Giant Gravity Anomaly Under Antarctica Is Getting Stronger, Scientists Reveal

19 Feb. 2026, By M. STARR

https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-gravity-anomaly-under-antarctica-is-getting-stronger-scientists-reveal

The Antarctic Geoid Low. 

(GReD)

Although Earth is approximately spherical, its gravity field doesn't adhere to the same geometry. In visualizations, it more closely resembles a potato, with bumps and divots.

One of the strongest of these depressions – where the gravity field is weaker – lies under Antarctica. Now, new models of how the so-called Antarctic Geoid Low evolved over time have shown that it's only getting stronger, driven by the long, slow movement of rock deep below Earth's surface, like a giant shifting in its sleep.

"If we can better understand how Earth's interior shapes gravity and sea levels, we gain insight into factors that may matter for the growth and stability of large ice sheets," says geophysicist Alessandro Forte of the University of Florida.

Earth's geoid – the bumpy potato shape of the gravitational field – is uneven because gravity is linked to mass, and the mass distribution inside the planet is uneven, due to different rock compositions having different densities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCptIGM1cg8&t=1s

It's not a huge difference that you'd notice at the surface. Maps tend to exaggerate it so we can see what's going on; if you weighed yourself at a geoid low and a geoid high, the difference would be just a few grams.

Nevertheless, the geoid represents a window into processes deep inside Earth that we can't observe directly.

Forte and his colleague, geophysicist Petar Glišović of the Paris Institute of Earth Physics in France, generated a detailed map of the Antarctic Geoid Low using another window into Earth's interior: earthquakes. Seismic waves from earthquakes travel through the planet, changing speed and direction as they encounter materials with different compositions and densities.

"Imagine doing a CT scan of the whole Earth, but we don't have X-rays like we do in a medical office," Forte explains. "We have earthquakes. Earthquake waves provide the 'light' that illuminates the interior of the planet."

Using the earthquake data, the researchers constructed a 3D density model of Earth's mantle and extrapolated it into a new map of the entire planetary geoid. They compared this map with the gold-standard gravity data collected by satellites and found it to be a close match.

That was the easy part. The next step was to try to turn back the clock to assess how the geoid has evolved since the early Cenozoic, 70 million years ago.

Forte and Glišović fed their map into a physics-based model of Earth's mantle convection, rewinding Earth's interior geological activity to see how the geoid evolved over that timeframe.

Then, from their starting point, they let the model run forward to see if it could reproduce the geoid we see today.

They also checked whether their model reproduced real changes in Earth's rotational axis known as True Polar Wander. It arrived at the current geoid and matched the polar wander, suggesting it also provides an accurate representation of the geoid's evolution.

The results showed that the Antarctic Geoid Low is not a new development; a gravitational depression has been sitting near Antarctica for at least 70 million years. But it hasn't remained static. About 50 million years ago, its position and strength started to change dramatically – timing that matches a sharp bend in the polar wander.

According to the model, the anomaly formed as tectonic slabs subducted beneath Antarctica and sank deep into the mantle, altering the planet's gravity field at the surface. Meanwhile, a broad region of hot, buoyant material rose upward, becoming more influential over the past 40 million years and strengthening the geoid low.

Interestingly, this may be linked to the glaciation of Antarctica, which began in earnest around 34 million years ago. It's only a speculative link, but here's the interesting thing about the geoid: it shapes sea level. So, as the geoid shifted downward around Antarctica, the local sea surface would have lowered with it – potentially influencing the growth of the ice sheet.

That's obviously a hypothesis that requires further testing. However, the work does show that different geodynamic processes, from mantle convection to the geoid to the motion of the poles, can all be connected and influence each other.

The gravity hole under Antarctica may be subtle, but it is a reminder that even the slowest processes deep inside Earth can leave a lasting impression on the world above.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Thousands of Alien Species Could Invade the Arctic, Scientists Warn

BY S. BRANDSLET, NORWEGIAN U. OF SCI. AND TECH., FEB. 18, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/thousands-of-alien-species-could-invade-the-arctic-scientists-warn/

Alien species are considered one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, and new research suggests the Arctic may be far more vulnerable than previously thought.

 Credit: Shutterstock

More than 2,500 alien plant species could find suitable conditions in the Arctic, especially in northern Norway and Svalbard. Researchers used massive biodiversity datasets to map risk areas and improve early detection efforts.

When species are introduced outside their natural range, they can outcompete and displace native plants. The Intergovernmental Panel on Nature (IPBES) ranks invasive species among the most serious threats to global biodiversity.

To better understand the danger facing Arctic ecosystems, scientists compiled a comprehensive list of alien plant species that could establish themselves in the region. Their findings raise concern, especially at a time when expanding travel and human presence make it easier than ever for species to move across continents.

“We found a total of 2554 species that would find a suitable climatic niche in today’s Arctic,” says Kristine Bakke Westergaard, an associate professor at the Department of Natural History at the NTNU University Museum (at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology).

In recent years, a surprisingly large number of alien species have managed to flourish in Svalbard. In 2024, common meadow rue, Thalictrum flavum ,was identified for the first time in Svalbard, in full bloom on a nutrient-rich slope in Barentsburg. 

Credit: Kristine Bakke Westergaard, NTNU University Museum



In practical terms, this means these species could survive if they reach the Arctic. One of the most likely ways they could arrive is by traveling unintentionally with people, for example, attached to clothing, equipment, or transported goods.

Kristine Bakke Westergaard. 

Credit: Nina Tveter NTNU

Human Activity Accelerates Arctic Species Spread

“Our results show that alien species from virtually all over the world can find a niche in the Arctic. And with all the human activity in the Arctic now, there are lots of opportunities to get there,” Westergaard said.

Westergaard and her collaborators from the Department of Natural History and the University of Liverpool carried out what is known as a “horizon scan” to anticipate future biological invasions.

