Geology

Twitter was abuzz with reports that pretty green gems were spewing out of the Kiluaea volcano in Hawaii. But the experts took the shine off these speculations.

By Nathan Chandler

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

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

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

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

Geologists agree that the world's landmasses were once all one supercontinent. Is it likely to happen again?

By Mark Mancini

The beautiful scenery in Washington state hides a darker history. It was formed by a gigantic volcanic eruption that cooled the planet.

By Laurie L. Dove

Where on the planet can you visit to see with your own eyes the tracks left by dinosaurs? Fossilized dino footprints might be just outside your back door, but here are good places to start.

By Jesslyn Shields

Researchers discovered that everyone's favorite prehistoric cat had some seriously big bones — even as a youngster.

By Robert Lamb

Antarctica's Blood Falls looks like a geological horror scene. For decades, scientists weren't sure why. Until now.

By Kate Kershner

Talk about a Brexit! Scientists have clues to catastrophic flooding that destroyed a land bridge that once connected England and France.

By Patrick J. Kiger

You might be in trouble when the end of the world is near, but at least your data won't be.

By Jonathan Strickland

Surprisingly, living in a city with a high level of natural radiation doesn't have any ill effects.

By Alia Hoyt

The prehistoric penguin was the size of a small adult human, which says a lot about penguins' evolution.

By Shelley Danzy

The Cuvette Centrale peatlands hold astounding amounts of carbon scientists had never fully mapped. The new discovery emphasizes a need for protection.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Christopher Hassiotis

Recent icebergs and unexpected glacial rifts are indicating that something troubling is going on beneath the ice.

By Jesslyn Shields

Science has determined that disappearing completely into quicksand isn't possible — but that doesn't mean that getting stuck still won't kill you.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Sea level change, plastic pollution and invasive species aren’t just political issues — they’re likely signs of a new epoch called the Anthropocene, geologists say.

By Jonathan Strickland

The uncut gem is 3 billion years old and may fetch $70 million.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Snorkelers found what looked to be the ancient ruins near the Greek island of Zakynthos, but not all that glitters is gold.

By Jesslyn Shields

Decades of fossil discoveries have revealed much about the extinct members of our hominid family tree, but we're far from having all the answers. What have we learned from some of these fascinating finds?

By Jane McGrath

You likely heard that paleontologists uncovered a cache of dinosaur embryos, bone fragments and eggshells in China. You also may recall that we've made crazy leaps forward in genetics and genomics. Can we put the two together and create a dinosaur?

By Nicholas Gerbis

From the Hope diamond to the shiny bits in instant coffee, crystals have always held the power to fascinate us humans. Are they more than just a bunch of pretty facets?

By Nicholas Gerbis