A hidden underground ocean could be causing ‘slow-motion' earthquakes
Scientists think they could have found the cause of a series of “slow-motion” earthquakes that have shaken New Zealand in recent years – a hidden ocean which sits two miles beneath the sea floor. The water was revealed as part of a giant volcanic area formed about 125 million years ago, when an eruption forced a plume of lava bigger than the US to the surface of the Earth. Researchers found the region by towing 3D seismic sensors behind a boat to build up an image of the ancient volcanic area. There, they found thick, layered sediments around long-buried volcanoes which contained much more water than expected. Andrew Gase, from the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, who carried out the research, said: “Normal ocean crust, once it gets to be about seven or 10 million years old should contain much less water.” The ocean crust scanned by researchers was 10 times as old as this – but water made up nearly half its volume. The tectonic fault line which runs through New Zealand is known for producing slow-motion earthquakes, also known as slow slip events. During one of these, the energy from an earthquake gets released over days or months, often causing little or no harm to people. Scientists don’t know why they happen more at some faults than at others, but they are thought to be linked to buried water. Finding this new area of water at the fault line which creates so many slip events could provide an explanation. Gase said: “We can't yet see deep enough to know exactly the effect on the fault, but we can see that the amount of water that's going down here is actually much higher than normal.” If researchers can work out how the water reserves affect slip events – possibly by dampening them – they could, in turn, understand normal earthquakes better. Scientists also think underground water pressure could play a key part in creating conditions that release tectonic stress via slow slip earthquakes. As a result, Gase said scientists should drill even deeper to find out where the water ends up. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-13 22:58
The case for and against firing Brian Snitker after devastating playoff failure
For the second consecutive postseason, the favored Atlanta Braves fell to the division rival Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NLDS. What does this say about the team and Braves manager Brian Snitker?
2023-10-13 22:29
Bad Bunny addresses the phone throwing controversy on new album
Bad Bunny has referenced the time he threw away a fan’s phone on his new album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana. In the opening track 'NADIE SABE' from the album released on Friday (October 13), there is a particular lyric that fans have been pointing out which appears to relate to the incident. "Tú no ere' mi fan real, por eso te tiré el celular," which translates to in English: “You are not my real fan, that's why I threw the cellphone.” In January this year, a video circulated on social media of the 28-year-old rapper who could be seen walking with a group of friends in the Dominican Republic. He was approached by female fan with her phone and she then started taking a selfie mode video. Moments later, Bad Bunny grabbed the phone and tossed it away to his left. As the clip made rounds online, it sparked a debate about whether Bad Bunny was in the wrong or if fans do not give celebrities personal space. Bad Bunny did release a statement, defending his actions at the time. He said: "The person who comes up to me to say hello, to tell me something, or just to meet me, will always receive my attention and respect. "Those who come to put a phone in my face, I will consider it for what it is, a lack of respect and I will treat it like one." In June, the “Me Porto Bonito” rapper addressed the situation in an interview with Rolling Stone where he gave extra details on what occurred. “Bro, that cellphone didn’t break. It exists. It bothers me that people haven’t said that. I didn’t throw that phone into the water. I threw it into some bushes," he said. Elsewhere, Bad Bunny was hailed as doing 'God's work' after sharing 'bush' photo. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-13 22:25
Instagram has made an AI Kendall Jenner and it's scarily realistic
An AI version of Kendall Jenner is going viral after it was launched by Meta as part of Instagram introducing the future of technology on the app. Known as 'Billie' (@yoursisbillie), it's thought the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star was paid 'millions' to lend her face and voice to the account, which offers advice to fans - and it's near-impossible to tell it's not real. "I don't like this, I don't like where the world is heading, I'm not gonna support this," one terrified user wrote in the comments. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
2023-10-13 21:56
Nick Castellanos drops an f-bomb during live MLB Network interview
Nick Castellanos played hero for the Philadelphia Phillies again and then may have given them an NSFW postseason mantra to carry through to the World Series.
2023-10-13 21:54
'Lessons in Chemistry' cooks up a not-so-marvelous showcase for Brie Larson
After limited series featuring Chris Evans and Tom Holland, "Lessons in Chemistry" serves up another faulty experiment in combining serious Apple TV+ dramas and Marvel stars. Brie Larson takes center stage in this adaptation of Bonnie Garmus' novel, but its depiction of a female scientist turned cooking-show host navigating the patriarchal 1950s yields a souffle that sounds tasty but never rises.