“We looked at roughly 14,000 known alien plant species that can spread to places where they do not originally belong,” Westergaard said.

Massive Biodiversity Dataset Reveals Arctic Hotspots

The team drew on more than 51 million documented observations of these species. The records were sourced from the GBIF—the Global Biodiversity Information Facility—as well as other large databases and scientific publications.

The slope below the old barn and farm buildings in Longyearbyen is very nutrient-rich after manure and food scraps were dumped there for years. It’s a great place where new alien species can get established. 

Credit: Kristine Bakke Westergaard, NTNU University Museum

First author Tor Henrik Ulsted completed the research while he was a master’s student at the NTNU University Museum until 2024. He received the Faculty of Natural Science’s award for the best master’s thesis that contributes to sustainable development and has since worked to publish the findings.

Using the combined dataset, the researchers produced a map highlighting the Arctic regions most exposed to potential plant invasions.

Norway and Svalbard Among Highest-Risk Arctic Regions

“Our map shows hotspot areas in the Arctic where many alien species can tolerate the climate. The highest number of species are found in the north of Norway,” Ulsted said.

Although Norway stands out as a high-risk area, almost no part of the Arctic can be considered fully protected, including Svalbard.

This map shows hotspots for possible new alien vascular plants in the Arctic. The lighter the color, the higher the number of potential species per 1 x 1 km. 

Credit: NTNU University Museum



“Even in Svalbard, 86 alien species can find a climatic niche,” says Westergaard, who has found and studied alien species there herself.

Rapid environmental change is compounding the threat. Rising temperatures across the Arctic lately have created conditions that allow an increasing number of foreign plant species to survive and potentially spread.

Early Detection Tools to Prevent Arctic Invasions

In Norway and Svalbard, the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre‘s expert committees evaluate the risks posed by alien species in different regions.

“These committees have long found it to be very laborious, almost impossible, to make a list of relevant species that should be assessed as possible new alien species,” says Westergaard.

Human activity brings with it alien species and creates excellent conditions that allow them to become established in an otherwise barren Arctic landscape. The slope below the old barn and farm buildings in Barentsburg is very nutrient-rich after manure and food scraps were dumped there for years. New alien species appear here at regular intervals, even though farming ceased many years ago. 

Credit: Kristine Bakke Westergaard, NTNU University Museum



The newly developed approach provides experts with clearer species lists and a more systematic way to evaluate ecological risk in specific areas.

Supporting Global Biodiversity Goals by 2030

“Our long-term goal is to help identify alien species before they become invasive and problematic,” Ulsted said.

Detecting and managing invasive species early is far more effective than trying to control them once they are firmly established.

According to Westergaard, this strategy also advances the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for reducing the threat from alien species, including cutting their introduction and establishment by half by 2030.

The work also supports several measures outlined in the Norwegian authorities’ action plan against alien organisms.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Deer Create Mysterious Ultraviolet Signals That Glow in Forests

19 Feb. 2026, By J. COCKERILL

https://www.sciencealert.com/deer-create-mysterious-ultraviolet-signals-that-glow-in-forests

(NaNami Cn/500px/Getty Images)

Deer have the ability to see ultraviolet light, and a recent study shows they can also leave a glowing trail visible in those wavelengths, too.

The discovery casts a whole new light on the way deer are communicating with each other, and how they perceive their environment.

Male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are known for making their mark on the forest during their autumn mating season. They rub their antlers against trees and the forest floor, shedding antler velvet – the soft, blood-rich velveteen 'skin' that covers their calcified antlers as they're growing – and leaving scent marks in the form of glandular secretions, urine and poop.

These marks, known as 'deer rubs' (on trees and shrubs) and scent-marking scrapes (on the ground), act as signposts to other animals of a deer's presence: a warning to rivals, a catcall to potential mates.

But scent, it seems, is not the only language with which the deer communicate.

Scientists at the University of Georgia (UGA) in the US have discovered that these marks 'glow' in ultraviolet wavelengths, which previous studies have shown deer eyes are capable of seeing.

"The resulting photoluminescence would be visible to deer based on previously described deer visual capabilities," the team writes in their published paper describing the phenomenon.

This is the first time scientists have documented evidence of any mammal actually using photoluminescence in their environment, although UV-induced photoluminescence in mammals has been studied for more than a century.

What's more, the study checks most of the boxes needed to say whether photoluminescence is actually serving a biological function.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ouBJ5Zrj4&t=1s

Daniel DeRose-Broeckert, a graduate research assistant at UGA, and colleagues carried out their study in a 337-hectare (about 840-acre) research forest called Whitehall, where deer roam freely.

The team tracked down deer 'signposts' – 109 rubs and 37 scrapes – during two roughly month-long surveys in the fall of 2024, and returned to each one at night with ultraviolet flashlights peaking at 365 nm and 395 nm.

Both of these wavelengths abound in the skies at twilight and dawn, when deer are most active. And since earlier research has shown deer can see reflections or emissions of these wavelengths, anything that glows bright enough under these torches would be easily visible to a deer's eye.

As a proxy, the scientists used a tool that measures irradiance values: how much light is reflected or emitted at each wavelength, from a given spot.

"Rubs and urine found on scrapes exposed to 395 and 365 nm had greater average irradiance values (i.e., brighter) than the surrounding environment, and exhibited photoluminescence," the team reports.

It's unclear how much of this glow comes from the trees and shrubs, and how much is coming from remnant deer fluids. Deer urine, for instance, contains porphyrins and amino acids that become excited under longer UV wavelengths. Phenols and terpenes released from the forehead glands of male deers are thought to have a similar quality.

When the deer damage plants, they expose woody lignin and plant terpenes, types of compounds also known to exhibit photoluminescence.

