Explorers have climbed the planet’s highest peak and trawled its deepest oceanic trench, but the Earth is still full of secrets waiting to be discovered.
Every year, scientists draw attention to the mystery hidden in the third rock from the sun, and this year was no exception. From a hidden network of sub-ice rivers in Antarctica to disturbing new findings about the San Andreas Fault, here are some of the most surprising secrets we learned about our home planet in 2022.
1. An under-ice Antarctic river 300 miles long
This year, scientists discovered a river running under the Antarctic ice sheet that was as long as the River Thames in England. Scientists found the underground passage, which drains a region as large as Germany and France combined, by using ground-penetrating radar.
The discovery of this hidden meltwater drainage system could be the “missing link” that explains where and how Antarctica’s ice is melting, scientists say. To see also : As Wildfire Threats Rise, There’s Booming Activity in Defensible Space.
2. Dino-killing asteroid caused months-long quakes
New research has revealed that the asteroid that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago triggered months-long earthquakes that rocked the planet. Evidence of the mega-quake has been revealed in rocks around the Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico.
Yet some of the twisted and fractured layers of rock from this cataclysmic crash contained traces of pollen – evidence that life had begun to rebound as little as six months after the impact. On the same subject : NASA, SpaceX Launch Climate Science Research, More to Space Station.
3. Massive solar storm 10 times bigger than the Carrington Event revealed
A massive solar storm larger than the Carrington Event has been discovered in ancient rock fragments. Traces of radioactive versions of beryllium, chlorine and carbon in rocks from Greenland reveal that a massive proton storm crashed into the Earth’s magnetosphere in 660 BC, or 2,600 years ago. Read also : Explore a mysterious exoplanet in the new video game ‘Earth’s Shadow’. Evidence now suggests that large proton storms may have struck three times in the last few thousand years.
The unknown storm happened before electricity, satellites and telecommunications, but if a similarly strong storm were to hit now, the damage could be huge, researchers said.
4. Mantle blobs fuel a diamond factory near Earth’s core
Researchers have found that two giant patches of rock under Africa and the Pacific Ocean may be driving the process of diamond production at the boundary between the Earth’s core and its mantle – its middle layer.
Where the core meets the mantle, liquid iron meets solid rock at extreme temperatures and pressures. Previous research has suggested that these extreme conditions, along with water locked in mantle rocks, can stimulate chemical synthesis, such as the formation of diamond.
To test this idea, the researchers took the chemicals typically found at the core-mantle boundary and put them under high pressure under a diamond anvil. They produced very small diamonds, suggesting that the spots in the mantle, also known as very low velocity zones, could be places where water drives melt and thereby stimulate the formation of diamonds.
5. A 4 billion-year-old chunk of Earth’s crust found
Scientists found a 4-billion-year-old hunk of Earth’s crust hiding in Western Australia. The hidden rock was found not far from where Earth’s oldest minerals were found in Australia’s Jack Hills.
The ancient rock covers an area of about 38,610 square miles (100,000 square kilometers). Crust of roughly the same age can be found around the world, suggesting that some transformation took place on Earth around that time, the researchers said.
6. Most powerful lightning bolt ever detected
A giant jet shot into space may be the most powerful lightning bolt ever discovered, researchers say. The jet pinged sensors above a cloud in Oklahoma in 2018. Now, scientists have finally analyzed the jet’s radio wave emissions using radar and satellite data. The jet ejected huge amounts of energy into the ionosphere, the layer of charged particles that separates the Earth’s upper atmosphere from empty space. The bolt produced 60 times as much energy as a typical lightning bolt, the study found.
7. City of towering hydrothermal vents discovered deep beneath the ocean
Scientists piloting a remotely operated vehicle a few hundred miles off Mexico discovered a huge region of high hydrothermal vents on the sea floor 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
The huge vents, which are up to 40 feet (12 meters) tall and look like candelabras, spew mineral-rich water that is likely to start at a scorching 818 degrees Fahrenheit (437 degrees Celsius).
The new vents are part of the East Pacific Rise, a series of underwater volcanoes that stretch from the Gulf of Mexico to Antarctica.
8. Ancient source of oxygen for early life unearthed
Scientists have discovered an ancient source of oxygen that may have fueled the growth of early life on Earth. Powerful earthquakes hit the planet around 3.8 billion years ago, cracking it like an egg. The combination of near-boiling water and seismic activity could have produced the oxygen needed for some of Earth’s earliest life forms.
The oxygen would have come packaged as hydrogen peroxide, which is toxic to life but could nevertheless have been harnessed by ancient life forms such as extremophiles and archaea. These ancient life forms would have thrived in the blistering temperatures of early oceans, and may have discovered ways to detoxify the hydrogen peroxide to harness its oxygen, researchers suggested. This source of oxygen would have dated up to a few hundred million years before photosynthesis, the main source of oxygen on the planet at the moment (opens in a new tab).
