Geoscience
80 articles-
What Caused the Devastating Earthquake in Myanmar?
A seismologist walks us through the region’s tectonic history -
When Earth Had Rings
A new way of thinking about the history of the Earth. -
The Origin of the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs
The story of the doom-bringing rock may help us prevent a repeat catastrophe. -
The First Good Glimpse of the Earth’s Mantle
The deepest extract from the middle layer of the Earth offers a wonderland of insights. -
High Mountains, Ancient Shells, and the Wonder of Deep Time
Learning to appreciate the big picture. -
The Odds That Aliens Exist Just Got Worse
How geology resolves the Fermi paradox. -
Do Our Oceans Feel the Tug of Mars?
Ancient currents seemed to move in concert with a 2.4 million-year dance between the Red Planet and Earth. -
Let’s Get Granular
Scientists have long puzzled over the behavior of mixed particles in rivers and landslides. New clues could be groundbreaking. -
When Calamity Comes at a Crawl
Climate change may exacerbate the quiet catastrophe of slow-moving landslides. -
How Earth Once Cooled Off
A geological discovery shows how carbon was captured to chill the planet.
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A New Way to Trigger a Tsunami
How historic records and new data uncovered the colossal underwater avalanche that unleashed a massive wave in 1650.
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Why Is It So Difficult to Map the Ocean?
The most complete maps we have of the ocean floor lag far behind the maps we have of the moon.
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Earth’s Core Has a Gas Leak
Contrary to conventional wisdom, matter can escape the center of the Earth.
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Pangea’s Second Coming Won’t Be Chill
Today’s mammals would not survive the heat of Earth’s next supercontinent. But in evolution, there’s hope.
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What the Earth Knows
How understanding Earth’s deep past can lead us into our radically altered future.
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The Secret Life of Deep Sea Vents
An expedition to find rare hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Mid-Atlantic uncovers new worlds—and some daredevil shrimp.
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Could an Industrial Civilization Have Predated Humans on Earth?
A thought experiment plumbs archaeology and geology to ask whether our own species will leave a trace. -
The Secret Messages in Ancient Storms
Paleotempestology promises to uncover patterns of historical hurricanes—to better predict destructive weather of the future. -
The Amazon River in the Sky
A crucial link that sustains the Amazon rainforest is at risk of running dry. -
Were These Caves Licked into Place?
Some of the Earth’s hardest features have been shaped by soft animal bodies. -
Searching for the River of Wind
The jet stream is one of Earth’s defining features—but it wasn’t easy to find.