Geology

A helicopter photographs lava and ash from the May 29 eruption in Iceland. The surrounding area has been evacuated.

Another Volcanic Eruption Hits Iceland, Launching Lava More Than 160 Feet Into the Air

It's the fifth eruption near the town of Grindavik since December, signaling a new era of volcanic activity for the region

The popular chapel has been closed since February because of damage caused by land movement.

A Historical Glass-Enclosed Chapel Overlooking the Pacific Ocean Must Be Dismantled Before Nature Can Destroy It

The one-of-a-kind sculpture in California, designed by the son of famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is at the mercy of shifting grounds

The Mona Lisa is the most popular painting at the Louvre in Paris.

Has the Mystery of the 'Mona Lisa' Background Been Solved?

Ann Pizzorusso, a geologist and art historian, says she's identified the location in the background of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting

Speleologists in metallurgical “cooling suits” emerge from the extreme heat of a lava tube formed by the eruption in 2021 of Mount Fagradalsfjall.

Journey Into the Fiery Depths of Earth’s Youngest Caves

What Iceland's volcanoes are revealing about early life on our planet

An illustration of some of the underwater creatures that lived during the Ediacaran Period, roughly 635 million to 541 million years ago.

Earth's Magnetic Field Nearly Collapsed 600 Million Years Ago. Then, Weird and Complex Life Evolved

A new study suggests more solar radiation reached Earth while the magnetic field weakened, leading to a rise in oxygen that drove an explosion of multicellular organisms during the Ediacaran Period

The earthquake on March 27, 1964, dropped Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue and some cars on it roughly 20 feet below normal.

How the Great Alaska Earthquake Shook Up Science

Sixty years ago, the largest earthquake in U.S. history shocked geologists. It’s still driving scientific discoveries today

The Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station. Geothermal power has long been popular in volcanic countries like Iceland, where hot water bubbles from the ground.

Is Geothermal Power Heating Up as an Energy Source?

Long confined to regions with volcanic activity, the method of harnessing energy from the Earth promises to become much more versatile thanks to new technologies

The incident took place on the popular Redstone Trail in Nevada's Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Two Vandals at Lake Mead Toppled Rock Formations Made From 140-Million-Year-Old Dunes

Authorities are seeking information about the men, whose crime was captured on video on April 7

Piles of coal sit in front of a power plant in Utah. Such coal-fired power plants emit greenhouse gases that drive climate change.

What Myths About the Anthropocene Get Wrong

These ten misconceptions underplay how much we have altered the global environment and undermine the new perspective we need to deal with a drastically changed world

Observations of volcanic vortex rings have been reported at a number of volcanoes over the past several hundred years. The most recent rings emerging from Etna were first spotted last Wednesday.

Mount Etna Puffs 'Smoke Rings' Into the Sky

The circular wisps are mostly condensed water vapor

Melting ice redistributes mass to Earth's equator, slowing its spin rate. Changes in Earth's spin affect its synchronization with atomic clocks.

Melting Polar Ice Sheets Are Slowing Earth's Rotation. That Could Change How We Keep Time

As ice melts into water and flows toward the equator, it redistributes mass around the Earth, affecting the planet's spin, a new study finds

Lava erupts from a nearly two-mile-long fissure on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula in the fourth eruption for the region since December.

Iceland Volcano Spews Lava in Fourth and Most Powerful Eruption in Three Months

Officials detected signs of an eruption only 40 minutes before fountains of lava burst from the ground

Mars' orbit has an impact on Earth's oceans and climate in cycles of 2.4 million years, new research finds.

Mars Has an Unexpected Influence on Earth's Oceans and Climate, Repeating Every 2.4 Million Years, Study Finds

The gravitational interactions between Mars and Earth as they orbit the sun may have periodically promoted a warmer climate and changes in ocean circulation on our home planet

Scientists conduct sampling at Crawford Lake in Ontario, Canada, in April 2023. Last summer, a working group chose the lake as a representative location for the influence of human activity on the planet due to the history recorded in its sediment.

Scientists Reject Proposal to Define the Anthropocene, a Geological Age Marked by Human Activity

Experts had suggested a new epoch started in the mid-20th century, but the recent vote demonstrates how tough it is to pinpoint when humans' impact on the planet began

Scientists studied the Lala Lallia star dune in the Sahara Desert in eastern Morocco.

Scientists Unravel the Mysteries of Earth's Towering Star Dunes—Massive, Moving Mountains of Sand

Using new technologies, researchers revealed an enormous star dune in Morocco formed more quickly than thought, and it's on the move

Cinnabar powder covered the remains of 20 people, mostly women, in this megalithic tomb at the site of Valencina, Spain.

Ancient Iberians Ingested Red Dust Loaded With Mind-Altering Mercury

Bones in Spain suggest a mercury-rich mineral used for art and hallucinogenic trips poisoned a community 5,000 years ago

A volcanic eruption moves toward the outskirts of the evacuated town of Grindavik on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.

Iceland's Recent Volcanic Eruptions Are Unleashing Deep Secrets

Each dramatic episode over the past few years has led to fresh geologic revelations, and researchers think another bout is on the way

People watch Thursday's volcanic eruption in Iceland. The Icelandic Meteorological Office said Friday afternoon local time that there were no more signs of eruptive activity.

Iceland Volcano Erupts Again, Cutting Off Hot Water From Towns and Spewing Fountains of Lava

This marks the third eruption since December in a region that, prior to 2021, hadn't seen volcanic activity for centuries

This small, bucolic waterfall in Western New York has one highly photogenic feature: a grotto lit by a dancing orange flame.

Seven Natural Phenomena Worth Traveling For

You need to be in the right place at the right time to see these celestial and earthly wonders

A church with a red roof and steeple sticks out against the sprawling landscape as the sun pokes through the hazy clouds.

Get an Eyeful of Iceland in These 15 Photos That Capture Its Natural Beauty

These selections from the Smithsonian magazine photo contest will transport you to the small Scandinavian island

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