"Whether the photoluminescence is the result of deer forehead glandular secretions or wood properties, the fact remains that rubs visually contrast the surrounding environment in a way that is uniquely suited for deer vision," the team notes.

Under both kinds of UV flashlight, the photoluminescence emitted by the deer signposts was the right kind to be registered by the cones within a deer's eye that are sensitive to short- and middle-wave visible light. This, the scientists say, reaffirms that deer eyesight is adapted to the low-light conditions of dawn and dusk.

More impressively, it suggests deer are communicating with light-up 'noticeboards' throughout the forest that the rest of us can't even see.

As to what the deer are saying? Until further research is conducted, we won't know for sure.

"Though we did not directly test for a behavioral change in deer as a result of the presence of photoluminescence, the irradiance of rubs increased at the same time as deer hormone levels increased, and behavioral changes are known to change with the progression of the breeding season," the team writes.

The Life of Earth

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Glaciers Can Suddenly And Dangerously Surge Up to 60 Meters a Day

By H. LOVELL & C. STOKES, THE CONVERSATION

https://www.sciencealert.com/glaciers-can-suddenly-and-dangerously-surge-up-to-60-meters-a-day

(DavidGreitzer/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

It's difficult to forget standing in front of a glacier that is advancing towards you, towering ice pillars constantly cracking as they inch forward. The motion is too slow to see in real time, but obvious from one day to the next.

One of us (Harold) experienced this during fieldwork in 2012 at Nathorstbreen on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, which was moving forwards more than 10 metres per day.

Encounters like this are rare. Most of the world's glaciers are retreating rapidly as the climate warms, and thousands are likely to disappear altogether within the next few decades.

However, a small fraction of glaciers do the opposite, and repeatedly speed up and advance for months or years after a long period of stagnation and retreat. This is known as glacier surging, and it has long puzzled scientists.

Surging glaciers in the Panmah region of the Karakoram, High Mountain Asia. 

(Frank Paul)



It might be tempting to view advancing ice as an antidote to the gloomy picture of disappearing glaciers, but the polar opposite is true. Surges can accelerate ice loss, make glaciers more vulnerable to climate change, and create serious hazards for people living downstream of them.

We have just published a global study of over 3,000 surging glaciers to find out what's causing them to move like this. Our work also summarises, for the first time, the hazards caused by these glaciers, and how surging is being affected by climate change.

Why some glaciers surge

During surges, glaciers accelerate from a slow crawl to tens of metres per day – sometimes within weeks. The fastest phase, when ice can flow at over 60 metres a day, typically lasts a year or more – although some glaciers have surged for up to 20 years. The return to low speeds and even stagnation can happen abruptly over days, or over several years.

Nathorstbreen dramatically advanced more than 15 kilometres in roughly a decade during its surge, which began in 2008 – transforming the entire landscape in a matter of years.

Field investigations at the surging front of Nathorstbreen, Svalbard in July 2012.

 (Harold Lovell)

The onset of surging is thought to be controlled by changes beneath the glacier. In surge-type glaciers, water generated by melting ice does not immediately drain away, but gathers at the bottom of the glacier. This reduces friction between ice and the ground, making it easier for ice to slide faster.

When that water eventually drains, the glacier slows again. Some glaciers experience repeated surges separated by years or decades of low ice flow – but the exact timing of surges is hard to predict.

Global hotspots of surging ice

Our study shows that at least 3,000 glaciers have surged at some point. That's only about 1% of all glaciers in the world, but they tend to be large, so represent about 16% of the global glacier area.

Notably, they are found in dense geographical groupings across the Arctic, the Himalayas and other high mountains in Asia, and the Andes – but are largely absent elsewhere. This is primarily controlled by the climate: surges do not generally happen where conditions are currently too warm, such as in the European Alps or mainland Scandinavia, or too cold and dry, such as Antarctica.

Other factors such as size and underlying geology are also important for determining which glaciers surge in a region and which do not.

Some of the hotspots are found in populated regions, where surging glaciers can become hazards. The advancing ice can overrun infrastructure and farmland, and block rivers to form dangerous lakes that can release devastating floods when the ice breaks.

An unstable lake formed by a surge of Shisper Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range drained multiple times from 2019 to 2022, causing extensive damage to the Karakoram Highway, a key connection between Pakistan and China.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTe23gDWMY4&t=1s

Fast-moving ice can cause deep cracks (crevasses) to form, affecting travel in regions such as Svalbard where glaciers provide highways between isolated human settlements. It also disrupts tourism and recreation activities, such as where climbers use glaciers to approach peaks. When glaciers surge into the sea, they release numerous icebergs in a short space of time that could present a risk to shipping and tourism.

Surging is changing as the climate warms

Climate warming is already reshaping how and when glaciers surge. In some regions, surges are becoming more frequent; in others, they are declining as glaciers thin and lose the mass needed to build towards a surge.

Heavy rainfall, intense melt periods or other extreme weather have also been shown to trigger earlier-than-expected surges, and these factors may become more important in a warming climate.

Together, this paints a picture of the increasing unpredictability of glacier surges. Some regions might experience less surging as the world warms, while others might see an increase. It is feasible that glaciers that have never surged before may begin to, including in areas where there are no records of past surges, such as the fast-warming Antarctic peninsula.

Surging glaciers remind us that ice does not always respond to warming in simple and predictable ways. Understanding these exceptions, and managing the hazards they create, is critical in a rapidly changing world.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Your Gut Bacteria Are Actively Searching for Food

BY MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT, FEB. 17, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/your-gut-bacteria-are-actively-searching-for-food/

Scientists found that beneficial gut bacteria can detect a broad range of nutrients and chemical signals, helping them move toward valuable food sources. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Your gut bacteria are constantly sensing, moving, and sharing nutrients to keep the microbiome thriving.

