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Earth Science

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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Diamond Mines Are a Paleo-Climate Scientist’s Best Friend

A column of magma worked its way up from the mantle and drilled its way to the surface, bedazzling itself with diamonds that it picked up along the way

Sea Ice Extent

After Summer Cyclone, Arctic Sea Ice Reaches New Low

On September 16, sea ice reached record lows in the Arctic, covering an area of just 3.41 million square kilometers or 1.32 million square miles

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Fire Tornado, Fire Devil, Whatever—Just Look at This Swirling Column of Fire

New York’s state climatologist and a professor of atmospheric sciences at Cornell University, the columns of dust are more similar to a dust devil

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Why Is a Russian Crater Teeming with Diamonds?

A meteorite impact 35 million years ago filled a Russian crater with diamonds

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Top 5 “Science Done Wrong” Moments in Movies

From asteroids to cloning, author and scientist David Kirby weighs in

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The World’s 5 Most Mysterious Bird Species

Stunning plumage, strange eating habits and extreme rareness characterize these enigmatic birds

The strange spheres Opportunity found on Mars

Mysterious Spheres on Mars Are ‘Crunchy on the Outside’ And ‘Softer in the Middle’

Opportunity had found an unusual rock formation on Mars

The ruins at Mohenjo-Daro, built by an ancient Indus Valley Civilization.

Flooding in Pakistan Threatens Remains of 4500-Year-Old Civilization

Strong flooding fueled by the annual monsoon threatens the ancient town of Mohenjo-Daro

A nearly-microscopic animal known as the tardigrade, above, is capable of surviving in a dry, lifeless state for over a decade.

How Does the Tiny Waterbear Survive in Outer Space?

A special adaptation allows the tiny animal known as the tardigrade to curl up into a dry, lifeless ball and survive for decades

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This African Fruit Produces the World’s Most Intense Natural Color

Pollia condensata produces its striking deep blue color with a mechanism virtually unknown in plants

Oil hangs in the water following the blow-out of the Macondo well, June 19, 2010.

How Scientists Know the Tar Balls Hurricane Isaac Dredged Up Came From the BP Oil Spill

Scientists confirm that oil strewn by hurricane Isaac derived from BP’s blown-out Macondo well

A 2002 wildfire in Colorado

Fires Are Escaping Our Ability to Predict Their Behavior

Today’s fires are bigger, weirder, and way harder to model

Geoengineering could replicate the cooling effects of a massive volcanic eruption as a tool to reduce climate change.

Is Geoengineering the Answer to Climate Change?

A new study looks directly at the immediate expenses of intentionally cooling our climate, but what are the long-term costs?

After a hurricane, you may be experiencing a few conflicting emotions.

“After the Storm” Workbook Helps Kids Deal with Hurricane Stress

The “After the Storm” workbook that helps parents sort out their kids’ feelings following a potentially traumatic hurricane

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Watch Hurricane Isaac Grow and Slam Into Louisiana

A range of satellites are set to watch Isaac, giving a step-by-step look into the storm’s evolution

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UFO or Crazy Cloud? ‘Weird Cloud Atlas’ Helps You Decide

Clouds come in a vast array of unusual shapes and sizes, and the Weird Cloud Atlas wants to help you sort of what is what

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