By: Robin Andrews/IFL Science Earth’s tectonic plates make our world unique. Thanks to these colossal continentals and oceanic islands floating atop a partly molten hellish mantle, we have oceans and mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and even an atmosphere. That’s why a team of Dutch scientists from Utrecht University has conjured up a new database containing everything…
Something Below The Ice Is Slicing Through An Ice Shelf In Antarctica
By: Jonathan O’Callaghan/IFL Science If a giant hole wasn’t enough, we’ve got more bad news. Scientists have discovered a huge inverted canyon under an ice shelf in Antarctica, which might cause its demise much quicker than expected. Using the ESA’s CryoSat satellite and the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, researchers looked at the Dotson ice shelf in West Antarctica….
Elon Musk And Puerto Rico’s Governor Discuss Potential For Tesla To Rebuild The Island’s Electrical System
By: Patrick Caughill/Futurism Elon Musk says that Tesla can rebuild Puerto Rico’s electricity system with independent solar and battery systems. In a response to Twitter user’s question about Musk’s ability to revamp the island’s power infrastructure, he said: The Tesla team has done this for many smaller islands around the world, but there is no scalability…
The Break-Up Of A Colossal Ice Shelf Exposed An Ancient And Mysterious Ecosystem
By: Robin Andrews/IFLScience After months and months of almost but not quite breaking away from Antarctica, a trillion-tonne chunk of the Larsen C Ice Shelf finally detached itself and drifted off into the Southern Ocean. As it so happens, this chilly divorce may have been a good thing, as it’s exposed a brand-new, never before seen ecosystem hiding just beneath…
Satellite Images Of Puerto Rico Before And After Hurricane Maria Reveal Extent Of Blackout
By: Josh Davis/IFL Science Hurricane Maria swept the Caribbean island last week, leaving in its wake a trail of utter devastation and ruin. Houses were blasted away, roads washed out to sea, and the electricity grid trashed. Five days later and little has changed as the US territory is at risk of descending into a very…
Bali Volcano Expected To Erupt Soon, Causing 50,000 People To Flee
By: Josh Davis/IFLScience There is mounting concern about an imminent volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island of Bali. Shallow rumbles from below the crust surrounding Mount Agung are stoking fears that it will soon blow its top, leading to the evacuation of 50,000 people from the surrounding countryside. The mountain has been groaning and growling since August, but a…
An Incredibly Powerful 7.1M Earthquake Just Struck Mexico City
By: Robin Andrews/IFLScience An incredibly powerful earthquake, registering as a 7.1M, has rocked Mexico City, a densely-packed metropolis containing nearly 20 million people, and its many suburbs and nearby towns. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it was a deep-seated earthquake (51 kilometers/32 miles depth) that struck at 1:14 pm local time. The epicenter was 122 kilometers…
Thanks To Lobbying, It’s Illegal To Power Your Home With Solar Panels In Florida
By: Robin Andrews/IFL Science It may have ravaged much of the Caribbean, but Hurricane Irma weakened mercifully quickly as it passed over Florida. That’s not to say that it didn’t cause significant infrastructural damage, of course, and soon after the storm had passed, 40 percent of Florida lacked electricity, something that ended up killing several people who relied on it….
Sign Language Interpreter Decides To Warn People Against Something Quite Different During Hurricane Irma
By: Robin Andrews/IFL Science Some things are too important not to double check. If you’re leaving on vacation, you check you’ve got your passport. If you’re about to perform a triple-bypass surgery, you confirm that you’ve got all the right equipment and expertise to hand. If ladies and gentlemen, you’re warning people to get out…