Earth Science
The Ten Best Science Books of 2020
New titles explore the mysterious lives of eels, the science of fear and our connections to the stars
Climate Change Could Make Yellowstone's Famous Geyser Less Faithful
Old Faithful stopped erupting for decades following severe drought 800 years ago and global warming could put it back on hiatus
How Do Dogs Find Their Way Home? They Might Sense Earth's Magnetic Field
Our canine companions aren't the only animals that may be capable of magnetoreception
How Much Pressure Is at Earth’s Center and Other Questions From Our Readers
Watch the latest episode of the popular YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."
Earthquake Swarm Reveals Complex Structure of a California Fault Line
In 2016, fluid broke into the cracks of a fault system, setting off a four-year-long swarm of mini earthquakes
Do Volcanoes Spew a Cooler Lava?
Smithsonian geologist Liz Cottrell has answers to your questions on black lava and the Earth’s molten outer core in the "Dr Is In" video series
Algae Blooms Turn Antarctica’s Ice Green
Scientists predict that the organisms' presence will increase as global temperatures increase
Mauna Kea’s Quakes Might Be Caused by Shifting Gas
The volcano has been rumbling regularly for years, but it’s nothing to worry about
Fifty Things We’ve Learned About the Earth Since the First Earth Day
On April 22, 1970, Americans pledged environmental action for the planet. Here’s what scientists and we, the global community, have done since
Could Wildfire Ash Feed the Ocean’s Tiniest Life-Forms?
Ash falling on the ocean after a wildfire could fuel plankton growth
The Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of the Decade
Breakthroughs include measuring the true nature of the universe, finding new species of human ancestors, and unlocking new ways to fight disease
The Ten Best Science Books of 2019
New titles explore the workings of the human body, the lives of animals big and small, the past and future of planet earth and how it's all connected
Scientists Around the World Declare 'Climate Emergency'
More than 11,000 signatories to a new research paper argue that we need new ways to measure the impacts of a changing climate on human society
Voracious Purple Sea Urchins Are Ravaging Kelp Forests on the West Coast
The trouble started in 2013, when sea stars, an urchin predator, began to die off
Did a 1964 Earthquake Bring a Dangerous Fungus to the Pacific Northwest?
A new study posits that tsunamis triggered by the Great Alaska Earthquake washed Cryptococcus gattii onto the shore
The Crazy Superstitions and Real-Life Science of the Northern Lights
In the latest episode of ‘Re:Frame,’ Smithsonian curators take a deep dive into the dramatic painting ‘Aurora Borealis’ by Frederic Church
Earth's Magnetic Field Could Take Longer to Flip Than Previously Thought
New research suggests a polarity reversal of the planet takes about 22,000 years, significantly longer than former estimates
How Artist Teresita Fernández Turns Graphite, the Stuff of Stardust, Into Memories
A new episode of the Smithsonian’s ‘Re:Frame,’ explores the origin of graphite, a material artists have used for centuries
How Does Earth's Carbon Cycle Work?
Stanford University’s Katharine Maher explains the mechanisms that heat and cool the planet
How Do Paleontologists Find Fossils?
Smithsonian’s Hans-Dieter Sues, who has collected fossil vertebrates in the U.S. and around the world shares some of his tips
Page 4 of 40