Geology

Members of the Apollo 15 crew training at Cinder Lake.

Can't Make It to the Moon? Head to Arizona Instead

In 1967, the United States Geological Survey turned an old volcano into a lunar training ground for astronauts

Cyclists Inspecting Ancient Petroglyphs, Utah, 1998: Texas-based photographer Terry Falke captures several of the exhibition's themes in this image of cyclists examining petroglyphs and bullet holes in a stratified rock face by the side of the road in Utah. "You’ve got the ultimate strata, which is man-made, so the idea is that we are impacting, we’re leaving our mark on the Earth over time as well," says Talasek.

What Does "Deep Time" Mean to You?

An art exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences offers perspective on our geological past and future

Researchers Solve the Mystery of Death Valley’s Sailing Rocks

A team recorded thin sheets of ice pushing rocks across a desert lake bed, answering a decades-old question

The Napa Valley may be beautiful, but its fertile soil is a double-edged sword.

Why Earthquakes Make Napa Wine Taste So Good

The soil that makes Napa Valley grapes so special also makes the region vulnerable to earthquakes

An image taken during field work in the Daan River gorge, Feb. 8, 2010. The large outcrop in the center of the photo disappeared in the space of an hour during a flood in 2012.

This Gorge Is Living Its Life on Fast-Forward

A quickly carved river gorge may disappear in just a few decades

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah.

How Does Nature Carve Sandstone Pillars and Arches?

Researchers say the right mix of erosion and stress creates Earth’s natural sandstone arches and columns

The famous "Big Hole" in Kimberley, South Africa

Peering Into Some of the World's Largest Mines

This interactive map will show you the sources of the planet's precious metals

There’s a Very Good Reason Explosives Are Being Set Off on Mount St. Helens

The explosions will let geologists peek inside the volcano's magma chamber

Among the many downsides of natural gas extraction are the small earthquakes caused by injecting wastewater back into the earth. Above, an oil rig drills for natural gas through shale.

Time to Start Paying Attention to Fracking’s Earthquakes

With wastewater injection sparking swarms of small quakes, some states are taking notice of the danger

How Do Thousands of Clear Blue Lagoons End Up In These Brazilian Sand Dunes?

Every year during the rainy season, Brazil's Lençóis Maranhenses National Park treats visitors to an amazing sight

Camel statues mark the Desert of Maine, which is actually not a true desert.

The Science of a Tourist Trap: What's This Desert Doing in Maine?

Maine's "most famous natural phenomenon" is also a reminder about responsible land use

Water extracted from beneath California’s San Joaquin Valley keeps farm fields green. But it may also be affecting earthquakes in the region.

Pulling Water Out of the Ground May Lead to Quakes on the San Andreas Fault

Ground movements linked to water extraction may change stresses on the fault famously responsible for California earthquakes

Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat, by Simon de Myle

Ten Ancient Stories and the Geological Events That May Have Inspired Them

If you dig deep enough, say scientists, you can find some truth to legends and creation stories

Mount Everest Formed Because of India’s Relentless Push Against Asia

Just think of India as a giant Himalayas bulldozer

On Oct. 30, 1964, a policeman dusts for fingerprints on case broken into by a cat burglar who made off with some $200,000 in jewels from the Museum of Natural History.

How Three Amateur Jewel Thieves Made Off With New York’s Most Precious Gems

The fascinating story of the hunt for Murf the Surf, a criminal who wasn’t quite the mastermind he made himself out to be

Would you want a ring made from the cremated remains of a friend or family member?

A Startup Claims To Turn the Dead into Diamonds

The Swiss-based company, Algordanza, says it's developed a technology that transforms the ashes of a deceased loved one into keepsake jewelry

A photo of the 4.4 billion-year old zircon.

This Little Gem Is the Oldest Piece of the Earth We’ve Ever Found

A tiny zircon from western Australia is 4.4 billion years old

Plumes of steam rise up from many spots along the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone Belches Ancient Helium

Gas stored in the Earth’s crust for hundreds of millions of years is released by volcanic hotspot

Five years ago, a team of scientists in Iceland, drilling deep within the Earth’s crust, hit upon molten rock.

Can Volcanic Magma Power The Future?

Scientists in Iceland have figured out how to create geothermal energy from super-hot molten rock

A pair of Ammonite fossils, about 4 inches across, within a limestone bed very close to the Permian-Triassic boundary.

How Long Does Mass Extinction Take?

By figuring out the timing and rate of the world's most massive extinction 252 million years ago, scientists hope to figure out how such lethal events work

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