Geology

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

You can find hematite found all over Earth, as well as Mars. The bloodstone the main source of iron and is also used in jewelry and painting.

By Trevor English & Austin Henderson

How, in today's world, could a cave this massive go undetected for so long?

By Patrick J. Kiger

These ancient wonders aren't static sculptures; they vibrate and shift throughout the day, creating a variety of sounds as they stretch their aging, eroding 'bones.'

By Nathan Chandler

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

Massive gypsum crystals were discovered beneath Mexico's Sierra de Naica Mountain in very inhospitable environs - to humans anyway.

By Mark Mancini

Scientists set up two stations to capture this strange seismic activity.

By Mark Mancini

The end of Earth will likely come about because of the sun in our solar system. This much you might already know, but we actually have an approximate date.

By Robert Lamb

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

By Mark Mancini

This white-hot metal not only makes beautiful jewelry, it's coveted for industrial, medical and military purposes too.

By Alia Hoyt & Desiree Bowie

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

By Mark Mancini

Let's take a look at some of the strongest metals on Earth and their surprising uses.

By Dave Roos & Sascha Bos

It's perhaps one of the strangest fossils ever discovered. We'll explain how it came to be 15 million years ago, and how hikers found it in the '30s.

By Mark Mancini

Cobalt is associated with the color blue, but it's so needed for rechargeable batteries that the U.S. put it on the list of minerals it can't live without.

By Dave Roos

Cultures all over the world have treasured turquoise for its color and rarity for thousands of years - from Native American jewelry and Aztec and Mesoamerican art to King Tutankhamun's death mask.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky & Austin Henderson

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

Not all fossils are found on dry land. In fact some of the most fascinating fossil finds in history have been submerged for centuries.

By Mark Mancini

Trovants, found only in a small town in Romania, are stones that actually seem to move and grow. But are they alive?

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

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

Cinnabar's bright-red pigment has been used in jewelry, pottery and makeup for millennia. But cinnabar is also the primary ore for mercury, making it a dangerous mineral if the particles are inhaled.

By Allison Troutner

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?

By Laurie L. Dove

Ash flows, deadly gases and vog are just a few of the other reasons why we all need to respect volcanoes.

By Brittany Brand