, leading to the development of a resilient mixed-phase cloud system.
The influence of aerosols on climate is one of the greatest uncertainties in projections of future climate. A long-term observational study suggests that aerosols increase the frequency of rainfall events in convective clouds.
Inland waters are increasingly recognized as important to the global carbon cycle. Detailed measurements in the United States suggest that significant amounts of carbon dioxide are released from streams and rivers, particularly the smaller ones.
The mechanisms for forming the abundant volcanic islands on ocean floors are debated. The geochemical signature of volcanic rocks from the northeast Indian Ocean suggests that seamounts there formed from melting recycled ancient continental rocks.
The ancient Central Asian Orogenic Belt formed during a period of extensive continental crust formation. Comparison with modern continent-building systems suggests that the processes that operate today were already active at that time.
Volcanoes formed above the Hawaiian mantle plume exhibit a striking contrast in the geochemical characteristics of the lavas erupted at the northern Kea compared with the southern Loa volcanoes. Isotopic data show that these trends have persisted for more than 5 million years and may mirror compositional heterogeneities in the deep mantle.
A series of extreme cooling episodes, starting 750 million years ago, could have repeatedly turned the planet into an ice-covered snowball. Carbon cycle modelling suggests that the timing of the glaciations can be explained by chemical weathering rates.
Phytoplankton form the base of the marine food web, but their growth in nutrient-depleted surface waters has remained a puzzle. Two complementary studies suggest that ocean eddies help to control phytoplankton growth and distribution in unexpected ways.
Volcanic activity is much more common beneath the oceans than on land, yet has been observed only rarely. Direct measurements of an eruption in the southwest Pacific Ocean reveal unexpectedly explosive activity at great depths.
Anthropogenic emissions of ozone-depleting gases cause marked changes in surface climate, in addition to rising levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. A Review of the influence of the Antarctic ozone hole on Southern Hemisphere surface climate finds that its signature closely resembles the negative phase of the southern annular mode.
The impact of solar activity on climate has been debated heatedly. Simulations with a climate model using new observations of solar variability suggest a substantial influence of the Sun on the winter climate in the Northern Hemisphere.
Proof that purported fossils of early life are truly old and biological is often controversial. Detailed analyses confirm the early evolution of microbial sulphur cycling and reveal microfossils in 3.4-billion-year-old beach sandstones.
The growth of East Africa's high topography during the past 30 million years cannot be explained by typical mountain-building processes. Numerical modelling shows that much of this topography formed in response to upwelling in the underlying mantle.