Earth's Surface
How Life Could Have Survived the Frozen ‘Snowball Earth’
During a prehistoric ice age when the planet was enveloped in glaciers, algae could have made a living in patchy, open oceans, study suggests
This Sponge Fossil May Be the Earliest Record of Animal Life
The 890-million-year-old relic predates periods of extreme cold and the planet’s second oxygenation spike
To Study Night-Shining Clouds, NASA Used Its 'Super Soaker' Rocket to Make a Fake One
In summer months above the North and South Poles, glowing clouds occasionally form naturally at sunset under the right conditions
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
How Artist Teresita Fernández Turns Graphite, the Stuff of Stardust, Into Memories
A new episode of the Smithsonian’s ‘Re:Frame,’ explores the origin of graphite, a material artists have used for centuries
Humans Have Produced Nine Billion Tons of Plastic and Counting
Over half of that material was created in the last decade
Check Out Breathtaking Images From NOAA’s Newest Satellite
In a word: wow
Humans Have Bogged Down the Earth with 30 Trillion Metric Tons of Stuff, Study Finds
The authors say this is more proof that we are living in an Age of Humans—but not all scientists agree
Predicting Chaos: New Sensors Sniff Out Volcanic Eruptions Before They Happen
How volcanologists brave lung-singeing fumes to monitor eruptions with cutting-edge sensors
Journey to the Center of Earth
How Earthquakes and Volcanoes Reveal the Beating Heart of the Planet
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program has stitched together a visual archive of the world’s earthquakes and volcanoes
Finders, Keepers: Five of the Best Places to Go Gem Hunting in the U.S.
From diamonds to emeralds, the United States is full of buried bling
Journey to the Center of Earth
The Blasphemous Geologist Who Rocked Our Understanding of Earth's Age
James Hutton was a leading light of his time, but is rarely talked about today
Journey to the Center of Earth
This 340-Million-Year-Old Ocean Crust Could Date Back to Pangaea
Researchers believe they've found the world's oldest ocean crust
Journey to the Center of Earth
The Tiny World of Glacier Microbes Has an Outsized Impact on Global Climate
Microbes living on glaciers collectively cover an area the size of New Hampshire—and they could have a big influence on global climate
Journey to the Center of Earth
Dinosaurs Literally Reshaped The Planet
Dinos didn't just leave behind footprints and fossil bones—they also changed the landscapes in which they lived
Journey to the Center of Earth
Meet the Diverse and Bizarre “Stars” of the Deep Sea
As human activities encroach on remote oceans, scientists work to map the denizens of the deep
Journey to the Center of Earth
Ancient Spacedust Reveals Surprising Twist in Evolution of Earth’s Early Atmosphere
Mini fossil meteorites are providing new insights about how our ancient atmosphere evolved into its current state
Journey to the Center of Earth
These Stunning Satellite Images Turn Earth Into Art
These images illustrate the brutal beauty geologic processes carve into our planet
