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Department of Earth Sciences

 
Read more at: Scientists zero in on the role of volcanoes in the demise of dinosaurs
Image showing the profile of the Deccan Traps volcanic province in India - the rocks are horizontally striped with alternate light, dark layers of lava

Scientists zero in on the role of volcanoes in the demise of dinosaurs

30 March 2021

Researchers have uncovered evidence suggesting that volcanic carbon emissions were not a major driver in Earth’s most recent extinction event. Earth has experienced five major extinction events over the last 500 million years, the fifth and most recent responsible for wiping out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Massive...


Read more at: Traces of Earth’s early magma ocean identified in Greenland rocks

Traces of Earth’s early magma ocean identified in Greenland rocks

12 March 2021

New research led by the University of Cambridge has found rare evidence – preserved in the chemistry of ancient rocks from Greenland - which tells of a time when Earth was almost entirely molten. The study yields information on a fundamental period in our planet’s formation, when a deep sea of incandescent magma stretched...


Read more at: Hubble sees new atmosphere forming on a rocky exoplanet
Artist’s impression of the exoplanet GJ 1132 b Credit: NASA, ESA, and R. Hurt (IPAC/Caltech)

Hubble sees new atmosphere forming on a rocky exoplanet

11 March 2021

For the first time, scientists using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have found evidence of volcanic activity reforming the atmosphere on a rocky planet around a distant star. The planet, GJ 1132 b, has a similar density, size, and age to Earth. The planet GJ 1132 b appears to have begun life as a gaseous world with a...


Read more at: Mapping Cambridge building stone
Close up image of the building stone survey of Cambridge, with different stone types annotated on the map

Mapping Cambridge building stone

10 March 2021

A comprehensive survey of the stone used in Cambridge buildings has been made by Nigel Woodcock and Euan Furness from Cambridge Earth Sciences. The results show how stone use through time was influenced by wars, by pandemics, and by the canal and railway revolutions. The survey’s novel methodology will be useful for...


Read more at: Geological Society awards for Cambridge researchers

Geological Society awards for Cambridge researchers

3 March 2021

Congratulations to Professor Marie Edmonds and Professor Nicky White who each received awards from the Geological Society. They were amongst eighteen individuals selected for the 2021 medals and awards , “these individuals have shaped our understanding of the Earth and beyond, contributing to the success of the geoscience...


Read more at: New calculations show volcanoes are key cause of hydrogen in early atmospheres
Image of lava flows in Iceland meeting the sea, with incandescent steam lofting

New calculations show volcanoes are key cause of hydrogen in early atmospheres

3 March 2021

Scientists may soon be able to tell whether distant exoplanets are home to volcanoes, and even the early stages of life, just by looking for hydrogen gas in their atmospheres. Research from Cambridge Earth Sciences has found that volcanic activity on planets with a similar size and interior to Earth can create atmospheres...


Read more at: Panel discussion: can we adapt to a changing climate?

Panel discussion: can we adapt to a changing climate?

22 February 2021

A recent panel discussion held by the Royal Society, in partnership with the British Museum, explored how humans adapted to environmental change in the past, and what we should be doing in the present to reduce our vulnerability to climate change. Throughout history, humanity's survival has depended, in part, on our...


Read more at: We’re joining the Mars 2020 mission, searching for past life on the Red Planet

We’re joining the Mars 2020 mission, searching for past life on the Red Planet

18 February 2021


Read more at: New geomagnetic timescale through the Early Palaeozoic Icehouse
Photos shows stripey grey rocks in layers running horizontally

New geomagnetic timescale through the Early Palaeozoic Icehouse

9 February 2021

The Geomagnetic Polarity Timescale that charts the reversals of Earth’s magnetic field is well established for the past 200 million years, but increasingly patchy before that. In recent papers in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, scientists have reported the first reliable polarity timescale for later...


Read more at: Trapped gases in Kīlauea lavas are a window into the volcano’s fiery depths
Image of Dr Penny Wieser sampling the Kilauea lavas

Trapped gases in Kīlauea lavas are a window into the volcano’s fiery depths

9 February 2021

Pockets of frozen magma and gas trapped in the crystals erupted from Kīlauea are allowing scientists to see deep into its plumbing system - a below-ground view that could help volcanologists get a better handle on what triggered the colossal 2018 eruption. The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawai’i was...