Earth Science

Typical entombment poses of some of the Jehol Biota’s animals (a Psittacosaurus (a) and primitive crow-like birds (b and c))—the same poses displayed by other victims of erupting volcanoes throughout history.

The “Pompeii of Animals” Shows Dinosaurs, Mammals and Early Birds in Their Death Throes

A lethal volcanic explosion is identified as the culprit behind a mysterious mass death of creatures that took place around 125 million years ago

Blood Falls seeps from the end of the Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney.

Antarctica's Blood Red Waterfall

On the southern edge of the world, a waterfall runs red as blood

The Sun Is Spraying Water Into Space

When the solar wind hits oxygen-rich rocks, water can form

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

The Tsunami House, on the northern end of Washington's Camano Island, is designed to withstand the impact of high-velocity wave walls with heights of up to eight feet.

This House is Built to Withstand the Force of a Tsunami

A clever idea to let water flow through a home may allow residents in Puget Sound to escape the fate that locals centuries ago could not

Clouds of haze rise above China, largely the result of the country's massive manufacturing industry.

Air Pollution in China Is Spreading Across the Pacific to the U.S.

China is sending detectable levels of pollution to the U.S., but a significant fraction of it results from manufacturing products for American customers

We’ve Got 1.5 Billion Years Left With a Habitable Earth

And then we need to get off this rock

Part of the primary mirror for the James Webb Space Telescope. Imagine this, but... more.

No One Trusts Geoengineering—But Pretty Soon It's Not Going To Be a Choice

We're very quickly running out of time to deal with rising carbon emissions

A statue of Captain James Cook.

The Dutch Nearly Beat James Cook to New Zealand

A shipwreck discovered off New Zealand dates to a time before Cook's arrival

The collapsed caldera of the Campi Flegrei supervolcano in Italy.

Why Supervolcanic Eruptions Are Even Rarer Than We Thought

Supervolcanoes are not just really, really big volcanoes—they're fundamentally different things, driven by different forces

The development of the ancient city of Akko, roughly 6000 years ago, led to the collapse of the local ecosystem.

Urbanization Has Been Destroying the Environment Since the Very First Cities

The development of the ancient city of Akko, roughly 6000 years ago, led to the collapse of the local ecosystem

Downed trees litter the street during a recent ice storm in Toronto.

A Loud Crack on a Cold Winter Night? It Might Have Been a Frost Quake

Frost quakes can cause a sound like a sonic boom

This Cold Snap Is Making It Colder Than the Surface of Mars

There's a pocket of cold air hanging over the eastern states, and it is very cold indeed

Japan’s Newest Island Has Merged With Its Neighbor

Ongoing volcanic activity has caused Japan's newest island to merge with its neighbor

Measured snowfall from this past weekend.

Here Are Your Odds of Getting a White Christmas

If nothing else, it gives you an excuse to sit inside all day drinking hot chocolate

Meet the Money Behind The Climate Denial Movement

Nearly a billion dollars a year is flowing into the organized climate change counter-movement

This Past November Was the Hottest November Ever Recorded

In the 134-year observational record, we've never had a hotter November

The northern subtropical jet stream flows in Cameron Beccario's Earth.

Watch How the Wind Moves Around the Earth—It's Hypnotic

This mesmerizing tool helps visualize the winds all over the globe and is known simply as “Earth"

If the concentration of PFTBA is the same everywhere as it is in Toronto, which the researchers think it is, then that would be a bad thing.

There’s a New Greenhouse Gas to Worry About, And It’s 7,100 Times Stronger Than Carbon Dioxide

PFTBA is the most efficient greenhouse gas found, on a molecule-by-molecule basis

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