Featured Article: How Fire Works
Few things have done as much harm to humanity as fire, and few things have done as much good. Find out where fire comes from and see why it behaves the way it does. The answers might surprise you! See more »
Geophysics is the study of the forces that shape the Earth from a global perspective. Learn about gravity, plate tectonics and other topics.
Few things have done as much harm to humanity as fire, and few things have done as much good. Find out where fire comes from and see why it behaves the way it does. The answers might surprise you! See more »
What if we could just add water to something and solve the planet's energy crisis? That's essentially the idea behind artificial geothermal energy. But there's one possible catch: catastrophic earthquakes.
See more »Fiery explosions, boiling lava, hot ash spewing everywhere -- total disaster probably is the first thing that comes to mind when you think "volcano." And, yes, that is certainly a possibility.
See more »Water is quite arguably the most important substance on Earth. Its unique properties make it an incredibly versitile tool. Aside from fueling life, it's useful in cleaning, cooking and transportation, just to name a few things.
See more »On a planet that is 70 percent water, people don't have enough clean, safe water to drink. We're in a water crisis, and water rights are becoming a big issue. What happens if we just plain run out?
See more »It burns, burns, burns ... No, this isn't a quiz about Johnny Cash. We're talking about the Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean: the volcano and earthquake center of the world. Test your seismic knowledge here.
See more »A lake in South America has disappeared and has left scientists wondering where all the water went to. Is it possible that a lake can abruptly vanish?
See more »For more than 40 years, scientists have tried to figure out what's causing large parts of Canada to be "missing" gravity. The force of gravity around Hudson Bay is lower than surrounding areas. Learn about two theories that may explain the phenomenon.
See more »One evening, people heard their local lake rumbling. A day and a half later, 1,700 people were dead. What happened on that fateful evening?
See more »A seismograph can accurately measure the movement of the Earth during a quake. How does a seismograph work, though, and what is the Richter scale that is associated with earthquakes? Learn the answers to these questions in this article.
See more »Gravity is a force that we experience every minute of our lives, but hardly notice or give a passing thought to in our daily routines. Have you ever wondered what gravity is and how it works? Learn about the force of gravity in this article.
See more »Few things have done as much harm to humanity as fire, and few things have done as much good. Find out where fire comes from and see why it behaves the way it does. The answers might surprise you!
See more »Geysers are beautiful and their eruptions are exciting, but these fragile natural wonders are not to be trifled with. The water shooting from the geyser -- and the eruptions themselves -- can cause serious damage.
See more »Glaciers carve out lakes, grind down mountains and pulverize rocks to dust. These massive ice slabs shape our Earth, but they may be disappearing.
See more »One iceberg sank the unsinkable Titanic, and another exploded in front of an expedition. These floating chunks of ice carry their bulk deceptively below the surface of the water. What else are they hiding?
See more »It's no secret that maps are handy. If you get lost, a map can help you find your way. Maps are representations of data that can describe nearly anything about the world. Find out how map data is gathered and how maps are made.
See more »The Earth is incredibly heavy. How do scientists determine the weight of the Earth?
See more »Water is one of the most abundant substances on the planet. About 70 percent of our planet is covered by ocean. Just how much water is there on Earth? Find out the answer to this question in this article.
See more »Even though it's tiny compared to the rest of the universe, the Earth is enormous, and it's extremely complex. Systems powered by the sun are able to sustain the various life forms living on Earth. Learn what ties all the parts of the Earth together.
See more »In its purest form, it's odorless, nearly colorless and tasteless. It's in your body, the food you eat and the beverages you drink. All forms of life need it. What substance is more necessary to our existence than any other? Water.
See more »The polar ice caps have been in the news recently because of their alleged shrinking due to global warming. If this is true, how much would the oceans rise if the ice caps melted completely? Learn the answer to this question in this article.
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