Geosciences (GEO) Discoveries

NSF's public investment in science, engineering, education and technology helps to create knowledge and sustain prosperity. Read here about the Internet, microbursts, Web browsers, extrasolar planets, and more... a panoply of discoveries and innovations that began with NSF support.

Page: Previous |Next (Showing: 31-42 of 42) | Search Discoveries

		West Coast Kelp Forest Ecosystems At Risk Overfishing Has More Effect Than Nutrient Pollution Released  June 8, 2006
		Molecules Are Fossils, Too Paleoproteomics lends fresh insight into ancient bones Released  May 17, 2006
		Life Leaves Subtle Signature on Lay of the Land Living things bring out the planet's softer side Released  January 31, 2006
		New Mexico Graduate Student Receives Costa Rica's Top Science Honor At 26, Esteban Araya is the youngest person to ever receive the top science award from his native Costa Rica. A graduate student in astronomy at New Mexico Tech, Araya was honored for his research into the formation of massive stars. Released  August 5, 2005
		Deeper View Helps Explain Rio Grande Rift Subsurface revealed down to the Earth's mantle Released  March 1, 2005
		Of Microbes and Mars Desert microbe discovery has extraterrestrial implications Released  December 17, 2004
		Earth's Core Spins Faster than Earth The motion of the Earth's inner core had never been detected before two seismologists decided to investigate an unproven theory. They discovered that the fast-spinning inner core makes a complete revolution inside the Earth in about 400 years. Released  July 30, 2004
		Scientists Discover Secrets of 'Lost City' The Lost City hydrothermal vent field was discovered in December 2000 during an NSF-funded expedition. Lost City structures, including a vent 18 stories tall, are formed in a very different way than ocean-floor vents studied since the 1970s. Released  July 30, 2004
		Pterosaur Heads Were Uniquely Adapted for Flight Taking a high-tech look at fossil skulls, scientists examined the brains of ancient pterosaurs. They found key structures to be specialized and enlarged, a discovery that could revise views of how vision, flight and the brain itself evolved. Released  July 30, 2004
		Finding Cures from Corals A chemical that protects a rare type of marine coral from predators may also prove to be a potent medicine for humans in the fight against cancer. Released  July 18, 2003
		Deeply Buried Sediments Tell Story of Sudden Mass Extinction Two international teams of researchers recover evidence of a large meteorite that impacted Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago. Released  June 25, 2003
		Discovery of Microbursts Leads to Safer Air Travel Researchers investigating several puzzling plane crashes in the mid-1970s identified 'microbursts'--dangerous gusts of wind--as the probable cause. The discovery led to better warning systems and pilot training, and to safer skies. Released  June 25, 2003