2023-10-13 21:27
'In the Fire,' Amber Heard's first movie after the Depp trial, goes up in flames
Those who fell victim to the over-the-top animosity directed at Amber Heard during the Johnny Depp trial -- as chronicled in the docuseries "Depp v. Heard" -- will alas have fresh ammunition thanks to "In the Fire," a pretty awful starring vehicle for the actor that she also produced, a film unlikely to produce many sparks beyond those set off by the morbidly curious.
2023-10-13 21:25
Friday the 13th unleashes a stream of movies and TV to scare up Halloween screams
Like those people who put up decorations around Labor Day, TV and movies don't always wait until October to begin dropping horror-themed projects to capitalize on Halloween. But the annual crush of such fare has an auspicious kickoff date with Friday the 13th falling this month, with the modern addition of Hallo-streams to help provoke Hallo-screams.
2023-10-13 21:23
Israel country profile
Provides an overview of Israel, including key dates and facts about this country in the Middle East.
2023-10-13 20:58
Low-flying helicopter sparks crazy crocodile orgy in Australia
Hundreds of crocodiles in Australia were recently sent into a sex frenzy when a low-flying Chinook helicopter passed overhead. Ranchers from the Koorana Crocodile Farm in Queensland, which houses more than 3,000 crocodiles, said many of their residents became aroused after the flyby. John Lever, owner of the farm, said pilots use it as a marker point in their flights. When a pilot flew low so their passengers could take a picture of the crocodiles, the reptiles were whipped up into a frenzy. He said: “All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky, and then after the helicopters left they mated like mad. “There's something about the sonic waves that really gets them stirred up.” As it turns out, thunderstorms regularly act as an aphrodisiac to crocodiles. If the reptiles mate during storm season, their babies are more likely to hatch in a non-thunderstorm season, meaning they don’t drown in flood water. “The crocodiles start vocalising to each other [when a storm is coming],” Lever said. “They don't have a very sophisticated voice box, but they vibrate their windpipes to send messages through the water.” That may explain why the helicopter caused such an aroused response – they thought it was a megastorm. Herpetologist Mark O'Shea from the University of Wolverhampton told LiveScience: “Chinooks may artificially recreate the sound of the start of a thunderstorm.” Another possible explanation is that the movements in the water or downward wind caused by the choppers could trick them into thinking there is a change of atmospheric pressure, like when a storm is approaching. “I imagine that the downdraft from a large, heavy helicopter would create a change in pressure that the [sensory organs] on crocodile skin can detect. “Dropping barometric pressure from a downdraft may resemble the change in pressure from a storm.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-13 20:52
How would an Israeli ground assault on Gaza unfold?
Israel appears to be preparing for a ground invasion into Gaza. How might it unfold?
2023-10-13 20:25
Scientists could use lunar dust to make roads on the moon
Scientists have come up with a potential solution to deal with dust on the moon which makes conducting research tricky. Dust erodes space suits, clogs machinery, interferes with scientific instruments and makes moving around on the surface difficult. But they reckon moon dust could be melted using a giant lens developed by the European Space Agency to create solid roads and landing areas. Using a fine-grained material called EAC-1A, developed as a substitute for lunar soil, scientists used a 50mm diameter laser beam to heat the dust to about 1,600C and melt it. Then they traced out bendy triangle shapes, which could be interlocked to create solid surfaces across large areas of lunar soil to be used as road. However it would take about 100 days to create a 10 x 10m landing spot so it is not a quick fix. To make matters worse, the lens needed for the laser to work would be difficult to transport from Earth and could also get dust in it which may reduce its functionality. “You might think: ‘Streets on the moon, who needs that?’” said Prof Jens Günster, of the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing in Berlin and co-author of a report on the possible solution. “But in fact it’s a kind of depressing demand [even] early on. It’s very loose material, there’s no atmosphere, gravity is weak, so the dust gets everywhere. It contaminates not only your equipment but other nations’. No one would be happy to be covered in dust from another rocket." Dust has blighted previous missions, such as the Surveyor 3 spacecraft (damaged by dust kicked up by the Apollo 12 landing), and overcoming this challenge is a priority for Nasa, which aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost. Transporting building materials to the moon would be too expensive, so there is a need for unconventional solutions. “You need to use what’s there and that’s simply loose dust,” said Günster. The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-13 20:15