The gut microbiome, also called the gut flora, is essential to human health. This vast and constantly changing community of microorganisms depends on a web of chemical exchanges. Microbes communicate not only with one another but also with the human body that hosts them. To function properly, gut bacteria must detect nutrients and signaling molecules in their surroundings. However, scientists still do not fully understand the wide range of chemical signals that bacterial receptors are able to recognize.

A key question remains: which of these signals are most important for beneficial gut bacteria?

Moving Beyond Pathogens in Bacterial Research

Most research on bacterial sensing has focused on model organisms, particularly disease-causing microbes. Far less attention has been given to commensals, the non-pathogenic and often beneficial bacteria that naturally live in humans. This has left an important gap in understanding what kinds of chemical signals these helpful microbes actually detect in the gut.

An international team led by Victor Sourjik sought to answer that question. The researchers, from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, the University of Ohio, and Philipps-University Marburg, investigated Clostridia. These motile bacteria are abundant in the intestinal flora and play a major role in maintaining gut health.

Gut Bacteria Recognize a Wide Range of Nutrients

The team found that receptors from bacteria in the human gut microbiome respond to a surprisingly broad range of metabolic compounds. These include breakdown products of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, DNA, and amines. Through systematic screening, the scientists observed that different types of bacterial sensors show clear preferences for specific classes of chemicals.

This indicates that gut bacteria are selectively tuned to certain metabolic signals rather than reacting randomly to everything in their environment.

Lactate and Formate Emerge as Key Signals

Using a mix of laboratory experiments and bioinformatic analysis, the researchers identified multiple chemical ligands that bind to sensory receptors controlling bacterial movement. These receptors allow motile bacteria to detect valuable nutrients. The findings suggest that movement in these microbes is primarily driven by the search for food.

Among all the substances tested, lactic acid (lactate) and formic acid (formate) appeared most often as stimuli. This suggests they may be especially important nutrients that support bacterial growth in the gut.

Cross-Feeding Strengthens the Gut Ecosystem

Interestingly, some gut bacteria can produce lactate and formate themselves. This supports the concept of ‘cross-feeding’, a process in which one bacterial species releases metabolites that serve as nutrients for other species. Such interactions help sustain a balanced and cooperative microbial community.

“These domains appear to be important for interactions between bacteria in the gut and could play a key role in the healthy human microbiome,” explains Wenhao Xu, a postdoctoral researcher in Victor Sourjik’s research group and the study’s first author.

Discovery of New Sensory Domains

By systematically analyzing multiple sensor types, the researchers identified several previously unknown groups of sensory domains. These newly described sensors are specific for lactate, dicarboxylic acids, uracil (a RNA building block) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

The team also determined the crystal structure of a newly identified dual sensor that binds both uracil and acetate. This structural insight allowed them to understand how these molecules attach to the receptor. The sensor belongs to a large family of sensory domains with diverse specificities.

Further evolutionary analysis revealed that ligand specificity within this family can change relatively easily over time. This flexibility highlights how bacterial sensory receptors adapt to shifts in their surrounding environment.

“Our research project has significantly expanded the understanding of sensory abilities of beneficial gut bacteria,” says Victor Sourjik. “To our knowledge, this is the first systematic analysis of the sensory preferences of non-model bacteria that colonise a specific ecological niche. Looking ahead, our approach can be similarly applied to systematically investigate sensory preferences in other microbial ecosystems.”

The Life of Earth

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Scientists Say Your Fingers Hold a Secret of Brain Evolution

BY SWANSEA U., FEB. 17, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-say-your-fingers-hold-a-secret-of-brain-evolution/

Finger length may reveal more than you think about human evolution. Boys with higher prenatal estrogen exposure showed larger head sizes at birth, pointing to a possible hormonal boost behind the growth of the human brain.

 Credit: Shutterstock

The secret to how our brains grew may be hidden in our fingers before we are even born.

One of the defining features of human evolution is the steady expansion of our brains. New findings suggest this growth may be partly linked to higher levels of estrogen before birth. Surprisingly, a visible clue may lie in the relative length of a person’s fingers.

What the 2D:4D Digit Ratio Reveals

Professor John Manning of Swansea’s Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) research team specializes in the study of digit ratio. This measurement compares the length of the index finger to the ring finger and is known as the 2D:4D ratio. Research shows that this ratio reflects the balance of estrogen and testosterone to which a fetus is exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy.

People who experienced higher estrogen-to-testosterone ratios before birth tend to have longer index fingers (2D) than ring fingers (4D), resulting in a higher 2D:4D ratio.

Professor Manning recently collaborated with researchers from Istanbul University’s Department of Anthropology. Their study was published in the journal Early Human Development.

Newborn Head Size and Brain Development

Because head circumference in newborns is closely associated with brain size and later measures of IQ, the researchers examined both finger ratios and head measurements in 225 infants, including 100 boys and 125 girls.

The analysis found a clear association in boys. Higher 2D:4D values (indicating high prenatal estrogen) were linked to larger head circumference. The same pattern was not observed in girls.

Evolutionary Tradeoffs and the Estrogenized Ape Hypothesis

Professor Manning explained the broader implications of the findings. “This finding is relevant to human evolution because increases in brain size are found alongside feminization of the skeleton, what is known as the estrogenized ape hypothesis. High values of 2D:4D in males have been found to be related to elevated rates of heart problems, poor sperm counts, and predisposition to schizophrenia.

“However, increases in brain size may offset these problems. Thus, the evolutionary drive for larger brains in humans may inevitably be linked to reductions in male viability, including cardiovascular problems, infertility, and rates of schizophrenia.”

The research team says these results add to growing evidence that prenatal estrogen may have played a beneficial role in the evolutionary expansion of the human brain, even if that shift carried biological costs.

Broader Research on Digit Ratio

Professor Manning’s earlier studies have also explored how digit ratio connects to other traits and outcomes. His work has examined links to alcohol consumption, recovery after COVID-19 infection, and oxygen use in football players. Together, this body of research suggests that finger length may offer insight into the powerful hormonal influences that shape development before birth.

