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Earthquakes and secondary disasters like landslides and tsunamis can devastate regions, leaving lasting impacts for years. Beyond the immediate harm to individuals and infrastructure, these events disrupt essential services, alter landscapes, and place a significant economic burden on affected areas.Major earthquakes in the last two decades, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Japan earthquake, and the 2023 Turkey - Syria earthquake, have highlighted the urgent need for better forecasting methods. More accurate predictions could help authorities prepare affected regions and implement timely evacuation plans.A recent study from the University of Tsukuba and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan, published in Chaos, examined the suns impact on seismic activity. The researchers suggest incorporating solar heat data into earthquake forecasting models could enhance prediction accuracy.How Earthquake Forecasting WorksAt present, the precise timing and location of earthquakes cannot be predicted. However, seismologists, scientists who study seismic waves and earthquakes, can estimate the likelihood of an earthquake occurring in a given area based on various factors.Typically, experts assess the historical frequency of seismic activity, analyze geological records for evidence of past ruptures, examine the relationship between smaller and larger earthquakes, and study aftershock patterns. The more data available, the better the forecasts.Read More: Chasing the Dream of Earthquake PredictionUnderstanding the Cause of EarthquakesBy studying past events, scientists understand that earthquakes occur when tectonic plates shift, causing strain energy to accumulate. Eventually, this energy is released in the form of seismic activity. However, forecasting earthquakes remains a complex challenge, as many contributing factors are still not fully understood.To refine their models, researchers have begun exploring external influences on seismic activity. Some studies suggest that tidal forces and electromagnetic effects from celestial bodies, such as the moon and the sun, may play a role.Previously, the Tsukuba research team identified a correlation between sunspot numbers and seismic activity on Earth. However, the underlying mechanism driving this connection remained unclear. Their latest hypothesis suggests that the Suns heat may be a key factor.The Role of Solar Heat in EarthquakesBy applying mathematical models and computational techniques, the researchers compared earthquake occurrences with solar activity and temperature variations on Earth's surface. Their analysis showed that factoring in temperature shifts improved the accuracy of earthquake forecasts, particularly for shallow seismic events.Solar heat drives atmospheric temperature changes, which in turn can affect factors like rock properties and underground water movement, explained study author Matheus Henrique Junqueira Saldanha in a press release. Such fluctuations can make rocks more brittle and prone to fracturing, for example and changes in rainfall and snowmelt can alter the pressure on tectonic plate boundaries. While these factors may not be the main drivers of earthquakes, they could still be playing a role that can help to predict seismic activity. The findings indicate that while solar heat transfer to Earths surface does influence seismic activity, its impact remains relatively small. However, incorporating solar activity predictions into detailed Earth temperature models could still provide valuable insights for earthquake forecasting.Its an exciting direction, and we hope our study sheds some light on the bigger picture of what triggers earthquakes, said Junqueira Saldanha in the release.This research represents a promising step toward better earthquake predictions. While more studies are needed to confirm the extent of solar heats influence, integrating this factor into existing models could improve our ability to anticipate seismic events and mitigate their impact.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:California Institute of Technology. Can Seismologists Predict Earthquakes?Having worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When shes not immersed in a popular science book, youll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.

This artist concept depicts NASA Voyager 1 spacecraft entering interstellar space. Interstellar space is dominated by the plasma, or ionized gas, that was ejected by the death of nearby giant stars millions of years ago. Credit: NASA / JPL-CaltechShareVoyager 1 and 2 continue to make history every day, as they transmit data back to Earth while traveling further into deep space. But there will come a time when amassing distance is all they are capable of accomplishing. At some point, the batteries aboard each 47-year-old spacecraft will finally die, rendering the scientific probes into interstellar monuments to themselves.However, NASA isnt ready to say goodbye just yet, and is taking measures to get as much life out of the pair as possible. On March 5, Voyager mission engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California confirmed they have already turned off Voyager 1s cosmic ray subsystem experiment. NASA plans to do the same for Voyager 2s low-energy charged particle instrument on March 24. Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd explained cutting each program is a matter of life-or-death for both machines.Electrical power is running low, Dodd said in a statement. If we dont turn off an instrument on each Voyager now, they would probably have only a few more months of power before we would need to declare end of mission.Launched in 1977, both Voyagers include an identical array of 10 instruments designed to gather a host of unprecedented cosmic information. Each probe is powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) fueled by decaying plutonium-238. The RTG arrays offered Voyager 1 and 2 about 470 watts at 30 volts when they first launched. Given the plutoniums 87.74-year half-life, they now operate on about two-thirds their original power.NASA has since turned off the majority of each spacecrafts toolssome after completing the planetary fly-bys during the 1980s, and others as recently as October 2024. Voyager 1s recent deactivation, for example, ended its decades long studies of cosmic radiation. For years, the cosmic ray subsystems three-telescope array observed fluctuations from protons and other deep space energies, and was integral in determining when and where Voyager 1 exited the heliosphere. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.Voyager 2s impending power-saving solution concerns its low-energy charged particle instrument that was designed to measure ions, electrons, and other cosmic forces. Both the cosmic ray subsystem and low-energy charged particle instrument rely on a 360-degree rotational platform powered by a 15.7-watt pulse motor every 192 seconds. Although the motor was originally tested to 500,000 steps (enough to make sure it lasted until Voyager 2 reached Saturn in August 1980), the motor will have since completed over 8.5 million steps at the time of its shut-off on March 24.Despite recent technical difficulties and diminishing energy reserves, Voyager 1 and 2 arent down for the count just yet. Mission engineers plan to continue overseeing Voyager 1s own low-energy charged particle instrument, as well as its magnetometer and plasma wave subsystem. Voyager 2s magnetic field and plasma wave equipment will also continue operating for the foreseeable future, while its cosmic ray subsystem will be retired in 2026. If all goes according to plan, both spacecraft will continue sending back data from at least one instrument until some time in the 2030s.The Voyagers have been deep space rock stars since launch, and we want to keep it that way as long as possible, Dodd said.

