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Earthquakes

Researchers observed seafloor movement at the Southeast Indian Ridge, denoted by the yellow line.

In a First, Scientists Witness the Seafloor Spread in Real Time, Giving Them a Rare Glimpse at a Mysterious Geologic Process

Across a matter of days in 2024, the seafloor in part of the Indian Ocean dropped by about 13 feet, and roughly 5.7 billion cubic feet of molten rock rose to the crust’s surface, according to a new study

Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, following the earthquakes on June 24, 2026.

Powerful Back-to-Back Earthquakes Killed at Least 188 People in Venezuela. Here’s the Science Behind the Rare ‘Doublet’

On June 24, two quakes above magnitude 7 struck the northern part of the country only 39 seconds apart. While doublet sequences aren’t unheard of in seismology, they are uncommon—especially in such short succession

A view of the landslide and tsunami aftermath a few days after the catastrophic events

A Sudden Landslide Triggered Alaska’s 2025 ‘Mega-Tsunami.’ Now, Scientists Have Identified Warning Signs to Predict Similar Events

Natural disasters like the one at Tracy Arm fjord, about 45 miles south of Juneau, could become more common as climate change alters frigid landscapes, according to researchers

Built roughly 4,600 years ago, the Great Pyramid of Giza has survived several significant earthquakes.

Ancient Egyptian Engineering Choices Helped the Great Pyramid of Giza Survive Earthquakes, New Research Finds

Researchers measured vibrations inside and around the pyramid to learn that the structure is surprisingly resilient against seismic tremors

The researchers collected samples from the Pilbara region in Western Australia.

When Did the Earth’s Crust Start to Shift? Scientists Uncover Evidence of Plate Tectonics Happening 3.48 Billion Years Ago

A new study provides the oldest direct evidence of tectonic plate movement ever recorded

Shenzhou-15 spacecraft debris streaked across the sky above California in April 2024. 

Sonic Booms and Earthquake Sensors Can Help Researchers Track Space Junk as It Plummets to Earth

Falling debris can travel at about 30 times the speed of sound, creating sonic booms that shake the ground

A satellite view of a phytoplankton bloom in the Southern Ocean

Earthquakes Deep Below Antarctic Waters Seem to Have Surprising Effects on Life at the Surface

Quakes may cause ocean floor vents to release more nutrients, triggering blooms in plantlike organisms called phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean

A crane lifts an ancient sculpture from Abu Qir Bay near Alexandria, Egypt.

Cool Finds

Ancient Statues Emerge From the Waters Off Egypt’s Coast, Where They’d Been Hiding for Thousands of Years

Several large sculptures were among the trove of artifacts that divers recovered from the waters near Alexandria, Egypt. Officials say the site may have been an extension of the nearby city of Canopus

A screenshot from the CCTV footage reveals the moment when the ground moved.

CCTV Footage Captures the First-Ever Video of an Earthquake Fault in Motion, Shining a Rare Light on Seismic Dynamics

A clip recorded in Myanmar in March reveals a curved path of the fault slip, which can help scientists better understand the physics of such events

Geoscientist Martin Köhler stands in front of Maka Lahi, which measures 46 feet by 39 feet by 22 feet—about the same size as a two-story house.

A 164-Foot Tsunami Pushed This Enormous Boulder Atop a Cliff in Tonga 7,000 Years Ago

The hulking rock, called Maka Lahi, is the size of a two-story house and sits on a 120-foot-tall cliff, covered in vegetation

Elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park huddled together, facing outward, in a behavior called an "alert circle" after an earthquake hit.

Watch These Elephants Form an ‘Alert Circle’ as an Earthquake Shakes San Diego, Protecting Their Young at the Center

Footage from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park shows the large mammals huddling together around the herd’s calves

The Myanmar Fire Services Department conducts emergency search and rescue operations after the March 28 earthquake.

Death Toll Passes 2,000 After Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Hits Myanmar, Among the Most Powerful Quakes in the Region Since 1900

The natural disaster compounds humanitarian concerns in a country already in the throes of a devastating civil war

An oarfish surfaced in Playa El Quemado, Mexico, earlier this month.

Cool Finds

See a Deep-Sea Oarfish Caught Alive on Video in a Rare Encounter on a Beach in Mexico

In Japanese folklore, appearances of these elusive marine creatures dubbed ‘doomsday fish’ are believed to foreshadow earthquakes, though scientists found no strong relationship between these events in a recent study

By studying seismic waves, researchers are revealing more about the mysterious nature of our planet's inner core.

Earth’s Inner Core Is Changing Shape, Study Finds, Indicating Even More Dynamic Shifts Deep Within Our Planet

Seismic wave data previously suggested the Earth’s hot inner core is slowing its spin. Now, researchers say it’s also deforming around the edges

Residents of Summerville have reported sightings of a mysterious glowing light over the town's old railroad tracks. The pictured tracks, while not the "haunted" site, were studied in an effort to determine the source of the 1886 Charleston earthquake.

The ‘Ghost’ Haunting This South Carolina Town Might Have an Earthly Explanation, Scientist Says

In a new research article, a seismologist argues that earthquakes are the reason for the mysterious lights associated with a local urban legend in Summerville

Seismologist Won-Young Kim examines signals from a network of seismometers monitoring for earthquakes in New York, New Jersey and New England.

Geologists Finally Explain New Jersey’s Strange Earthquake That Rocked the Northeast in April

A new study suggests the seismic energy traveled outward from a previously unmapped fault, emanating from the hypocenter in bouncing waves that shook distant areas

A mountain in the Dickson Fjord after 33 million cubic yards of its rock and ice collapsed in a landslide.

A Mysterious Seismic Signal Lasted Nine Days Last Year. It Was a Mega-Tsunami Caused by Climate Change, Researchers Say

A melting glacier caused a mountain in Greenland to collapse into a narrow fjord, setting off an oscillating wave that rattled seismic detectors around the world

When earthquakes squeeze quartz crystals, the mineral generates electricity that attracts gold particles.

How Large Gold Nuggets Form in Quartz Crystals During Earthquakes

Quartz, which can generate electricity, attracts large chunks of gold when stressed and squeezed by seismic shaking, according to a new study

Kayakers, researchers, lifeguards and paddleboarders managed to get the huge fish to shore.

Rare ‘Doomsday’ Oarfish Surfaces in California, Just the 20th Discovered in the State Since 1901

Kayakers spotted and hauled ashore the 12-foot-long oarfish, a deep-sea species known for its connection to earthquakes in Japanese folklore

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin deploys a device to detect moonquakes during the first moonwalk.

Thousands of Moonquakes Rocked the Apollo Landing Sites in Less Than a Decade

A new study found 22,000 previously unidentified lunar seismic events recorded between 1969 and 1977

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