The Life of Earth

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The Oldest Minerals on Earth Are Rewriting the Planet’s Origin Story

BY U. OF WISCONSIN-MADISON, FEB. 16, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/the-oldest-minerals-on-earth-are-rewriting-the-planets-origin-story/

New chemical evidence preserved in some of Earth’s oldest minerals is challenging long-held ideas about the planet’s earliest geological state. Analyses of ancient zircons suggest that parts of the Hadean Earth may have hosted early forms of subduction and continental crust, rather than being dominated by a single, rigid tectonic regime. 

Credit: Stock

Tiny zircon crystals are revealing that Earth’s earliest history may have included surprisingly complex tectonic activity.

Earth today is built around recycling. Old crust sinks, melts, and returns as new rock. A new zircon study suggests that kind of cycling may have started shockingly early, in some places, when the planet was still in its first half billion years.

Scientists led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison found distinctive chemical patterns inside zircons, Earth’s oldest minerals, that match what geologists expect from subduction and from large amounts of continental crust during the Hadean Eon, more than 4 billion years ago.

If that interpretation holds, the early Earth was not simply wrapped in a rigid, motionless outer shell, the classic “stagnant lid” idea that also assumes little or no continental crust. Instead, at least some regions may have been dynamic enough to reshape the surface, which matters because crust recycling and continent building influence where stable, potentially life-friendly environments can exist.

The work was published in Nature and focuses on ancient zircons from the Jack Hills of Western Australia. These grains, often found as tiny crystals weathered out of older rocks and preserved in younger sediments, are prized because they carry the only direct record from Earth’s first 500 million years. That makes them rare witnesses to how the surface and interior interacted as the earliest continents began to take form.

High-Precision Chemical Fingerprinting

The research team reached its conclusions by measuring trace elements inside individual zircon grains using WiscSIMS, a highly sensitive instrument located at UW–Madison. This technology allows scientists to analyze objects roughly one-tenth the width of a human hair. The team also developed new analytical techniques that made it possible to measure elements that could not be reliably studied before.

The trace elements serve as chemical markers that reveal the conditions under which each zircon formed. By examining these signatures, researchers can tell whether a zircon crystallized from magma rising directly from the mantle beneath Earth’s crust or from magma linked to subduction and continental crust. Zircons retain their original chemical makeup when they form and are extremely resistant to later changes, making them some of the most dependable record-keepers of early Earth processes even billions of years later.

“They’re tiny time capsules and they carry an enormous amount of information,” says John Valley, a professor emeritus of geoscience at UW–Madison who led the research.

Evidence for Early Continental Crust

According to Valley, the chemical composition of zircons from the Jack Hills indicates that they formed from a very different source than other Hadean zircons discovered in South Africa. The South African samples show chemical traits typical of simpler rocks that originated deep within Earth’s mantle.

“What we found in the Jack Hills is that most of our zircons don’t look like they came from the mantle,” says Valley. “They look like continental crust. They look like they formed above a subduction zone.”

Together, the two zircon populations suggest that Earth’s earliest geology was more varied than previously assumed, with different tectonic processes operating at the same time rather than a single, uniform system, Valley says.

“I think the South Africa data are correct, and our data are correct,” Valley says. “That means the Hadean Earth wasn’t covered by a uniform stagnant lid.”

Importantly, the type of subduction that could have produced the Jack Hills zircons is not necessarily the same as in modern plate tectonics. Valley described a process in which mantle plumes of ultra-hot rock rose, partly melted, and pooled at the base of the crust, creating circulation that could draw surface materials downward.

“That is subduction,” he says. “It’s not plate tectonics, but you have surface rocks sinking down into the mantle.”

This matters because subduction carries water-rich surface rocks down to hotter depths, where they can cause melting and form magmas that produce granitic rocks.

“If you have material on the surface, the surface had liquid water in the Hadean,” Valley says. “And when you take that material down, it’s wet and dehydrates. The water causes melting and that forms granites.”

Building the First Continents

Granites and related rocks are fundamental building blocks of continents. They’re less dense than other common rocks found under Earth’s oceans. This creates buoyant continents that rise higher above the ocean basins, providing stable environments on the Earth’s surface.

“This is evidence for the first continents and mountain ranges,” Valley says.

The results suggest that early Earth was geologically diverse, with different tectonic styles operating simultaneously in different regions.

“We can have both a stagnant-lid-like environment and a subduction-like environment operating at the same time, just in different places,” Valley says.

That complexity could reshape how scientists think about the planet’s first billion years, and the implications extend beyond tectonics. Subduction and continent formation influence when dry land first appeared and how surface environments evolved.

“What everybody really wants to know is, when did life emerge?” Valley says. “This doesn’t answer that question, but it says that we had dry land as a viable environment very early on.”

The oldest accepted microfossils are about 3.5 billion years old, but the Jack Hills zircons push evidence for potentially habitable surface conditions much earlier.

“We propose that there was about 800 million years of Earth history where the surface was habitable, but we don’t have fossil evidence and don’t know when life first emerged on Earth,” Valley says.

Looking Deeper Into the Hadean

As scientists continue to hunt for evidence of what the earliest Earth was like, Valley says the latest results are an example of the power of improving and refining laboratory techniques.

“Our new analytical capabilities opened a window into these amazing samples,” he says. “The Hadean zircons are literally so small you can’t see them without a lens, and yet they tell us about the otherwise unknown story of the earliest Earth.”

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Prehistoric Victory Celebrations Were Far More Brutal Than We Thought

BY U. OF OXFORD, FEB. 16, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/prehistoric-victory-celebrations-were-far-more-brutal-than-we-thought/

Overhead views of late Middle Neolithic violence-related human mass deposits of the Alsace region, France, analyzed in this study. 

