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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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

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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

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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.

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

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

Carbon-14 dating is something that you hear about in the news all the time. Everything from mastodons to the Shroud of Turin has been dated using this technique! Learn about how carbon-14 dating works and why it is so accurate!

By Marshall Brain

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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

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

Sand dunes belch, moan and hum. They roll across the desert, seeking out new locales. You might even say they breed. It's no wonder people call these giant sand formations lifelike.

By Debra Ronca

Did you know that sand dunes can sing? And, their artistic curves certainly make for a gorgeous photograph. In fact, you might call the sand dune the diva of the desert.

By Debra Ronca

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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.

By Patty Rasmussen

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

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.

By Sharise Cunningham

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

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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

Petrified wood can be found all over the world, but how is it created?

By Mark Mancini & Desiree Bowie

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

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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.

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