Earth's Mantle

A high-temperature hydrothermal vent field discovered on Puy des Folles Seamount on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at approximately 6,562 feet in depth.

See the Breathtaking Ocean Life Found at Deep-Sea Vents

An international team of scientists discovered new hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge releasing mineral-rich water hot enough to melt lead

An artist's rendition of a cross-section of Earth. The innermost layer, the inner core, is a 1,500-mile-wide ball of iron.

The Spin of Earth's Inner Core May Be Changing, Scientists Say

A new study finds our planet's iron center shifts between spinning slightly faster and slightly slower than the surface—but not all experts agree

The Earth’s oceans have risen and fallen over the millennia. But they have, on average, been relatively stable over billions of years. The balance of the deep water cycle—the exchange of water between the Earth’s surface and its interior—has an important role to play in maintaining that stability.

How the Earth's Mantle Sends Water Up Toward the Surface

A new model suggests "mantle rain" ensures we will always have a surface ocean

The island's volcano has entered its sixth week of eruption and shows no signs of stopping. As seismic activity continues to increase, La Palma could be hit with an earthquake measuring a six on the Richter magnitude scale.

Spain's La Palma Volcano Continues to Erupt and Spew Ash

The volcano has covered over 2,000 acres of land with lava

A radar image of Venus' largest block of crust, located in the planet's lowlands and identified by the authors of a new paper.

New Research

Venus May Still Be Geologically Active

Radar images of the planet’s surface suggest large sections of its crust appear to have moved in the geologically recent past

InSight was sent on a mission to answer questions about the Red Planet's crust, mantle and core, known as the "inner space."

Mars InSight Lander Offers a Sneak Peek at the Red Planet's Inner Layers

The robotic explorer was sent to Mars to study its formation—and the data is now making its way back to Earth

Did a 1964 Earthquake Bring a Dangerous Fungus to the Pacific Northwest?

A new study posits that tsunamis triggered by the Great Alaska Earthquake washed Cryptococcus gattii onto the shore

Cool Finds

The City of Chicago Is Sinking. Here's Why

Ice sheets that receded 10,000 years ago are responsible for the Windy City dropping at least four inches over the last century

New Research

Gravity Map Reveals Tectonic Secrets Beneath Antartica's Ice

Satellite data shows East and West Antarctica have very different geologic histories

The Kilauea volcano’s Halema’uma’u lava lake as it appeared on Monday.

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"Explosive" Eruptions Possible at Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano

Steam-powered bursts could fling multi-ton boulders half a mile away, but the USGS says wide-scale destruction is not likely

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Yellowstone's Biggest Geyser, Steamboat, Has Trio of Eruptions

It's the first triple eruption in 15 years—but don't worry, it's not a sign the Yellowstone volcano is ready to blow

New Research

Earth's Mysterious Hum Recorded in the Deep Sea for the First Time

The discovery could help unlock the planet's deepest secrets

Marie Tharp's map helped vindicate plate tectonics, but her work was initially dismissed as "girl talk."

Journey to the Center of Earth

Seeing Is Believing: How Marie Tharp Changed Geology Forever

Marie Tharp's maps helped prove continental drift was real. But her work was initially dismissed as "girl talk"

The Cascadia Subduction Zone could unleash "the big one" soon, causing havoc in Seattle.

Journey to the Center of Earth

Slow Earthquakes Are a Thing

Slow earthquakes regularly move more earth than deadly fast quakes, but no one feels a thing

Visualization of the giant impact that formed the moon

Journey to the Center of Earth

New Moon-Formation Theory Also Raises Questions About Early Earth

A new model of the impact that created the moon might upend theories about earth, too

"HEY! DID YOU KNOW THAT MACQUARIE ISLAND IS HOME TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST ROCKS?" "I DID NOT! WHY ARE WE YELLING?" "I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE SEALS"

Journey to the Center of Earth

Go Deep: 5 Places on Earth to See Seriously Old Rocks

See geology "in action"—or at least as action-packed as rocks can be—at these five spots

San Andreas fault near Parkfield, California

Journey to the Center of Earth

Tides Trigger Tiny Earthquakes Along the San Andreas Fault

The spring tides trigger small tremors deep in the fault, revealing the fault's structure

Rough diamonds from the Juina region of Brazil.

Journey to the Center of Earth

Diamonds Illuminate the Origins of Earth's Deepest Oceans

Crystals could be the key to where our water came from, and what that means for finding life on other planets

Journey to the Center of Earth

What Caused the 2011 D.C. Earthquake?

A thinning mantle led to the 5.8 magnitude shake in the Southeast, and more may be in store

The drill bit that the Atlantis Bank expedition broke near the start of operations. Three of the four "cones" used to dig the hole have snapped off.

A Decades-Long Quest to Drill Into Earth's Mantle May Soon Hit Pay Dirt

Geologists have had to contend with bad luck, budget cuts and the race to the moon in their efforts to drill deep into our planet

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