Geophysics

Subsidence, or the decline in the elevation of land surface, is creating a problem for some coastal cities as sea levels rise.

By Jesslyn Shields

The confiscation of a jar of Jif peanut butter by the TSA caused an uproar, but a mechanical engineer explains Newtonian fluids and why the TSA was correct.

By Ted Heindel

Each year, Earth sees two equinoxes and two solstices. But how much do you actually know about these events? Take the quiz and find out!

By Alia Hoyt

Water surrounds us, falling from the sky and pouring from faucets, and yet many of us never ask where it comes from. The answer stretches way back — before tides and thunderclouds to the big bang.

By Jonathan Atteberry & Ian O'Neill, Ph.D.

Salt used in the winter to deice roadways is having an impact on hundreds of lakes across the region.

By Jesslyn Shields

Do you ever play that game in which you select the items you'd bring if you got stuck on a desert island? Along with that treasured bootleg recording of your favorite band, we think that an endless supply of water should be at the top of your list. Here's why.

By Jonathan Atteberry

A common misconception is that magma comes from the Earth's molten core. It really comes from the mantle, the layer between the core and the crust. Will it ever run out?

By Tracy V. Wilson

Huge walls of cascading water never cease to capture our attention with their majesty. Ready to marvel at nature? Check out some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

By Rick Mayda

The 7 wonders of the natural world capture the imagination with their natural power and beauty. There is nothing that man can create that can match the beauty nature can create. Learn about all 7, including the great barrier reef.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Some say UFOs, while others say a meteor strike formed the Carolina Bays. Whatever created these isolated ponds and wetlands across North and South Carolina left a wondrous ecosystem that is in dire need of protection.

By Allison Troutner

Few Americans like the switching between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time, but there's conflict on whether to switch permanently to DST or to ST. What are the pros and cons of permanent DST?

By Allison Troutner

It's possible that the giant, deadly serpent hanging out at the bottom of Fosse Dionne spring is just a legend, but divers have disappeared trying to find out, so who knows?

By Jesslyn Shields

Deep underneath Antarctica, there lies a hidden lake. Roughly the size of North America's Lake Ontario, the buried landmark has inspired curiosity and controversy for decades.

By Mark Mancini

One iceberg sank the unsinkable Titanic, and another exploded in front of an expedition. These floating chunks of ice carry their bulk deceptively below the surface of the water. What else are they hiding?

By Ed Grabianowski

Glaciers are rivers of ice and are the largest moving objects on Earth. Learn about glaciers and find out how much freshwater are frozen in glaciers.

By Ed Grabianowski & Desiree Bowie

In its purest form, it's odorless, nearly colorless and tasteless. It's in your body, the food you eat and the beverages you drink. All forms of life need it. What substance is more necessary to our existence than any other? Water.

By Shanna Freeman

Waterfall, or Cataract, a stream of water that falls in one or more steep descents.

On a planet that is 70 percent water, people don't have enough clean, safe water to drink. We're in a water crisis, and water rights are becoming a big issue. What happens if we just plain run out?

By Josh Clark

Of course you know what gravity is. It's the force behind Wile E. Coyote plummeting off the face of a cliff and you stumbling spastically in front of your crush. But did you know it can bend light and help us detect hidden cosmic phenomena, too?

By Robert Lamb

We humans love to create. We build soaring skyscrapers from the ground up. We fill blank canvasses with timeless, magnificent art. Can we achieve the ultimate feat and generate matter?

By Robert Lamb

The oceans' levels change daily across the globe. We know them as tidal changes. But what causes this constant shift in sea level and why is it more dramatic is some places than others?

By Mark Mancini

A map is a type of language, a graphic way of representing information, whether it's to show population density or tell you how to get from Point A to Point B. Here's how they're made.

By Tracy V. Wilson & Alia Hoyt

Though it may seem disgusting to some, people all over the world must use waste water to irrigate their crops. Can you get sick from wastewater irrigation?

By Julia Layton

Four fundamental forces of nature are behind all that we do, from falling down to orbiting the sun. Learn about the four fundamental forces of nature.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. & Yara Simón

Geysers are beautiful and their eruptions are exciting, but these fragile natural wonders are not to be trifled with. The water shooting from the geyser -- and the eruptions themselves -- can cause serious damage.

By Jonathan Atteberry