This artists concept shows what the isolated planetary-mass object SIMP 0136 could look like based on recent observations from NASAs James Webb Space Telescope and previous observations from Hubble, Spitzer, and numerous ground-based telescopes. Credit: NASA / Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)ShareA phantom Super-Jupiter 13 times more massive than our solar systems gas giant is drifting through the cosmos around 20 light-years from Earth. Although discovered in 2006, the free-floating planetary-mass object known as SIMP 0136 has continued to stump astronomers for nearly two decadesis it a rogue planet, failed star, or something else entirely? Thanks to an international teams recent work utilizing NASAs James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), newly recorded details are helping clarify the nature of SIMP 0136. The results, published on March 3 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, depict a complicated cosmic body that continues to expand our understanding of the universe.First detected nearly 20 years ago, SIMP J013656.5+093347 (SIMP 0136, for short) appears to be a rapidly rotating, planet-sized object situated in the Pisces constellation. Its relatively isolated in the northern sky, and is the regions brightest entity of its kind. Taken altogether, SIMP 0136 offers astronomers one of the best options for exo-meteorological study.Previous examinations using ground-based tools as well as the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes indicated SIMP 0136 was potentially a brown dwarfa cosmic body with the makings of a star that nonetheless fails to gather enough mass to initiate nuclear fusion. Unique characteristics, however, kept astronomers perplexed: its fluctuating brightness suggested the existence of complex atmospheric conditions beyond just clouds. The more they learned about SIMP 0136, the more it appeared to be an exoplanet, albeit one lacking a star to orbit. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.We already knew that it varies in brightness, and we were confident that there are patchy cloud layers that rotate in and out of view and evolve over time, Boston University researcher Allison McCarthy explained in a statement on March 3. We also thought there could be temperature variations, chemical reactions, and possibly some effects of auroral activity affecting the brightness, but we werent sure.To try solving some of these mysteries, McCarthy and colleagues recently trained the JWST on SIMP 0136 for two full rotations, then gathered data using the telescopes Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The results generated hundreds of wavelength measurements across the infrared light spectrum that McCarthys team could analyze for changes over the course of its speedy rotation.Until now, we only had a little slice of the near-infrared spectrum from Hubble, and a few brightness measurements from Spitzer, principal investigator and Trinity College Dublin researcher Johanna Vos added. To see the full spectrum of this object change over the course of minutes was incredible.The team noticed SIMP 0136 exhibited several distinct light-curve shapes simultaneously. As some wavelengths grew in brightness, others dimmed or remained relatively stable. This implied that multiple influences trigger the variations. Co-author Philip Muirhead from Boston University likened the observations to examining Earth from very far away.Blue would increase as oceans rotate into view. Changes in brown and green would tell you something about soil and vegetation, he said.These light curves show the change in brightness of three different sets of wavelengths (colors) of near-infrared light coming from the isolated planetary-mass objectSIMP 0136as it rotated. The light was captured by Webbs NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph), which collected a total of 5,726 spectra one every 1.8 seconds over the course of about 3 hours on July 23, 2023.Credit: NASA / Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) Additional atmospheric modeling helped the team next assess the likely depth origins of each light wavelength, which could further clarify SIMP 0136s details. One wavelength group located deep in the atmosphere suggests patchy clouds composed of iron particles, while higher clouds potentially contain silicate minerals. A third wavelength cluster, however, seems to exist at an extremely high altitude and correspond to temperature hot spots. Experts believe these could come from previously observed auroras, or potentially plumes of hot gas rising from deeper in the atmosphere.Not all of the light curves can be explained just yet, and dont relate to clouds or temperature. Researchers believe these likely depict differences in atmospheric carbon chemistry, such as pockets of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.Vos admitted they havent really figured out the chemistry part of the puzzle yet, but remains excited by the latest round of discoveries. The data also underscores the diversity of exoplanets like SIMP 0136.If we are looking at an exoplanet and can get only one measurement, we need to consider that it might not be representative of the entire planet, said Vos.

Nature, Published online: 05 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00543-zFast electromagnetic follow-up observations of gravitational-wave sources such as binary neutron stars could shed light on questions across physics and cosmology. A machine-learning approach brings that a step closer.

Nature, Published online: 05 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00689-wAn amyloid protein targeted by Alzheimers disease therapies seems to be involved in normal mental decline.

New CDC data on falling rates of precancerous cervical lesions in the U.S. underscore the benefits of HPV vaccination.

Hi - I want to create a 3D version of this in blender with light emitting g from the points and channels cut into the cube so it looks realistic when rotating - happy to pay someone for doing this ? Is this an easy job ? Some dude on Fiver said it would take 15 days and asked for $800 - surely thats nuts ! The image was created from an AI prompt and I have used it on an Album Cover which people love - so want a real 3D one for videos and back top projection when playing live. submitted by /u/ijt33 [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/harleywrecks [link] [comments]