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Geology

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if you want explosive drama with your hiking adventures, there’s nothing like walking on a volcano. Here are 10 trails that will take you there.

These stunning U.S. canyons drew massive crowds in 2024. Find out which natural wonders topped the list, based on National Park Service data.
CaLea Johnson|
Visitors stuffing coins into Northern Ireland’s famed basalt columns are unintentionally damaging this natural wonder and costing the country thousands.
CaLea Johnson|
Australia’s biggest natural wonder is a huge draw for tourists and fish alike. Here’s everything you need to know about the world’s most famous reef.
M. Arbeiter|
The new overnight guided tour through Uluru-Kata Tjuta is filled with nature, history, and culture.
CaLea Johnson|
Sinkholes have gulped down suburban homes, Corvettes, the White House lawn, a sizable chunk of Louisiana, and even people. How does the ground just open up like that?
Roma Panganiban|
A newly discovered vent at Yellowstone National Park has caught the attention of researchers and tourists.
CaLea Johnson|
A rock slab displayed at Biloela State High School contains some of the most densely packed dinosaur footprints ever discovered in Australia.
CaLea Johnson|
To predict quakes, scientists have to understand how they occur, what happens just before and during the start of one, and whether it shows signs that movement is imminent. So far, none of those things is known.
Erin McCarthy|
A surprising discovery in Wyoming has challenged long-held ideas about dinosaur migration.
CaLea Johnson|
New Zealand’s open-access fossil database makes it easier for scientists to collaborate.
CaLea Johnson|
The world’s tallest peak is experiencing an 89,000-year-long growth spurt.
Jake Rossen|
Scientists examined microscopic fossils in the tombstone and suggest the jet-black slab with an English knight’s insignia could have come only from one place.
Nick Keppler|
The impressive gemstone comes in at 2492 carats.
CaLea Johnson|
Watch an explorer share what it's like to descend into the Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as the “Gates of Hell.”
CaLea Johnson|
Chemical signatures from the Chicxulub asteroid’s impact—which caused a mass extinction on Earth 66 million years ago—match those of carbonaceous meteorites formed beyond Jupiter.
Nick Keppler|
The nightmare scenario described in an influential 2008 study may end up being less destructive than scientists thought, but Angelenos still shouldn't get too comfortable.
Nick Keppler|
The title of “tallest mountain” depends on how—and where—you make your measurements.
Mental Floss UK|
The residents of Bayou Corne, Louisiana, woke up one morning in 2012 and found a gigantic sinkhole devouring their town.
Anne Taylor|
In the 1960s, one in 35 movies featured someone getting sucked into quicksand.
Kelli Finger|
There's much more to the Wyoming landmark than what you saw in ’Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’
Kirstin Fawcett|

More From the Science Section

You’re far from the only one who does it, so why do we resort to weather when making small talk?
Paul Anthony Jones|
Do you swear you think back to your childhood when you smell a certain type of cookie? There’s a science behind the phenomenon.
Paul Anthony Jones|
The surprising science that explains everything you need to know about food comas.
Logan DeLoye|
From eradicating smallpox to battling the COVID-19 pandemic, these vaccine pioneers have helped make colossal strides in public health.
Rujuta Saksena|
Let’s take a look at the different processes for creating life-saving vaccines for multiple diseases.
Tara Smith|
Tiny people giggle at everything from tickling to peek-a-boo to silly faces. But do they really have a sense of humor?
Jake Rossen|
Have you ever noticed there’s a pin-sized hole in each coffee cup lid? There’s a reason for that.
Paul Anthony Jones|
It might be legally safe to drink, but that doesn’t mean each state’s tap water is perfect.
Sam Hindman|
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