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Science / Our Planet

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

Unofficially, the periodic table goes up to element 118.

Meet the New Elements

It’s official: Elements 114 and 116 do exist and belong on the periodic table

Peace Corps volunteer Laura Kutner rallied the community to stuff plastic bottles with trash. In all, the Guatemalan students turned 8,000 bottles into building materials.

How to Turn 8,000 Plastic Bottles Into a Building

Peace Corps volunteer Laura Kutner demonstrates how she turned trash into the building blocks for one community’s revival

Scientists use satellite images of the kelp canopy (here, as seen from underwater) to track this important ecosystem over time.

A New View Into California’s Kelp Forests

Satellite imagery is providing new insight into an important ecosystem just off the California coast

The Great Barrier Reef

Ocean Acidification and the Battle Between Coral and Seaweed

Ocean acidification creates plenty of potential problems for life in the oceans, but corals might have it the worst

A View From Above of Memphis Flooding

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