Earth Science
How to Understand the Scale of the Oklahoma Tornado
In terms of size, speed and staying power the Oklahoma tornado was a force of nature
May 20, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Elizabeth Cottrell
Director of Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program
May 20, 2013 |
By Smithsonian Magazine's "Future Is Here" Conference
Lola Fatoyinbo-Agueh
NASA Earth Scientist
May 20, 2013 |
By Smithsonian Magazine's "Future Is Here" Conference
Endangered Ocean Creatures Beyond the Cute and Cuddly
Marine species threatened with extinction aren't just whales, seals and turtles--they include fish, corals, mollusks, birds, and a lone seagrass
May 17, 2013 |
By Emily Frost
A Friendly Reminder From Pretty Much Every Climate Scientist in the World: Climate Change Is Real
Yes, climate change is real. Yes, we are causing it.
May 16, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Water Cut Off From the World for Billions of Years Is Bubbling From the Bottom of a Mine
1.5 miles down at the base of a Canadian mine life may have thrived
May 16, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Scientists Are Finding Clues to the Next Mega-Earthquake in One That Hit the West Coast in 1700
Researchers now know details of how the infamous earthquake of 1700 struck the West Coast
May 16, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Climate Change Is Making the Whole Planet Tip
Climate change isn't just making the North Pole warmer, it's actually changing where the North Pole is located
May 15, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Amazing Sea Butterflies Are the Ocean’s Canary in the Coal Mine
These delicate and stunning creatures are offering Smithsonian scientists a warning sign for the world's waters turning more acidic
May 14, 2013 |
By Hannah Waters
Watch Out: This Year’s Fire Season Will Be Another Bad One for the West
A warm, dry winter has set the stage for another bad year of forest fires in the western U.S.
May 14, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Scientists Map Britain’s Most Famous Underwater City
Researchers have created a 3D visualization of Dunwich using acoustic imaging
May 13, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The World According to Twitter, in Maps
A new geographic analysis of millions of tweets provides a remarkably broad view of humanity, by language, location and other factors
May 10, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Water On the Moon Probably Came From Earth
New isotopic analysis of hydrogen in Apollo-era Moon rocks shows that the water locked inside them hails from our planet
May 09, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Could Lightning Come From Space?
Cosmic rays may cause a "runaway breakdown" of electrons when they collide with highly charged particles in thunderclouds
May 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
28-Year Satellite Time-Lapse Shows Exactly What We’re Doing to Our Planet
28 years in just a few seconds, as seen from space
May 09, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Baby Weddell Seals Have the Most Adult-Like Brains in the Animal Kingdom
The newborn seal pups possess the most well-developed brains compared to other mammals, but that advantage comes with a cost
May 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Deep Seafloor Turns Out to Be a Treasure Trove for Ancient DNA
DNA preserved in the the ocean floor could provide a unique view of ancient animals that aren't represented in the fossil record
May 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Feel What It’s Like to Live on an Antarctic Icebreaker for Two Months
In February 2013 Cassandra Brooks, a marine scientist with Stanford University, landed at McMurdo Station, a U.S. research station on the shores of Antarctica’s Ross Sea. For two months she worked on a ship, the icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer, cruising through the Antarctic sea. Brooks documented her life on the ship for National Geographic, and now she’s [...]
May 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
One Upside to Drought: the Fewest Tornadoes in the U.S. in At Least 60 Years
No water in the air means less fuel for tornadoes
May 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
