gear Push settings
One of Earth’s rarest gems finally reveals its secrets at the Smithsonian.
Decoding how sand grains move and accumulate on Earth can also help scientists understand dune formation on Mars.
Millions of years ago, the Atlantic Ocean split these continents but not before dinosaurs walked across them.
A newly identified eruption rewrites the volcanic history of the 19th century.
Traces of ruthenium in Hawaiian lava reveal long-suspected core–mantle leakage.
The waves that shook the world 115 million years ago left behind an amber trail.
Evolution went strong in this one.
Have you ever imagined what Antarctica looks like beneath its thick blanket of ice? Hidden below are rugged mountains, valleys, hills and plains. Some peaks, like the towering Transantarctic Mountains, rise above the ice. But others, like the mysterious and ancient Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in the middle of East Antarctica, are completely buried. The Gamburtsev […]
Aztecs weren’t just warriors and priests, they were savvy traders.
A new archeology is being developed based on evidence of human activity in the Earth’s sedimentary record, and archeologists are helping to define the Anthropocene as a new stage in the geological record.
A Carboniferous beast is showing its face.
Land subsidence driven by groundwater overuse is putting millions at risk.
A tiny zircon crystal might just be one of the oldest Earth relics ever found.
Investments in geological mapping paid off big time for Americans.
It's probably the largest flood in our planet's history.
The rocks are tied to the onset of a devastating mini Ice Age in the 6th century CE.
An elderly woman unknowingly held a prehistoric gem worth over $1 million in her home
A strange rock covered in tiny spheres may hold secrets to Mars’ watery — or fiery — past.
Scientists uncover surprising evidence that the Kerguelen hotspot, responsible for the 5,000-kilometer-long Ninetyeast Ridge, exhibited significant motion.
The rocks of Mount Everest’s peak made an epic journey from seafloor to summit.
The island's unique geology is breathtaking.
Looks like the movies got it wrong; who would have guessed?
The find could hold implications for understanding the origin of life here on Earth.
There seems to be much more we don't know about marsquakes and Martian geology.
In East Africa, tectonic forces are slowly splitting the continent, creating a future ocean basin.
Scientists have discovered a subtle, slow-moving creep in lab experiments that could hold the key to predicting catastrophic earthquakes before they strike.
Put the My Chemical Romance mixtape on. It's time.
Tectonic forces add a new twist to the mystery of Rujm el-Hiri’s concentric circles.
The Earth's mantle isn't just a hot, dense layer of rock; it's a dynamic and diverse engine driving our planet's geology.
As ice recedes, hidden volcanoes under Antarctica awaken, reshaping predictions for climate change.
A Yellowstone eruption is the stuff of apocalyptic nightmares, but there's good news: a new study shows its magma is locked in a crystalline 'mush', not ready to blow.
In the 19th-century, one volcanic eruption cooled Earth's climate. Now, we know what happened.
Scientists anticipate the submarine volcano will erupt before the end of 2025.
The ring might have acted like a giant sunshade, causing a cooling effect that might have unleashed an ice age.
An old tombstone from Jamestown made a full transatlantic journey — according to its fossils.
This work paves the way for more precise and comprehensive geological models
Known as Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals), this hidden chamber in Mexico holds some of the largest natural crystals ever discovered. The translucent pillars, some as long as telephone poles and as wide as tree trunks, make for an eerie underground landscape, seemingly crafted by giants. But there’s no magic involved, just some […]
Krotite is a cosmic relic, one of the oldest minerals in the Solar System, formed under fiery conditions in the early protoplanetary disk.
A zircon crystal from a Martian meteorite unlocks secrets of a water-rich, dynamic Mars 4.45 billion years ago.
A single gemstone from Myanmar holds the title of Earth's rarest mineral, kyawthuite.
Scientists uncover the mechanics behind Siberia's explosive craters as warming drives methane release.
Amphibian fossils, particularly those capturing larval stages, are exceptionally rare due to tadpoles’ soft, delicate bodies, which are highly prone to decay.
There's a lof of chemistry wisdom in this "fool's gold."
This tongue-twister of a mineral has extraordinary uses, including nuclear disaster cleanups.
The geology of the ocean floor is truly spectacular — perhaps even more than land geology. Unfortunately, it's really hard to study.
In the year 2,000, a Chinese dealer purchased an unusual-looking rock weighing around a ton. He cleaned it off, removing 20 kilograms (44 lb) from it, and then took the rock (a gleaming mass of crystals and iron) to a Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson, Arizona. At the show, Dr. Dante Lauretta, a professor […]
Scientists found a previously hidden massive asteroid crater in the Atlantic Ocean. Did two asteroids wipe out the dinosaurs?
Geologists found an ancient seafloor trapped deep beneath Earth's mantle, which could solve many previous puzzling observations.
Mount Everest is growing, which is no surprise. But it's growing faster than it should.
The astonishing diversity of carnivorans in the Late Miocene helps us understand their ecological roles.
