Geology

A rare atmospheric anomaly in December filled the Grand Canyon with fog.

The Grand Canyon Is Young And Old, All at the Same Time

Geologically, the Grand Canyon is a baby, but you might say it has an old soul

The New Madrid seismic zone, in the center of the United States, is highlighted bright pink in this earthquake hazard map created by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2008, reflecting the increased likelihood that a strong earthquake could strike that region.

Large Earthquakes Still Possible in the Central United States

The region shook in 1811 and 1812, and scientists say it could happen again

Earthquake lights seen Tagish Lake, in the Yukon Territory, in 1972. Large orbs are visible in the foreground, while smaller ones (highlighted by arrows) are seen higher up.

Why Do Lights Sometimes Appear in the Sky During An Earthquake?

Scientists have a new hypothesis to explain the mysterious phenomenon—one that could allow the lights to serve as warning for an impeding quake

A closeup of one of the rocks, with a patch of dust brushed away by Curiosity's instruments, that provides evidence of an ancient lake.

Curiosity Found Evidence of An Ancient Freshwater Lake on Mars

Drilling into Martian rock revealed that it formed at the bottom of a calm lake that may have had the right conditions for sustaining life

Scientists had to use a remotely operated vehicle to retrieve temperature sensors from a borehole drilled into the Japan Trench, 6,900 meters below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

Fault That Caused Japan's 2011 Earthquake Is Thin and Slippery

A group of scientists drilled miles beneath the Pacific Ocean, uncovering conditions that made the Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami so devastating

Members of the Lake Whillans drill team lived in yellow tents studding the Antarctic landscape.

Digging for the Secrets Beneath Antarctica

Scientists have found life in the depths beneath the ice

Elizabeth Cottrell — Director of Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program

<em>Smithsonian</em> Magazine "Future Is Here" Conference Speaker

The Siberian taiga in the Abakan district. Six members of the Lykov family lived in this remote wilderness for more than 40 years&mdash;utterly isolated and more than 150 miles from the nearest human settlement.

For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II

In 1978, Soviet geologists prospecting in the wilds of Siberia discovered a family of six, lost in the taiga

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Contributors

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The Transformation of Freshkills Park From Landfill to Landscape

Freshkills was once the biggest landfill in the world. Today, it's the biggest park in New York City

The NFL logo on the 50 yard line

How the Football Field Was Designed, from Hash Marks to Goal Posts

The American football field as evolved over more than 100 years, and with it, the game

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The LEGO-like Building Blocks of the Olympic Slalom Canoe

How a three-time Olympic competitor designed an innovative new whitewater system using underwater bricks

The r-TWR remote air traffic control center

Saab Reinvents Air Traffic Control With a Digital Panorama

With Saab's new digital panorama, the local air traffic controller may soon go the way of the technical support specialist

Drylands design students walking a ditch in the Embudo Valley

Designing Democracy Around a Ditch

How a ditch irrigation system in the arid Southwest became the backbone of local democracy

A stepwell in India

Rebuilding Rainwater Collection in India

From one conservationist's perspective, harvesting rainwater doesn't mean high-tech strategies—traditional techniques have been around for centuries

A future vision of Fresno, California, as proposed by architect Darin Johnstone and environmental consultant Mark Merkelbach

Futureproofing California Farmland

Design teams propose new models for farming and suburban development in California's water-scarce Central Valley

Hydrologic Commonwealths for the American West, proposed by John Wesley Powell, 1879

Design for a Water-Scarce Future

Design strategies for arid regions go back centuries, but in the face of climate change, drylands design is a whole new ballgame

The Shape of Fruits to Come

How our need for convenience is redesigning our food supply

A thermal infrared image of orchard water levels

Drones: The Citrus Industry’s New Beauty Secret

In the future, farmers will use unmanned drones to improve the appearance of their crops

Airships and Oranges: The Commercial Art of the Second Gold Rush

How citrus crate label design fueled a boom that caused the art form's own demise

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