Geology

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

Lake Waiau in Hawaii shrunk to the size of a pond in just a few years. Scientists still aren't sure why the lake began to dry up.

A World of Vanishing Lakes

From the Dead Sea to a Louisiana lake that was sucked into the Earth, the stories behind the disappearances are varied

Why Does This Indonesian Volcano Burn Bright Blue?

Olivier Grunewald's dramatic photos showcase blue flames—not blue lava—that result from burning sulfur

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

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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

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