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Earth Science

Rubble from the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake.

Italian Scientists Sent to Jail Because They Downplayed the Risk of an Earthquake

Six scientists and one former government official will do time for failing to accurately convey the risk of an earthquake

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No Life Found In Lakes Beneath Antarctic Glaciers—Yet

Scientists hoping to find life beneath Antarctic ice have so far come up empty-handed

A 24,700-year-old leaf found beneath a Japanese lake, along with other samples, will help scientists more precisely date a range of ancient objects.

A New Leap Forward for Radiocarbon Dating

Sediments and ancient leaves recovered from the bottom of a Japanese lake will help scientists around the world more precisely date ancient objects

An artist’s conception of the massive collision that would have produced the moon roughly 4.5 billion years ago.

How the Moon Was Made

A new type of evidence found in lunar rocks indicates that an enormous collision between a young Earth and a Mars-sized object formed the moon

14 Fun Facts About Hagfish

These frightening creatures defend themselves with slime and chow down on animal carcasses

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To Increase Salmon Populations, Company Dumped 110 Tons of Iron Into the Pacific Ocean

Adding iron to the ocean can make life bloom, but scientists are uneasy about the potential unknown consequences

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The Transformation of Freshkills Park From Landfill to Landscape

Freshkills was once the biggest landfill in the world. Today, it’s the biggest park in New York City

An iceberg floats off the coast of Greenland.

Melting Greenland Ice Has Consequences

Melting Greenland ice could affect ocean circulation patterns, and further spur global warming

An MIT study reveals that carbon dioxide directly reduces the strength of ice, regardless of temperature.

Bad News Chemistry: Carbon Dioxide Makes Ice Weaker

An MIT study reveals that carbon dioxide directly reduces the strength of ice, which has troubling implications for climate change

The Hestia Project provides comprehensive visualizations of a city’s greenhouse gas emissions.

New Technology Maps Greenhouse Gas Emissions at the Street and Neighborhood Level

The Hestia project draws on a variety of data sources to paint a comprehensive picture of a city’s greenhouse gas metabolism

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Two Companies Want to Frack the Slopes of a Volcano

Two companies want to hydraulically fracture the Newberry Volcano in Oregon

Tungsten carbide drill bits will grind through miles of ultra-hard igneous seafloor rock in hopes of reaching the mantle.

New Project Aims to Drill to the Earth’s Mantle, 3.7 Miles Down

Scientists aim to reach the mantle and bring back rock samples for the first time in human history

Plastic debris and particles are now turning up in the ocean waters surrounding Antarctica.

High Levels of Plastic and Debris Found in Waters off of Antarctica

In the world’s most remote ocean waters, researchers discovered unexpectedly high levels of plastic pollution

As part of the Pacific Centennial Oscillation pattern, ocean waters in certain areas become warmer and cooler as part of a century-long cycle. Red indicates warmer water; blue shows cooler.

New Climate-Shifting Pattern: Is PCO the Next El Niño?

Computer simulations indicate that ocean temperatures and weather patterns might vary on a 100-year-long cycle called PCO

Fossil Finding Goes High Tech

A new high tech approach to digging in the dirt is helping paleontologists dig smarter: artificial intelligence

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Newly Discovered Comet, Headed Toward Earth, Could Shine as Bright as the Moon

Comet C/2012 S1(ISON) could become the brightest comet anyone alive has ever seen

Comparing the conglomerate outcrop on Mars with a similar structure on Earth.

Curiosity Nails It: Mars Used to Have Flowing Water

Scientists report what they suggest is the best evidence yet that water flowed on Mars

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Watch Drought Dry Up America’s Groundwater

A drought this year affected large parts of the United States, including a lot of agricultural land

A map of the earthquakes triggered around the globe within a week of the April 2012 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra (white star).

Largest Quake of the Year Crossed Fault Lines, Echoed for a Week

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Your State Border Might Not Be Where You Think

The boundaries of your state might not be as solid as you imagined

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