Earth Science
What Caused the Deadly Iranian Earthquakes?
Straddling the seam between the Eurasian and Arabian tectonic plates, Iran has a history plagued with earthquakes
August 15, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Could Sewage Be Our Fuel of the Future?
A new way of treating wastewater uses bacteria to produce electricity, potentially solving a pair of environmental problems
August 15, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
These Are the Mega-Cities of the Future
In 2025, chances are you'll live in one of these cities. Today, chances are you haven't heard of some of them
August 14, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Get Ready for a Bunch of Hurricanes Between Now and November, Says NOAA
This year's hurricane season has started with a whimper, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects it to go out with a bang
August 10, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The LEGO-like Building Blocks of the Olympic Slalom Canoe
How a three-time Olympic competitor designed an innovative new whitewater system using underwater bricks
August 09, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Mining Company to Start Digging up the Ocean Floor
A Canadian mining company has been granted a 20-year license to mine minerals from 1600 meters below the ocean waves in the Bismarck Sea, off the Coast of Papua New Guinea
August 09, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
If We All Lived Like UAE Citizens, We’d Need 5.4 Earths
Tim De Chant's Per Square Mile answers through infographics: How much land would 7 billion people need to live like the people of these countries?
August 09, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
‘Fracking’ for Natural Gas Is Linked With Earthquakes
A new study finds a correlation between the underground injection of waste fluids from fracking and dozens of small earthquakes
August 06, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Italian Supervolcano Could End Eurozone Crisis the Easy Way
Deep underground in southern Italy, just outside the city of Naples, the Campi Flegrei supervolcano has been resting for the past 500 years.
August 06, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Everything You Need to Know About Arctic Sea Ice Melt, in One 10-Second Animated Gif
The Arctic is melting,
August 06, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
VIDEO: This Deep-Sea Squid Breaks Off Its Own Arms to Confuse Predators
A bioluminescent squid species that lives off the coast of California was caught on camera ditching its arms
August 03, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
170 Years of America’s Evolution In One Animated Gif
In one click, the drifting lines and changing colors take you through 170 years of history.
August 03, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Ancient Climate Change Meant Antarctica Was Once Covered with Palm Trees
53 million years ago, Antarctica was so warm that palm trees lived along its shores.
August 02, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Miners, Drillers Push Into Void Left By Melting Arctic Ice
The opening of large parts of the Arctic Ocean each summer, and the melting of surface ice on northern landscapes, is driving a modern gold rush into the Arctic frontier.
August 01, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Can Natural Herbs Protect Your Skin From the Sun?
A number of studies indicate that several herb extracts could protect against sunburn and other damage from UV light
August 01, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Climate Change Could Erode Ozone Layer Over U.S.
New findings indicate that effects of climate change could increase ozone depletion, UV exposure and skin cancer
July 27, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Why 97 Percent Of Greenland’s Icy Surface Just Melted
Over the course of a four day blitz that started on July 8th, surface melting of Greenland's vast glaciers leapt from affecting 40 percent of the surface area up to a staggering 97 percent.
July 25, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
NASA Successfully Tests Inflatable Heat Shield for Descending Spacecraft
A new type of heat shield, made of kevlar-woven fabric and an inflation system, survived a 288-mile descent to Earth
July 24, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
New Study Suggests Humans, Not Climate, Killed Off Neanderthals
Roughly 40,000 years ago, the Neanderthals that lived in the Mediterranean disappeared. Whether they simply up and left, or died off, is anybody’s guess. They were still a common sight in western Europe for another 10,000 years, so outright extinction is off the table. In trying to understand what lead to the Neanderthal’s decline, archaeologists [...]
July 24, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Mapping Afghanistan’s Geology from Really, Really Far Away
Using aerial surveys, US geographers map the mineral resources found on Afghanistan's rocky surface.
July 23, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
