life on earth Archives - Disasters News

Feb62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Hidden Risk Behind Earthquake Destruction: How Migration Shapes Disaster Impact

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A new study has uncovered a hidden factor behind the devastating impact of earthquakes in suburban areas migration. Researchers at the University of Washington found that workers moving from rural regions to city outskirts often live in low-quality housing, making them more vulnerable to destruction when a major quake strikes. The study, published in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, analyzed the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan, which killed over 2,400 people. Surprisingly, the most severe damage was not in city centers but in suburban areas where migrants had settled. Similar patterns were observed in past earthquakes in China, Chile, and Nepal. Lead researcher Tzu-Hsin Karen Chen explained that many migrants do not officially update their residence, leading to underestim...

Jan212025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

UK Scientists to Probe Deep Sea’s ‘Dark Oxygen,’ A Discovery That Could Redefine Life’s Origins

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check, Learning & Developments

A groundbreaking study led by Prof. Andrew Sweetman of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is set to explore the phenomenon of "Dark Oxygen," a form of oxygen produced in the absence of light. This revolutionary discovery, made last summer, challenges the long-held belief that oxygen production is exclusively a byproduct of photosynthesis. The project is backed by a £2 million support package from The Nippon Foundation. The team will deploy advanced sensors to the deepest parts of the ocean, aiming to determine how oxygen can be created in complete darkness, far from the reach of sunlight. The study will investigate whether this process occurs in other deep-sea environments and examine its implications for life on Earth and beyond. “Our discovery of Dark Oxygen was a p...

Dec282024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

35 Years After Newcastle Earthquake, Calls for Better Preparedness Grow

Breaking News, Disasters, Learning & Developments

On December 29, A 5.6-magnitude earthquake shook Newcastle, New South Wales, leaving a trail of devastation that claimed 13 lives, injured 162 people, and caused widespread destruction. Thirty-five years later, former Lord Mayor John McNaughton, a key figure in the city’s response, warns that Newcastle may still be unprepared for a future disaster of similar magnitude. The earthquake, lasting just six seconds, leveled buildings, toppled power lines, and brought life to a standstill. Among the hardest-hit sites was the Newcastle Workers Club, where nine people perished, and others were trapped beneath the rubble. McNaughton, now 87, recalls the chaos vividly. “I was on our sailing boat at Tea Gardens when I felt the quake. When I got ashore, people were in shock, not realizing how dev...

Nov42024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Deep-Sea Rocks Reveal a Surprising Source of Oxygen That Could Support Life Beyond Light’s Reach

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Oxygen essential to most complex life on Earth, is primarily produced by plants and photosynthetic organisms on land and underwater. However, a new study published in Nature Geoscience unveils a surprising discovery: oxygen production can occur in complete darkness, deep within the ocean where sunlight never penetrates. Scientists, aiming to understand oxygen consumption on the seafloor, unexpectedly observed a rise in oxygen levels in certain deep-sea sediments. This finding puzzled researchers, as it defied the typical expectation of oxygen depletion in such environments. The study found that the source of this “dark oxygen” production lies in polymetallic nodules and metalliferous sediments—concentrated deposits of metals on the ocean floor. These nodules, rich in metals like mang...

Jul132024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

New Study Reveals Ancient Origins of LUCA Early Life on Earth

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Idea & Innovations

Once upon a time, Earth was a barren planet. That changed dramatically when, out of the chemistry present during its early history, something began to squirm processing matter to survive, reproduce, and thrive. The nature of that something, and when it first appeared, have puzzled humanity for as long as we have been able to ask, "What am I?" Now, a groundbreaking study has provided some answers, revealing that life emerged surprisingly early in Earth's history. By analyzing the genomes of organisms alive today, scientists have determined that the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) the first organism that spawned all current life on Earth emerged as early as 4.2 billion years ago. Given that Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, this suggests that life began when the planet was s...

Jun22024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Reveals Predictable Patterns in Stick Insect Evolution

Breaking News, Environment

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have discovered that the evolution of camouflage patterns in stick insects follows a predictable pattern, challenging the long-held belief that evolution is a haphazard process. The study, led by evolutionary biologist Patrik Nosil from the French National Centre for Scientific Research, examined 30 years of data on Timema cristinae stick insects. Nosil and his team focused on the camouflage traits of these insects, which are essential for their survival as they blend into their environment to avoid predators. The study, conducted along roadsides in the mountains near Santa Barbara, California, involved netting and cataloging over 32,000 insects. The researchers found that in all 10 geographically separated populations, the frequency of green an...