Earth Science

Slow Monsoon Seasons Led to End of Chinese Dynasties

Like ice cores or tree rings, stalagmites (those are the ones that grow up from the cave floor) can record ancient history

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Texas Tea Threatens Earthwork

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Mystery at Sea

How mercury gets into tuna and other fish in the ocean has scientists searching from the coast to the floor

"It's like a mystery novel," says veteran volcanologist Richard Fiske of his field work. "We're uncovering clues."

FOR HIRE: Volcanologist

Richard Fiske discusses his groundbreaking work

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EcoCenter: The Land

A look at man-made and natural causes that are threatening the Earth

Once extracted, labeled and bundled, the cores are carefully airlifted to the safety of the lab. Only there will the ice's true secrets be revealed.

Glaciologist Erin Pettit Reports from the Field

The students (including Molly Holleran, age 17) practiced self- arrest—stopping a fall on a slope using an ice ax.

Glaciologist Puts Her Girls on Ice

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Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Bumblebees, elephants and endless summer

Light shining through the ice turns a cave's roof (above, Amy Rarig, age 17) an eerie blue.

The "Girls on Ice" Share Their Experiences in the Field

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Fault Lines

Weighing threats on land and from the sea

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Seeing Science Six Miles Up

City patterns, farm history, ancient seabeds, old mountains and new, the why of clouds: take a look

Equinox seen from the astronomic calendar of Pizzo Vento at Fondachelli Fantina, Sicily

Calendar

It took two millennia to get the one we now use; we owe a lot to the sun and moon, to Caesar, Pope Gregory and, oh yes, the Earl of Chesterfield

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Wiring the Jersey Coast

In one spot on the continental shelf, scientists aim to understand all that happens, 24 hours a day

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The Incredible Sponge

It may seem primitive, but it can do some things you wouldn't want to try at home

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Nitrogen

It's colorless, odorless and gets no respect, but it's vital to the cycle of life— and we may be using too much

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Mining the Scrap Heap for Treasure

Across America, a network of scrap-metal firms is supplying much of the raw materials, iron to aluminum, that fuel the growing global economy

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Unearthing Secrets Locked Deep Inside Each Fistful of Soil

To scientists at the National Soil Tilth Lab in Ames, Iowa, it's not just dirt they are probing — it's the planet's sustaining surface

During their visits, students participate in activities that complement classroom learning (i.e. school programs) through hands-on experiences that stimulate all of their senses.

A Few Miles of Land Arose From the Sea—and the World Changed

Panama is an event as well as a place. Smithsonian scientists are learning what it has meant for continental animal swapping, ice ages, et al.

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However It Began on Earth, Life May Have Been Inevitable

In a universe filled with prebiotic compounds,it may be only a small step for some of them to hook up in ways that lead directly to life

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