Continental splits spark new volcanic activity for tens of millions of years
Continents drift apart in slow, powerful motions that reshape the world above and below your feet. A new…
Earth’s magnetic field flipped wildly 565 million years ago and life changed forever
Long before life thrived in Earth’s oceans, the planet’s magnetic field became disorganized. Deep within the ancient rocks…
Floating power: How scientists are turning raindrops into renewable energy
Often associated with refreshing a sense of being renewed and a peaceful calmness, raindrops may soon become tiny…
Rising CO2 levels threaten to disrupt global space communication
Far above your head, in the atmosphere between Earth and outer space, an invisible process is occurring. The…
Hidden bacteria beneath the Arctic ice could boost ocean life
The Arctic Ocean, once locked in a vault of thick, old ice, now is transforming at lightspeed. Temperatures…
After 700,000 years, Iran’s dormant Taftan volcano is starting to rise
For decades, the colossal Taftan volcano of eastern Iran appeared a lifeless piece of history. It towered nearly…
Antarctic microbe has major food, cosmetic, and medical potential
In one of Earth’s driest, most harsh environments, scientists uncovered a micro-miracle. Down in Fumarole Bay on Deception…
Glaciers are keeping themselves from melting — but not for long
High in the mountains, glaciers once kept their cool—literally. The massive ice bodies create their own cold microclimates…
Scientists develop reusable air filter that mimics the human nose
Air pollution isn’t always visible, but it affects nearly every breath taken indoors. Floating in the air are…
North American ice sheets drove most of the sea-level rise after the last ice age
When the planet was heating up at the end of the last Ice Age, ice-melt flooded out by…
How a planetary crash with Theia brought water and life to Earth
About 4.6 billion years ago, the Solar System formed from a cloud of dust and gas collapsing in…
Earth is getting darker and it’s changing the planet’s climate balance
For nearly twenty years, satellites have quietly gauged the flow of sunlight and heat through the Earth’s atmosphere.…