A paper in Scientific Reports posits a new cause of the ice age that covered large parts of the Northern Hemisphere 2.6 million years ago.

The study found a previously unknown mechanism by which the joining of North and South America changed the salinity of the Pacific Ocean and caused major ice sheet growth across the Northern Hemisphere. The change in salinity encouraged sea ice to form which in turn created a change in wind patterns, leading to intensified monsoons. These provided moisture that caused an increase in snowfall and the growth of major ice sheets, some of which reached over a mile in thickness.

Tsunami earthquakes are rare but they happen at relatively shallow depths in the ocean. So while are small in terms of their magnitude, they create very large tsunamis, with some earthquakes that only measure 5.6 on the Richter scale generating waves that reach up to 30 feet high when they hit the shore. 

A global network of seismometers enables researchers to detect even the smallest earthquakes. However, the challenge has been to determine which small magnitude events are likely to cause large tsunamis.  New research has revealed the causes and warning signs of these rare tsunami earthquakes, which may lead to improved detection measures. 

Climate change is predicted to have major impacts on the many species that call our rocky shorelines home.

Species living in these intertidal habitats, which spend half their day exposed to air and the other half submerged by water, could subjected to a double whammy if air and water temperatures rise. 

Though cultural advocates invoke cancer for their causes, genetics is the dominant risk factor in common breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. 

It's no secret that people who are tired don't perform well but a new study tackles the impact of being a morning person or a night owl on driving performance.

By measuring people when they are out of sync with their "chronotype" whether they are physiologically more active during the day or night - influences driving performance, and which chronotype performs better at a non-optimal time.