A) pit 157 from Bergheim “Saulager” and

 B) pit 124 from Achenheim “Strasse 2, RD 45.” 

Credit: F. Chenal, P. Lefranc

Ancient bones from France reveal that Neolithic wars may have ended in ritualized executions and trophy-taking. The evidence suggests violence was staged to display dominance and unite communities.

A new study in Science Advances is reshaping ideas about prehistoric conflict. By closely examining the remains of people buried in mass graves, researchers have reconstructed the identities and life histories of individuals who may have died during one of the earliest known victory celebrations in Europe.

The study, “Multi-isotope biographies and identities of victims of martial victory celebrations in Neolithic Europe,” was published in Science Advances and co-authored by Dr. Teresa Fernández-Crespo and Professor Rick Schulting. The team applied advanced multi-isotope analysis to human remains discovered in Alsace in northeastern France. The graves date to approximately 4300–4150 BCE.

Rethinking Prehistoric Violence

The results challenge the long-standing view that violence in the Neolithic period was random or purely practical. Instead, the evidence suggests that some acts of brutality carried social and symbolic meaning.

Excavations at Achenheim and Bergheim uncovered disturbing scenes. Archaeologists found full skeletons bearing signs of intense and repeated violence, along with pits filled with severed left upper limbs. This combination of extreme force and removed body parts differed from what is typically seen in known Neolithic massacres or executions. The researchers argue that these deaths were likely part of organized post-conflict rituals designed to disgrace defeated enemies and strengthen bonds within the victorious group.

Isotope Analysis Reveals Outsiders

To determine who these individuals were, scientists compared isotopic markers in the victims’ bones and teeth with those from people given standard burials. These chemical signatures provide insight into diet, movement, and physical stress throughout a person’s life.

The analysis showed clear contrasts. The victims had different dietary habits and signs of greater mobility and physiological strain, indicating they were probably not local residents.
Evidence of a Two-Tiered Ritual

The isotope data also revealed an important distinction. The severed limbs, believed to have come from fallen fighters, carried local isotopic signatures. In contrast, the individuals whose complete skeletons showed signs of torture appeared to originate from more distant regions.

This pattern supports the idea of a two-level ritual. Local enemies killed in battle were dismembered, and their limbs were likely taken as trophies. Others, probably captives from outside the region, were subjected to violent executions. Researchers interpret these acts as a form of Neolithic political theatre meant to send a powerful message.

Professor Schulting said: “These findings speak to a deeply embedded social practice -one that used violence not just as warfare, but as spectacle, memory, and assertion of dominance.”
War, Ritual, and Social Identity in the Neolithic

By shedding light on the social and cultural roles of violence during the Neolithic period, the study adds an important dimension to our understanding of early European societies. It suggests that warfare was closely tied to ritual and public display, shaping how communities defined themselves and their enemies.

The birth of modern Man

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

This Unexpected Ingredient Makes Bread Much Healthier

BY SÃO PAULO RESEARCH FOUNDATION, FEB. 16, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/this-unexpected-ingredient-makes-bread-much-healthier/

Sunflower oil waste could be the secret ingredient behind a healthier, more sustainable loaf.

 Credit: Shutterstock

Researchers have discovered that a little-known by-product of sunflower oil production could dramatically improve the nutritional value of bread.

As more people look for healthier options beyond traditional wheat products, researchers are exploring ingredients that can improve nutrition without sacrificing practicality. One promising candidate is partially defatted sunflower seed flour (SF) – a by-product of industrial sunflower oil extraction – which may help enrich bread with protein, fiber, and antioxidant compounds.

“Our aim was to optimize the reuse of sunflower seed flour considering its high protein and chlorogenic acid content,” says biologist Leonardo Mendes de Souza Mesquita, currently at the Institute of Biosciences of the University of São Paulo (IB-USP) in Brazil. He is the lead author of the study published in ACS Food Science & Technology.
Testing Sunflower Flour in Bread Recipes

To evaluate its performance, researchers replaced wheat flour (WF) with sunflower seed flour (SF) at levels ranging from 10% to 60% in bread recipes. Each variation was analyzed for chemical composition, dough behavior, and finished loaf characteristics. The team examined rheological parameters (which describe how the material deforms and flows when subjected to external forces) as well as the physical qualities of the final bread.

“Sunflower seed flour has been shown to contain a very high percentage of protein, from 40% to 66%, as well as dietary fiber, iron, calcium, and high levels of chlorogenic acid, a phenolic compound associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic effects. Reusing this by-product adds nutritional value to bread and reduces the environmental impact of the sunflower oil industry. In addition, sunflower seed flour is an extremely cheap raw material, which the oil industry sells just to avoid disposing of it as waste,” explains Mesquita.

Bread formulated with different proportions of wheat flour (WF) and sunflower seed flour (SF), as well as bread with added aqueous extract of sunflower seed flour (SFE). 

Photos of the slices are in A, and photos of the surfaces/crusts are in B. 

Credit: Leonardo Mendes de Souza Mesquita

Protein and Antioxidant Levels Surge

The nutritional impact was substantial. Bread made with sunflower seed flour contained significantly more protein and fiber than standard wheat bread. At the highest substitution level, the loaf reached 27.16% protein, compared with 8.27% in conventional bread. Antioxidant levels also increased in proportion to the amount of sunflower flour added.

Researchers measured antioxidant activity using Trolox, a water-soluble analog of vitamin E commonly used as a benchmark in testing. Bread made with sunflower flour showed much higher values than bread made with 100% WF.

“The result reinforces the potential of sunflower seed flour to promote health benefits associated with reducing oxidative stress. In addition, we observed significant inhibitory activity against the enzymes α-amylase (92.81%) and pancreatic lipase (25.6%), indicating that breads with SF or SFE can contribute to modulating the digestion of starches and fats,” says Mesquita.

