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Geology

So hot, it's cool.

Cool Finds

Watch a Lava “Firehose” Spew Out of a Hawaiian Cliff

Kilauea is putting on a spectacularly scorching show

The beautiful Mauritius island may be hiding a chunk of continent.

New Research

Researchers Think They’ve Found a Mini Continent in the Indian Ocean

The island of Mauritius sits on a sunken piece of earth’s crust torn apart by plate tectonics

New Research

Ancient Asteroid Collision Is Still Raining Space Rocks Down on Earth

A new study shows that today’s meteorites considerably differ from those of the ancient past

This piece of rock might have caught a Neanderthal's eye

New Research

Did Neanderthals Like Pretty Rocks?

An unusual rock in a cave inhabited by Neanderthals in Croatia suggests the hominids may have picked up interesting stones

These ancient amber fossils from Burma in Southeast Asia help complete the patchy record of lizard evolution.

This Year in Ancient Amber: Prehistoric Feathers, Mushrooms, Lizards and More

It’s no Jurassic Park, but this treasure trove of new creatures will still transport you to an ancient world

Yerevan, Armenia

Armenia

How Ancient Volcanoes Created Armenia’s Pink City

In the capital city of Yerevan, volcanic rock flows pink

Nördlingen is located in a crater in southern Germany.

Europe

This German Town Is Embedded with Millions of Tiny Diamonds

Scientists estimate that Nördlingen and the surrounding area contain approximately 72,000 tons of the gemstone

Jasper Forest, a part of Petrified Forest National Park.

Another Weird Facet of America’s Strangest National Park: The Conscience Pile

People mail stolen rocks back to Petrified Forest National Park, but they can’t be returned to their original sites

A sinkhole recently discovered in northwestern China.

Cool Finds

Massive Cluster of Sinkholes Found Deep in China’s Mountainous Northwest

The network of pockmarks is packed with old-growth forests and giant flying squirrels

The largest gem-quality diamond ever found in North America goes on view at the Smithsonian.

The Foxfire Diamond Bedazzles as Smithsonian’s Newest Rock Star

The largest gem-quality diamond ever found in North America glows bright blue in the dark

Australia may look peaceful from space, but it is anything but static.

New Research

Australia Moves Millimeters In Tune With the Seasons

A new study shows how far-off weather patterns affect the continent down under

In the sparse Reykjanes peninsula on Iceland’s southwest side, investigators aim to drill down 5,000 meters.

Future of Energy

Deep in the Heart of Iceland, There’s a New Way to Tap the Earth’s Energy

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project has extended a borehole thousands of meters deep to produce geothermal power at a scale never before seen

New Research

Scientists Just Discovered a Missing Link Between San Francisco’s Faults

Two of California’s most active fault lines appear to be a 118-mile-long fault instead

An extremely well-preserved footprint researchers found on the recent expedition in Denali National Park.

Cool Finds

First Dinosaur Fossils Discovered in Alaska’s Denali National Park

Paleontologists found four small fragments of dino fossils, proving the acidic soil 70 million years ago could have preserved bones

San Bernardino County is among those included in the earthquake alert.

Trending Today

Should Californians Stress Out About the New Earthquake Advisory?

Here’s what you need to know

Mercury still has a molten core, like Earth does. As Mercury's core slowly cools, the density of that core increases and it gets slightly smaller.

Mercury Is Tectonically Active, Making It Uniquely Like Earth

A whole new picture of Mercury’s geologic history emerges, showing its crust is being thrust up and its surface is changing over time

A man fills up buckets with dirt while hunting for diamonds at Crater Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

American South

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

The fragile crystals are created when alcohol dries.

Art Meets Science

These Stunning Images Capture the Unseen Beauty of Booze

Drink to the magic of polarized light microscopy

A beach in Juneau, Alaska. Sea levels in Alaska are not rising, but dropping precipitously due to a phenomenon known as glacial isostatic adjustment.

Journey to the Center of Earth

Melting Glaciers Are Wreaking Havoc on Earth’s Crust

Sea levels are dropping, earthquakes and volcanoes are waking up, and even the earth’s axis is moving—all because of melting ice

This fossil is really, really old.

Scientists Think They Could Have Found Earth’s Oldest Fossil

Was a young Earth old enough to support life 3.7 billion years ago?

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