Geology

New Research

This New Zealand Natural Wonder Is Probably Gone for Good

A new study reconfirms that the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed by a volcano in 1886 and can’t be dug up

August 10, 2018

The Eruption on Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Is Simmering Down

But experts caution that violent activity could start again at any moment

August 8, 2018

New Research

New Map Chronicles Three Decades of Surface Mining in Central Appalachia

The data shows about 1.5 million acres of forest have been affected by surface and mountaintop mining since the 1970s

August 1, 2018

Art Meets Science

Art, Science and Religion Blend in Exhibition Honoring Illustrator Orra White Hitchcock

Orra’s paintings and drawings depict the natural world in colorful detail

July 30, 2018

New Research

Most of Mars’ Dust Comes From One Place

Erosion of the Medusae Fossae Formation has, over billions of years, likely covered the entire planet in 10 feet of volcanic dust

July 26, 2018

Welcome to the Meghalayan Age, the Latest Stage in Earth’s 4.54-Billion-Year History

Geologists say the stage began 4,200 years ago, when a global mega-drought devastated agricultural societies

July 19, 2018

New Research

Pink Was the First Color of Life on Earth

Researchers have found bright pink pigments in 1.1 billion year old fossils of cyanobacteria drilled in West Africa

July 10, 2018

New Research

Where Did the Aztecs Get Their Turquoise?

New analysis shows the blue-green mineral found in Aztec art was likely mined in Mexico, not the American Southwest as previously believed

June 15, 2018

New Research

Oldest Footprints Show When Life On Earth Got Legs

Tiny fossil tracks found in South China firmly date appendages back to the Ediacaran period

June 11, 2018

Trending Today

Five Things to Know About Guatemala’s Deadly Volcanic Eruption

The massive blast is affecting nearly 2 million people, and more may still be in store

June 4, 2018

A Handy Guide to Volcano Vocab

Laze, vog, lava bomb—we help you decipher what geologists are actually talking about

Updated: June 4, 2018 | Originally Published: May 25, 2018

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic

Reports of these ground-chasms have been swelling in the past few years. Geology helps explain why

May 24, 2018

The Case for Charles Dickens, the Science Communicator

A new exhibition dives into the Victorian novelist’s passion for science

May 18, 2018

Huge Burst of Ash and ‘Vog’ from Kilauea Puts Hawaii on Red Alert

Experts worry that more violent eruptions could be in store

May 16, 2018

Trending Today

“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

May 11, 2018

Trending Today

Massive Sinkhole Opens Up in New Zealand

The gaping chasm has revealed 60,000-year-old volcanic deposits

May 9, 2018

Trending Today

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

May 1, 2018

Cool Finds

Colony of Beautiful, Doomed Purple Octopuses Found Off Costa Rica

Hundreds of unidentified cephalopods were found nursing their eggs near a deep-sea vent

April 20, 2018

New Research

Diamonds Trapped in Strange Meteorite Came From Solar System’s Earliest Planets

Impurities in the diamonds could only have formed within a planet the size of Mercury or Mars

April 18, 2018

Super Salty Lakes Found Deep Below Canadian Ice Cap

The discovery could provide insights about life in extreme environments, and help in the search for extraterrestrial life

April 16, 2018