Chemical-Free Processing Adds Appeal

Another important factor is how sunflower oil is produced. Industrial extraction relies on pressing rather than chemical solvents. Because of this, the leftover flour is free from processing contaminants aside from residues remaining from agricultural sunflower cultivation.

Texture Challenges at Higher Levels

Although the health benefits were clear, higher amounts of sunflower flour affected bread texture. Once the substitution reached 20% SF or more, loaves became denser. Researchers observed reduced specific volume, firmer crust and crumb, and changes in alveolar structure – resulting in bread that was less soft than traditional wheat loaves.

“However, adding the aqueous extract [SFE] managed to preserve the structure and texture of the breads, keeping them close to those of traditional wheat bread. This indicates that adding SFE is an effective strategy for maximizing the nutritional benefits and minimizing the adverse sensory effects of sunflower seed flour,” argues Mesquita.

The aqueous extract is produced by dissolving SF in water and filtering it, without additional physical or chemical processing. According to Mesquita, future research could explore whether SFE can fully replace SF or be blended in different ratios. Commercial bakeries could then determine the most effective formulation.

Sustainable Innovation and the Circular Economy

The research fits into a broader effort to repurpose industrial by-products. “Transforming waste into products is a fundamental strategy for promoting a circular economy and reducing resource waste. As well as being a cheap raw material, partially defatted sunflower seed flour contributes to human health and environmental sustainability. It therefore covers the three pillars of the circular economy: economic, social, and environmental,” says Mesquita.

The circular economy model aims to move away from the traditional “extract, produce, discard” system. Instead, it focuses on keeping resources in use for as long as possible, maximizing their value, and regenerating them at the end of each life cycle. In this case, a previously underused industrial by-product becomes a functional food ingredient that enhances bread nutrition while reducing waste.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Could Sugary Drinks Be Fueling the Rise in Teen Anxiety?

BY BOURNEMOUTH U., FEB. 15, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/could-sugary-drinks-be-fueling-the-rise-in-teen-anxiety/

Teens who consume large amounts of sugary drinks are more likely to report anxiety symptoms, according to a new research review.

 Credit: Shutterstock

Sugary drinks could be quietly fueling the teen anxiety surge.

A new study has found a link between high sugar drink consumption and anxiety symptoms in teenagers.

Researchers from Bournemouth University joined an international team to analyze results from several previous studies examining diet and mental health. By reviewing the combined evidence, they aimed to identify consistent patterns. Their findings were published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

“With increasing concern about adolescent nutrition, most public health initiatives have emphasised the physical consequences of poor dietary habits, such as obesity and type-2 diabetes,” said Dr. Chloe Casey, Lecturer in Nutrition and co-author of the study. “However, the mental health implications of diet have been underexplored by comparison, particularly for drinks that are energy dense but low in nutrients,” she added.

Rising Anxiety in Young People

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health challenges affecting young people. In 2023, an estimated one in five children and adolescents was living with a mental health disorder, with anxiety among the most frequently reported conditions.

The studies reviewed by the research team relied on surveys to assess both sugary drink intake and mental health symptoms. High sugar beverages include sodas, energy drinks, sweetened juices, squashes, sweetened tea and coffee, and flavored milks.

Across the studies, the pattern was consistent. Teens who consumed larger amounts of sugary drinks were more likely to report anxiety symptoms.

What the Study Can and Cannot Prove

The researchers caution that the evidence does not prove sugary drinks directly cause anxiety. Because the analysis was based on previously conducted studies, it cannot determine cause and effect.

It is possible that young people experiencing anxiety may turn to sugary drinks more often. Other shared factors, such as family environment or sleep disorders, could also contribute to both higher sugar consumption and anxiety symptoms.

“Whilst we may not be able to confirm at this stage what the direct cause is, this study has identified an unhealthy connection between consumption of sugary drinks and anxiety disorders in young people,” Dr. Casey said.

“Anxiety disorders in adolescence have risen sharply in recent years, so it is important to identify lifestyle habits which can be changed to reduce the risk of this trend continuing,” she concluded.

The birth of modern Man

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Elite Athletes Possess a Hidden Skill That Seems Superhuman. Here's Why.

16 February 2026, By M. TERRY, THE CONVERSATION

https://www.sciencealert.com/elite-athletes-possess-a-hidden-skill-that-seems-superhuman-heres-why

(Lighthouse Films/DigitalVision/Getty Images)

Elite sport often looks like a test of speed, strength, and technical skill. Yet some of the most decisive moments in high-level competition unfold too quickly to be explained by physical ability alone.

Consider Canadian hockey superstar Connor McDavid's overtime goal at the 4 Nations Face-Off against the United States last February. The puck was on his stick for only a fraction of a second, the other team's defenders were closing in and he still somehow found the one opening no one else saw.

As professional hockey players return to the ice at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, Canadians can expect more moments like this. Increasingly, research suggests these moments are better understood not as just physical feats, but also as cognitive ones.

A growing body of research suggests a group of abilities known as perceptual-cognitive skills are key differentiators. This is the mental capacity to turn a blur of sights, sounds, and movements into split-second decisions.

These skills allow elite athletes to scan a chaotic scene, pick out the right cues and act before anyone else sees the opportunity. In short, they don't just move faster, but they also see smarter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGPdb7uOfow

How athletes manage visual chaos

One way researchers study these abilities is through a task known as multiple-object tracking, which involves keeping tabs on a handful of moving dots on a screen while ignoring the rest. Multiple-object tracking is a core method I use in my own research on visual attention and visual-motor coordination.

Multiple-object tracking taxes attention, working memory, and the ability to suppress distractions. These are the same cognitive processes athletes rely on to read plays and anticipate movement in real time.

Unsurprisingly, elite athletes reliably outperform non-athletes on this task. After all, reading plays, tracking players, and anticipating movement all depend on managing visual chaos.

