Geologic Processes
Geological processes have helped to create many iconic features on Earth. Processes, such as plate tectonics, are what shapes the face of the Earth. Here you can discover the power of geological processes.
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If you think the largest desert in the world is hot and sandy, think again. These 10 deserts spanning the globe are massive, but they're not all sunbaked.
By Mitch Ryan
Ash flows, deadly gases and vog are just a few of the other reasons why we all need to respect volcanoes.
Scientists are concerned that the Thwaites Glacier is melting at a rapid pace, though some don't love the name "Doomsday Glacier." What does the rapid melt of this huge glacier mean for the future of our planet?
By Mark Mancini
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Radiocarbon dating is a cornerstone of climate and archaeological sciences. But it could be threated as fossil fuel emissions negate the useful signal from atomic tests.
Arizona isn't all desert. Take Grand Falls, aka "Chocolate Falls." It is dry most of the year, but when it rains, this waterfall pours.
Split as if by a laser, the Al Naslaa rock in Saudi Arabia's Tayma Oasis baffles scientists and amateur geologists alike. How did this perfect split happen?
Trovants, found only in a small town in Romania, are stones that actually seem to move and grow. But are they alive?
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Mountains might look like they're stoic and still, but research shows otherwise. Massive ones, like the Matterhorn, are moving all the time, gently swaying back and forth every few seconds.
Waterfalls are mainly reliant on precipitation to keep flowing. Here are six famous waterfalls that slowed to a trickle when drought set in.
Nutty Putty Cave, near Salt Lake City, Utah, was discovered in 1960 and sealed up forever in 2009. But why?
By Dave Roos
Not all deserts have sand and they're certainly not all hot. They're just extremely dry and have little vegetation. That means deserts are located all over the planet, including at super-high elevations.
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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.
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?
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
"The 26th century" doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as "the 21st century" does. But that hasn't stopped us from imagining what our hometown planet will be like in a few hundred years. Any guesses?
By Robert Lamb
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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.
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.
The Earth is unique in the solar system because its surface is made of moving plates, which may enable the very existence of life.
Many scientists believe that humans influence Earth at a rate so massive that a change to the geologic time scale is in order.
By Mark Mancini
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Permafrost across the globe is rapidly melting. What could this mean for the future of the planet?
By Mark Mancini
The U.S. is full of exceptional geological formations. But these five set the bar high as far as landmarks go.
By Mark Mancini
You can see these rocky formations in the Badlands of Nebraska, and they're as awe-inspiring as they are eerie.
By Mark Mancini
If fettuccine rock exists on Mars, it would suggest the existence of microbial life there.
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Caves are full of incredible geological formations, including stalagmites and stalactites. But you've probably never seen anything like cave popcorn before.
By Mark Mancini
Scientists set up two stations to capture this strange seismic activity.
By Mark Mancini