Scientists have uncovered new evidence that Earth’s continents are continuously reworked deep beneath the surface, offering fresh insight into how continents have evolved over billions of years. 

In a new study, researchers observed red auroras over Japan that stretched to unexpectedly high altitudes, about 500 to 800 kilometers above Earth.

In a new study published in Conservation Letters, scientists built the most comprehensive models ever of the ranges of 2,858 important fungal species and compared them with the world’s protected landscapes. The findings highlight a mismatch: Conservation has been built around the life we see, without regard to the hidden organisms below our feet that help aboveground life thrive. These range maps offer a roadmap to begin charting a new course.

A large-scale study with data from Brazilian Cerrado streams found that about half of the field sampling effort preserved the ability of most habitat and biological indices to distinguish stream disturbance levels, while greatly reducing time and costs. Macroinvertebrate indices remained robust under reduced sampling, and only fish richness was more sensitive to lower effort. The findings suggest that faster, more cost-effective stream assessments could support biomonitoring programs in tropical regions with limited funding.

Seismic anisotropy near stagnant slabs in the mantle transition zone and uppermost lower mantle suggests an additional slab-related source. High-pressure deformation experiments on hydrous minerals δ-AlOOH and δ-H at 20.5–24.5 GPa and 800–1000 °C show that they develop strong crystallographic preferred orientations. The resulting fabrics produce negative radial seismic anisotropy (V_SV > V_SH) under horizontal flow, distinct from many major mantle minerals, and may contribute to anisotropy near flattened slab tops.