explainer Earth
Why is the sky orange? Red, yellow and pink skies explained
Why is the sky orange, red, yellow or pink? Air scatters blue light about 6 times more than red, and sunset light crosses ~38 times more air. Smoke adds more.
Browse the archive
Category: Earth
news Earth Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Mineral-proxy study
Crystals hint Earth’s mantle was oxidizing before the Great Oxidation Event
Sulfur in apatite sealed in zircons up to 3.42 billion years old suggests the mantle under early arcs grew more oxidized long before oxygen stayed in the air.
news Biology Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Meta-analysis of published fossil records
Fossil pollen ties plant life’s two biggest turnovers to extreme ancient warmth
A Nature Plants study of fossil pollen links most plant turnover of the past 120 million years to two hot spells. How it was done, and what it cannot show.
news Earth Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Modelling study
Great Unconformity: a vanished cliff may explain the Grand Canyon’s missing billion years
A Geology paper models a kilometre-high cliff formed as Rodinia broke apart about 800–750 million years ago, estimating it stripped up to 8 km of rock near its edge but…
Explainer History
The Most Ancient Civilization In The World
Mesopotamia is known as the most ancient civilization in the world. However, to understand its historical significance, we need to understand what defines a civilization. Civilization is a complex society,…
Explainer Earth
Why Is Water Blue In Color?
When we look at large bodies of water like oceans, lakes, or rivers, it seems blue. Water even in swimming pools also looks bluish. The blue color of water is…
Explainer Earth
Why Is The Dead Sea So Salty?
The Dead Sea is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west. It is a remarkable body of water known for…
Explainer Earth
What If The Earth’s Core Stops Spinning?
7000 kilometres wide, Earth’s Inner core has shown signs of stopping and reversing its spin since 2009. But the question arises, what would be its consequences? The spinning of Earth’s…
Explainer Earth
From Crust To Core: A Detailed Look At The Layers Of Earth
There are three main layers of earth based on the chemical composition, including: Crust, Mantle, and core. However, if we distinguish the layers of Earth based on their Mechanical composition,…