Geologic Processes

Imagine walking through a dusty, arid landscape when you stumble upon a seemingly ordinary rock. Its rough exterior might not catch the eye, but what lies within surely will. Geodes are one of nature’s most spectacular treasures, offering a glimpse into the geological processes that shape our Earth.

By Clarissa Mitton

The notion of Africa splitting has the attention scientists and geologists worldwide, as the Great Rift Valley stretches and tears at the Earth's crust.

By Clarissa Mitton

In the western Sahara Desert lies a natural wonder that has intrigued scientists and adventurers for centuries. Known as the Richat Structure — or, more commonly, the Eye of the Sahara — this massive geological formation resembles a giant eye.

By Marie Look

The Atacama Desert, situated in northern Chile, is not just any ordinary arid region. Spanning over 600 miles (965 km) along the Pacific Coast of South America, it is one of the most extreme landscapes on the planet. Thanks to certain oceanic conditions, there are areas that have received zero rainfall throughout recorded history, making the Atacama Desert the driest place on Earth.

By Marie Look

One of Earth's most interesting natural features, the Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water on the planet, defying conventional classifications to be both a sea and a lake.

By Marie Look

Decades after the massive conflict, reminders of battles linger in pristine Pacific waters.

By Christopher Hassiotis

The world of our far-future descendants may be as unrecognizable to us as our bustling, urbanized world would be to our bewildered ancient forefathers. Will energy drive many of those changes?

By Robert Lamb

The Doll's Theater of Carlsbad Caverns looks otherworldly and took ages to form. What other incredible sights await us below ground?

By Julia Layton

One grows from the ground and one from the ceiling, but sometime's it's hard to remember which is the stalactite and which is the stalagmite. How do they get there, anyway?

By John Fuller

Nutty Putty Cave, near Salt Lake City, Utah, was discovered in 1960 and sealed up forever in 2009. But why?

By Dave Roos & Austin Henderson

There are caves all over the world, but some are in places that are hard to explore — hidden by rocks, ruins or even under ice. We've found seven secret caves you probably never knew existed.

By Stephanie Parker

Waterfalls are mainly reliant on precipitation to keep flowing. Here are six famous waterfalls that slowed to a trickle when drought set in.

By Laurie L. Dove

Discover the origins of the continental drift theory and how scientists explain these geologic phenomena.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Gondwana was a humongous landmass that persisted for 300 million years before it began to break up, forming all the continents in the modern Southern Hemisphere.

By Jesslyn Shields

Mountain Lake in Virginia is best known for its starring role in 'Dirty Dancing.' But today, it's nothing more than a muddy pit that's all but dried up ... and geologists think they may know why.

By Stephanie Parker

One term might give you the impression of something grand and mysterious, while the other makes you think of claustrophobia-inducing environs that threaten human life. But what's the real difference?

By Nathan Chandler

The U.S. is full of exceptional geological formations. But these five set the bar high as far as landmarks go.

By Mark Mancini

Permafrost across the globe is rapidly melting. What could this mean for the future of the planet?

By Mark Mancini

The Pacific's Ring of Fire is a 25,000 mile long "ring" that's home to 75 percent of all the world's volcanic activity and 90 percent of the planet's earthquakes. So what makes this area so active?

By Mark Mancini

Earthquakes and volcanoes get all the press. But the landslides they trigger are often more devastating. What makes the ground suddenly rip downhill, taking trees and homes with it?

By Jennifer Horton & Mark Mancini

If geology has taught us anything about Earth's history, it's that nothing is permanent. And that goes for mountain ranges, all of which are constantly rising and falling.

By Mark Mancini

The oceans on planet Earth cycle through daily tidal changes. But the ground beneath our feet experiences tides of its own, too.

By Mark Mancini

Will a town in southern Missouri be the epicenter of the next 'big one'?

By Mark Mancini

The Sahara has expanded by about 10 percent in the past century, mostly due to natural causes, but not all. We can blame the rest on man-made climate change.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Countless movies and television shows depict quicksand as some kind of living creature that sucks its victims down into a bottomless pit, never to be heard from again. Well, you can't believe everything Hollywood tells you.

By Kevin Bonsor