There is, however, an important caveat. Excelling at multiple-object tracking will not suddenly enable someone to anticipate a play like McDavid or burst past a defender like Marie-Philip Poulin, captain of the Canadian women's hockey team.

Mastering one narrow skill doesn't always transfer to real-world performance. Researchers often describe this limitation as the "curse of specificity."

This limitation raises a deeper question about where athletes' mental edge actually comes from. Are people with exceptional perceptual-cognitive abilities drawn to fast-paced sports, or do years of experience sharpen it over time?

Evidence suggests the answer is likely both.

Born with it or trained over time?

Elite athletes, radar operators, and even action video game players — all groups that routinely track dynamic, rapidly changing scenes — consistently outperform novices on perceptual-cognitive tasks.

At the same time, they also tend to learn these tasks faster, pointing to the potential role of experience in refining these abilities.

What seems to distinguish elite performers is not necessarily that they take in more information, but that they extract the most relevant information faster. This efficiency may ease their mental load, allowing them to make smarter, faster decisions under pressure.

My research at McMaster University seeks to solve this puzzle by understanding the perceptual-cognitive skills that are key differentiators in sport, and how to best enhance them.

This uncertainty around how to best improve perceptual-cognitive skills is also why we should be cautious about so-called "brain training" programs that promise to boost focus, awareness, or reaction time.

The marketing is often compelling, but the evidence for broad, real-world benefits is far less clear.

The value of perceptual-cognitive training hasn't been disproven, but it hasn't been tested rigorously enough in real athletic settings to provide compelling evidence. To date, though, tasks that include a perceptual element such as multiple-object tracking show the most promise.

Training perceptual-cognitive skills

Researchers and practitioners still lack clear answers about the best ways to train perceptual-cognitive skills, or how to ensure that gains in one context carry over to another. This doesn't mean cognitive training is futile, but it does mean we need to be precise and evidence-driven about how we approach it.

Research does, however, point to several factors that increase the likelihood of real-world transfer.

Training is more effective when it combines high cognitive and motor demands, requiring rapid decisions under physical pressure, rather than isolated mental drills.

Exposure to diverse stimuli matters as well, as it results in a brain that can adapt, not just repeat. Finally, training environments that closely resemble the game itself are more likely to produce skills that persist beyond the training session.

The challenge now is translating these insights from the laboratory into practical training environments. Before investing heavily in new perceptual-cognitive training tools, coaches and athletes need to understand what's genuinely effective and what's just a high-tech placebo.

For now, this means treating perceptual-cognitive training as a complement to sport-specific training, not as a substitute. Insights will also come from closer collaborations between researchers, athletes, and coaches.

There is however, support for incorporating perceptual-cognitive tasks as an assessment of "game sense" to inform scouting decisions.

The real secret to seeing the game differently, then, is not just bigger muscles or faster reflexes. It's a sharper mind, and understanding how it works could change how we think about performance, both on and off the ice.

Mallory Terry, Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Science, McMaster University

The birth of modern Man

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Sea Levels Are Rising Globally. Around Greenland, They're Projected to Fall.

16 Feb. 2026, By J. COCKERILL

https://www.sciencealert.com/sea-levels-are-rising-globally-around-greenland-theyre-projected-to-fall

A man stands at an ice block at the coastline in Greenland. 

(Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images)

Around the world, sea levels are rising. But, strangely, in Greenland, they're actually forecast to fall in the coming decades.

In a new study, a team led by geophysicist Lauren Lewright at Columbia University combined real-world measurements with computer modeling to estimate how relative sea level around Greenland will change this century.

"The Greenland coastline is going to experience quite a different outcome," says Lewright.

Sea-level rise is the result of increased greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, which trap heat that would otherwise be reflected back into space.

The ocean absorbs much of that heat, and as it does, the water expands. This is called thermal expansion, and it's predicted to be the largest contributor to future global sea-level rise.

But experts say melting ice sheets will play a large role in Greenland's future sea levels, which are forecast to fall rather than rise.

Projections of total relative sea-level change indicate that sea levels will drop around Greenland under both low (RCP 2.6) and high (RCP 8.5) emission scenarios.

 (Lewright et al., Nat. Commun., 2026)

Greenland is a special case because its landmass is currently weighed down by a mile-thick layer of glacial ice, which covers around 80 percent of the island.

At the moment, that ice is being lost at a rate of around 200 billion tons each year. And as that weight lifts, so too does the land below.

In the best-case scenario, with limited greenhouse gas emissions, the autonomous territory is set to gain about 0.9 meters (around 3 feet) of exposed land due to falling sea levels by the end of the 21st century.

If we do nothing to curb our greenhouse gas emissions, Greenland will rise a whole 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) out of the ocean.

Lewright and colleagues from the US, UK, and Canada arrived at these estimates by pairing real-world observations of historic sea-level and land-elevation changes with a model that predicts land movement once it emerges from beneath melted glaciers.

Gravity plays an important role in Greenland's rising heights, too.

"When the ice sheet is very large, it has a lot of mass. The sea surface is pulled toward the ice sheet because of that gravitational pull," Lewright says.


"As the ice sheet loses mass, its gravitational pull on the sea surface decreases. That translates into sea level fall."

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Chuck's photo corner to Feb. 15, 2025

The cold weather has finally broken, they are calling for +3c (high) temps for tomorrow and possibly some rain,+5c on Tuesday. Then it drops below freezing till March.

Taken with my front door security cam.

out the office window this morning

plants finally getting some sunshine

after years I have finally put a covering over this small wall

Well it was sparkly to look at, lol

another short day done

water in transition

morning sky

The latest snow fall cleared about 5"

Rachelle bought me a rosemary, there are 5 in the pot, I'll separate them out.

Mat went up on the roof and lited the load, lol

Enjoy