The mechanisms underlying two important phenomena in the Archean—the emergence of continental crust and the presence of an exceptionally strong geomagnetic field—remain poorly understood. Notably, these two phenomena are temporally correlated, both intensified between ~3.5 and ~2.5 Ga, and declined rapidly at the end of the Archean. A recent study proposes that water-induced mantle overturn that originates from the magma ocean, provides a unified explanation for both the origin and co-evolution of Archean continents and the paleomagnetic field.

POSTECH, the National Disaster Management Research Institute, and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements analyze society’s view of disasters using AI.

In the lush landscapes of tropical agriculture, two waste products—oyster shells from the sea and coconut shells from the trees—are being combined to solve a major headache for farmers: how to turn animal manure into high-quality compost faster and more effectively. A study recently published in Carbon Research reveals that a unique "Ca-modified biochar" can act as a powerful catalyst for the composting process. Developed by a research team at Hainan University, this new material helps transform pig manure and rice straw into stable, nutrient-rich humus, significantly boosting the quality of the final fertilizer.

Did mantle plume or plate tectonics drive the continental breakup that formed the North Atlantic during the Eocene? University of Utah-led study leans toward tectonics in long debate to explain why so much magma surfaced off Norway.

The soil microbiome is critical for the ecosystem, and agricultural practices that promote microbial diversity can support plant health and help protect against pests. But it is unclear which practices are most beneficial, and what motivates farmers to choose them. In a new study, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Cornell University analyzed surveys and soil samples from 85 organic farmers in New York to investigate the interaction between beliefs, management practices, and soil microbiome functions.

Scientists say multiple Earth system components appear closer to destabilization than previously believed, putting the planet at increased risk of a “hothouse” trajectory driven by feedback loops that can amplify the consequences of global warming.