GEOLOGY

Time Has Only Strengthened These Ancient Roman Walls

In the 1st century CE, Pliny the Elder wrote that Roman seawalls grew "every day stronger." Turns out he was right.

Millions of Years Ago, the Caribbean Flooded the Amazon Rain Forest—Twice

Scientists found a shark tooth and part of a mantis shrimp buried in the Amazon basin. Sediment cores going back 18 million years tell the rest of the story.

The Fireball That Killed the Dinosaurs Could Help Us Find Life on Other Planets

The Chicxulub crater is providing new clues about how life may have begun on Earth about 4 billion years ago—and point us towards how and where we can look for life across the universe.

The Mystery Behind Minnesota’s Devil’s Kettle Waterfall Has Been Solved

Hydrologists have figured out where all that water has been going.

What's Inside the Deepest Hole in the World?

Short answer: water, plankton fossils, and hot rock.

What Is the Difference Between a Crevice and a Crevasse?

One has to do with rocks, and another with glaciers.

Scientists Find Evidence of Earth’s Oldest Life

These life forms existed 3.77 to potentially 4.3 billion years ago.

Siberia’s "Door to the Underworld" Is Growing

A result of climate change, the chasm has revealed long-lost forests and the preserved remains of prehistoric animals.

5 Extinctions That Wiped Much of Life off Planet Earth

The next time you’re feeling less than brave, remind yourself you’re already one of nature’s great success stories.

15 Blissfully Cool Facts About Ice

It's summer. Time to think about the science of the cubes clinking in your drink.

Study: The First Americans Didn't Arrive by the Bering Land Bridge

For much of the 20th century, scientists believed that the first settlers of the Americas could only have arrived one way.

PaulDonelson, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Northern Michigan Festival Pays Homage to the Humble Puddingstone

There's a celebration for everything.

Have Scientists Found Evidence of the Great Flood of China?

It was one of the most cataclysmic floods on Earth in the past 10,000 years.

15 Modern-Day Signs of the Ice Age

Glaciers are responsible for creating some of the world’s most well-known natural features: Loch Ness, Walden Pond, Plymouth Rock, and more.

California Town Accidentally Fixes Curb That Was Part of Ongoing Geology Study

Geology enthusiasts are heartbroken over a seemingly mundane street repair in Hayward, California.

Hang Out on the Sea Floor with Live Video from a Hydrothermal Vent

The Ocean Observatories Initiative has set up miniature laboratories on the sea floor.

Geologists Say Greece’s ‘Lost City’ Is Actually a Natural Formation

The underwater city’s purported columns, platforms, and paving stone–like slabs are actually the result of a natural phenomenon.

Why Does Ice Make That Crackling Sound When You Pour Liquid Over It?

Glaciers do the same thing, but on a much larger scale.

Scientists Discover Likely Cause for Earthquakes in Southeastern U.S.

The quakes will likely continue in the region for some time.

Tennis Ball-Sized Diamond Expected to Fetch More Than $70 Million at Auction

The 1109-carat stone is the largest gem-quality diamond discovered in more than a century and the second-largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found.

The Largest Blue Diamond Ever Up For Auction Could Be Yours for $45 Million

The 14.62 carat gem is one of the rarest in the world.

New USGS Earthquake Forecast Maps Include Tremors Caused by Humans

Earthquakes caused by human activity—mostly gas and oil operations—have become too common to ignore.

Hot Days and Cool Nights Can Trigger Rockfalls

Rapid temperature cycles can stress the faces of mountainsides to their breaking point.

What's the Oldest Object Ever Found?

Hint: It wasn't made by humans.

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