9. Mountain-size rock under Japan channels quakes
A mountain-sized rock hidden beneath Japan may be channeling earthquakes in the region. The igneous rock, dubbed the Kumano Pluton, is a few miles below the crust of the Eurasian continental plate beneath the Kii peninsula. In this region, the Philippine plate dips under the Eurasian plate, and the pluton may be changing the angle of that dip.
Two big earthquakes hit in the 1940s, but they didn’t join, and pluto may be a big reason, researchers discovered.
10. Oldest evidence of plate tectonics unearthed
Scientists have discovered the oldest evidence of plate tectonics, in small crystals from South Africa. Each crystal is no bigger than a grain of sand, and they show that the Earth’s crust broke up and began to move about 3.8 billion years ago.
These crustal movements may not have been complete plate tectonics, the modern process by which Earth’s crust is continually recycled inward. But a primitive crustal conveyor belt was likely churning then. This plate motion happened relatively soon after the crust formed, about 4.1 billion years ago, researchers said.
11. Middle of the San Andreas fault could unleash large earthquakes
The creeping “middle” section of the San Andreas fault could unleash larger earthquakes than previously thought. Previous work suggested that the San Andreas fault in this region, between Parkfield and Hollister, could not produce earthquakes greater than magnitude-6.0. But earthquakes producing more than 10 times the energy – greater than magnitude 7.0 – have struck this fault region in the past few million years, the study authors found.
Tia is the managing editor and was previously a senior writer for Live Science. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Wired.com and other outlets. She holds a master’s degree in bioengineering from the University of Washington, a graduate certificate in science writing from UC Santa Cruz and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Tia was part of a team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that published the Empty Cradles series on premature births, which won several awards, including the 2012 Casey Medal for Journalism of Merit.
Does NASA and ESA work together?
NASA works together with ESA on a variety of missions, including as a key partner on Gateway with I-Hab, Esprit, and the Sentinel-6 series that make vital global measurements of sea level. Currently, NASA has more than 600 active international agreements with space organizations and agencies around the world.
Is ESA part of the Artemis programme? The Artemis program is a robotic and human lunar exploration program led by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) along with three partner agencies: the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and NASA Canadian space. (CSA).
Does NASA work with the ESA?
NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have collaborated on multiple missions to improve our understanding of the Sun and its effect on Earth. To continue this collaboration, the two agencies formed the ESA/NASA Lower Thermosphere-Ionosphere Science working group, or ENLoTIS, in May 2022.
Does NASA work with other agencies?
NASA partners with a wide variety of entities, including: US Industry (large and small) Other Federal Agencies. Research institutions.
Is the UK still part of ESA after Brexit?
Leaving the EU does not affect the UK’s membership of the European Space Agency ( ESA ) as the ESA is not an EU organisation. Companies and other organizations should continue to apply for ESA programs and contracts in the normal way.
Who is part of the ESA? ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia are Associate Members.
Is the ESA related to the EU?
Although ESA and the EU are separate organisations, they are increasingly working together towards common objectives.
Is the UK involved in ESA?
As a founding member of ESA , which is independent of the EU, the UK’s space and commercial satellite sector will play a leading role in future international missions and innovative commercial programmes.
Is the UK still a member of the European Space Agency?
22 countries are Member States of the European Space Agency (ESA): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands , Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
How long is ESA astronaut training?
Astronaut training The last call for ESA astronauts took place in 2021. Once selected, ESA astronauts usually complete at least three to four years of training before flying into space for the first time.
Is ESA as good as NASA? Capacity of NASA and ESA Therefore, the capabilities of ESA are possibly higher than those of NASA, especially considering the interest of the main member countries in developing the space industry.
How hard is it to become an ESA astronaut?
Minimum master’s degree in natural sciences, medicine, engineering, mathematics, or computer sciences or a degree as an experimental test pilot and/or test engineer from an official experimental test pilot school. At least three years of relevant professional experience after graduation. Fluency in English.
How long is an astronauts training?
It can take up to two years of training to become a fully qualified astronaut. Candidates must learn the basics of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. They must also learn how to be part of a team by flying NASA T-38 training jets. Astronauts also take classes.
How often does ESA recruit astronauts?
ESA has only recruited new astronauts three times since 1978. The most recent class began training in 2009 and ESA’s newest astronaut, Matthias Maurer, will fly his first mission to the International Space Station this year, following an astronaut’s second mission ESA Thomas Pesquet.
What is the most powerful space agency?
1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. At the top of the list is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and for all the right reasons. NASA is a United States government agency responsible for science and technology related to air and space.
What is the No. 1 space company? Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) This space agency is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. NASA is considered the number one space agency globally, But NASA has not been able to make such a rocket so far, which comes back to earth from space and can be reused .
Which is better NASA or ISRO?
The difference between ISRO and NASA is that NASA is the civilian space program for aeronautical and aerospace research in the United States; ISRO is India’s premier space agency.
Which is the top 10 space agency?
Six government space agencies – China National Space Administration (CNSA), European Space Agency (ESA), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) , and the Russian State Space Corporation “Roscosmos” …
Who is No 1 space agency in the world?
1. NASA with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
