Our Planet

Irene created a new channel across a North Carolina barrier island

Building On A Barrier Island

These accumulations of sand aren't permanent but are home to whole communities

Flood debris on the Ohio River is halted by a dam

What Happens To A House Swept Away By A Flood?

Flood debris may circulate in ocean gyres for years

In this GOES satellite image taken on August 24, the eye Hurricane Irene, traveling over the Bahamas, can be clearly seen

The Satellite Eyes On Irene (And Other Great Resources)

There are satellites orbiting overhead, powerful computers and plenty of scientists to make sense of a wealth of data

A building in the northern reaches of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, that was destroyed in the 1938 hurricane

The Great New England Hurricane of 1938

Katharine Hepburn's Connecticut beach house and 8,900 other homes were swept into the sea

The contiguous bedrock on the east coast allows energy to pass more efficiently and travel farther. That is why the earthquake on Tuesday was felt over such a broad geographic range.

Q&A: Smithsonian's Elizabeth Cottrell on the Virginia Earthquake

A Smithsonian geologist offers her expertise on the seismic event that shook much of the mid-Atlantic this week

Earthquake hazard map for the United States

Earthquake in Washington, D.C.

Today's shaking may have been unexpected, but Washington isn't the only unlikely location for an earthquake in the United States

The key moment of the Don Quijote mission: the impact as Hidalgo smashes into the asteroid and Sancho observes from a safe distance

Don Quijote May Tilt at an Asteroid

Deflection could be our best bet if an asteroid is headed towards Earth

Gold bullion from the National Bank of Poland

What Is Rarer Than Gold?

Other than the human tendency for imitating magpies, gold really isn't all that special

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How To Study A Volcano

Getting this close to a bubbling cauldron of lava is not just dangerous; it's stupid enough that even other volcanologists will yell at you

A hexagonal grain of iron sulfide in a diamond may be a flaw for jewelers, but it's useful data for scientists

Diamonds Hold Secret About Plate Tectonics

When it comes to diamonds in jewelry, perfection is everything. But imperfections are a clue to the past

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There’s a Drought—Is It Climate Change?

Despite the heat waves across the country, no one is screaming "climate change is real" because of them. Why?

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The Cambrian Explosion in Song

What does a music teacher do when he ends up teaching science?

Eyjafjallajökull

What’s the Most Dangerous Country?

Iceland is pretty much the least habitable of all the places that people have inhabited. But visiting it is like hiking through a geology textbook

Tropical Storm Arlene is predicted to make landfall in Mexico early Thursday morning

Hurricane Season Starts With Arlene

The first tropical storm of 2011 is a reminder to prepare for potential disasters

Before wastewater is treated, scientists can look for traces of illegal drugs.

Sewage Epidemiology Not Just a Pipe Dream

Scientists are beginning to analyze sewage to track the use of illegal drugs

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Earth From Space

Which of these images from the European Space Agency's Flickr stream would you consider hanging as art in your home?

The April 6, 2009 earthquake in Italy destroyed many buildings, new and old.

Should We Blame Scientists for Not Predicting Earthquakes?

A group of Italian scientists may go to trial for allegedly playing down the risk of the quake that struck the Abruzzo region of Italy in April 2009

In NASA’s new view of the heliosphere, the magnetic field lines (in red and blue) create a foamy layer of magnetic bubbles at the far edge

Bubbles of Magnetism at the End of the Solar System

NASA's Voyager spacecraft have found a foamy layer at the edge of the heliosphere

Trees grow at high elevations in the Rockies, fed by melting snow.

Rocky Mountains Losing Their Snow

A new study finds an unprecedented decline in snowpack in the West

Dazzling Photographs of Earth From Above

Satellite images of mountains, glaciers, deserts and other landscapes become incredible works of art

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