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Special Report

Journey to the Center of Earth

The slip of tectonic plates and the fiery eruptions of volcanoes are just the surface manifestations of the beating heart of our planet. Earth is composed of layers, each one playing a different role in protecting all life from solar storms, recycling the planet's crust and even changing our climate. The ground beneath our feet is a dynamic place that affects us every day. 

We may marvel at mountains that tower above our heads or hold our breath when confronted with dizzying views of canyons, but none of that would be possible without the inner Earth. Join us as we peel back the layers of our planet, exploring what scientists know about our world and what mysteries remain.

“If I go look for dinosaurs, I will find them, because there’s tons of them out there,” says Kirk Johnson, the director of the National Museum of Natural History and the star of a new Nova series

At the Smithsonian

Smithsonian’s Kirk Johnson Steps Up to Be the Rock Star of Geology

The new PBS science series “Making North America” features the director of the National Museum of Natural History

This multicolored lily pad is actually a bloom of the iron-based mineral hematite in Brazilian quartz.

Science

Surreal Photos Reveal the Otherworldly Insides of Gemstones

If you thought gems were beautiful to the naked eye, take a look at them under a microscope

Smart News

Scientists Recently Realized That 1,240 Miles of Volcanoes Were Connected

Now the Cosgrove Volcano Track is the longest on Earth

Earth's Surface

New research reveals that Earth's Northern Hemisphere is growing darker faster than the Southern Hemisphere is.

Smart News

Earth Is Getting Dimmer—and the Northern Hemisphere Is Losing Brightness Faster Than Scientists Expected

New research challenges the idea that the hemispheres’ matching brightness is a fundamental property of the planet

Geologist Michael Ackerson holds a sample from Canada's Acasta Gneiss formation, home to some of the oldest rocks on the planet.

At the Smithsonian

The Secrets of How Life Began May Be Hidden Inside the World’s Oldest Rocks

Smithsonian researchers trekked to a remote site in northern Canada to collect four-billion-year-old rock samples that could unlock mysteries about Earth’s earliest history

Ice calves off the Breidamerkurjokull, a glacier in Iceland. Some scientists suggest prehistoric glaciers hold the answers to how life evolved on Earth.

Smart News

How Enormous Glaciers on the Frozen ‘Snowball Earth’ Might Have Bulldozed the Path to Complex Life on Our Planet

A new study suggests glaciers carved metals out from the Earth’s surface 700 million years ago, leading to chemical reactions in the oceans that set the stage for early animal evolution

The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds were recently captured by NASA astronaut Don Pettit aboard the ISS.

Smart News

NASA Astronaut Shares Breathtaking Photos From the ISS, Featuring Galaxies and Glowing ‘Star Trails’

On his fourth flight, Don Pettit is once again sharing the art of astrophotography, capturing and posting pictures of Earth, satellites and space

Earth's Crust

Kenya's Great Rift Valley

Smart News

East Africa Might Break Off From the Continent Sooner Than Scientists Thought—and a New Ocean May Fill the Gap

A new study suggests that a rift in Kenya and Ethiopia has reached a critical stage in the split-up process, and that water may flood it in a few million years

Lava, seen as darker brown rocks, from Methana's most recent eruption flows through ancient limestone into the sea.

Smart News

This Greek Volcano Seemed Quiet for 100,000 Years. Then It Erupted Again. Should Scientists Take a Second Look at ‘Extinct’ Volcanoes?

By reconstructing a 700,000-year history of Methana volcano, geologists found a prehistoric phase when it appeared inactive on the surface, despite magma building up below ground

The researchers collected samples from the Pilbara region in Western Australia.

Smart News

When Did the Earth’s Crust Start to Shift? Scientists Uncover Evidence of Plate Tectonics Happening 3.48 Billion Years Ago

A new study provides the oldest direct evidence of tectonic plate movement ever recorded

Crater Peak (photographed here on February 7, 2025) is the most likely site of a future Mount Spurr eruption.

Smart News

‘Volcanic Unrest’ at Alaska’s Mount Spurr Suggests 50-50 Chance an Eruption Could Be Coming

Volcanologists are closely monitoring the 11,070-foot-tall stratovolcano, located roughly 75 miles from Anchorage, after a recent uptick in earthquakes

Featured story

Nematodes (blue) wiggle inside a stalactite from a South African gold mine in this image taken with a microscope.

SCIENCE

Inner Earth Is Teeming With Exotic Forms of Life

More than a mile below the surface, our planet supports diverse creatures that could give us clues about life across the solar system

Earth's Mantle

Kenya's Great Rift Valley

Smart News

East Africa Might Break Off From the Continent Sooner Than Scientists Thought—and a New Ocean May Fill the Gap

A new study suggests that a rift in Kenya and Ethiopia has reached a critical stage in the split-up process, and that water may flood it in a few million years

The researchers collected samples from the Pilbara region in Western Australia.

Smart News

When Did the Earth’s Crust Start to Shift? Scientists Uncover Evidence of Plate Tectonics Happening 3.48 Billion Years Ago

A new study provides the oldest direct evidence of tectonic plate movement ever recorded

Researchers discovered the oldest meteorite impact crater known to science in Australia. 

Smart News

Oldest Known Impact Crater Discovered in Australia

The discovery bolsters the theory that meteorite impacts played an important role in Earth’s early geological history

Crater Peak (photographed here on February 7, 2025) is the most likely site of a future Mount Spurr eruption.

Smart News

‘Volcanic Unrest’ at Alaska’s Mount Spurr Suggests 50-50 Chance an Eruption Could Be Coming

Volcanologists are closely monitoring the 11,070-foot-tall stratovolcano, located roughly 75 miles from Anchorage, after a recent uptick in earthquakes

Earth's Core

Earth's core is mostly made of the metals iron and nickel, but it also contains lighter elements like hydrogen, oxygen and silicon. 

Smart News

Earth’s Core Might Hold Dozens of Oceans Worth of Hydrogen, Hinting at the Origins of the Planet’s Vast Water Supply

Scientists have long debated whether most of Earth’s vital liquid was delivered via icy comets or was homemade

Earth’s magnetic field surrounds the planet, with illustrated field lines emerging from the north, in orange, and looping around to the south, in blue.

Science

A Weak Spot in Earth’s Magnetic Field Is Growing, but Scientists Say Not to Worry. Here’s a Look at What Shields Us From Space Weather

Our planet’s magnetosphere has seen dramatic shifts across its history—even total reversals—but this recent wrinkle doesn’t pose a threat to life

By studying seismic waves, researchers are revealing more about the mysterious nature of our planet's inner core.

Smart News

Earth’s Inner Core Is Changing Shape, Study Finds, Indicating Even More Dynamic Shifts Deep Within Our Planet

Seismic wave data previously suggested the Earth’s hot inner core is slowing its spin. Now, researchers say it’s also deforming around the edges

The magnetic north pole, distinct from the geographic North Pole, is the point where Earth’s magnetic field lines converge.

Smart News

Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Is Shifting Toward Siberia and Raising Questions About Unusual Movement

Scientists released an update to a model that maps the ever-moving pole and has significant implications for navigation systems