Environmental Science

Lakes seem like serene places to escape and enjoy peace and quiet. So you'd probably be surprised to learn that a lake can actually explode without warning. It's happened, with deadly consequences.

By Mark Mancini

A killer smog 70 years ago helped lead to the first federal air pollution laws.

By Patrick J. Kiger

But that doesn't mean they worshipped them.

By Dave Roos

The Mushroom Burial Suit is designed to give our dead bodies new life by breaking them down and nourishing the soil.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Patrick J. Kiger

Coral grows faster when it's cut or broken and scientists are taking advantage of that to replenish depleted reefs.

By Cherise Threewitt

Prior to the mid-1990s, the magnetic north pole traveled at speeds of around 9 miles per year. Now, it's 34 miles annually. What accounts for the acceleration?

By Mark Mancini

The pigment ultramarine was as expensive as gold in medieval Europe; so how did it end up in the teeth of a nun buried at a monastery in rural Germany?

By Jesslyn Shields

What makes peat bogs so perfect at preserving human remains? We look at what's behind these waterlogged areas of decaying plant matter.

By Mark Mancini & Desiree Bowie

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

Sastrugi are gorgeous snow formations found in the polar north, but they're also no fun to travel over.

By Jesslyn Shields

Some cities, even large ones, are making big strides in improving air quality.

By Loraine Fick

Scientists are hoping two enzymes are the key to breaking down huge amounts of plastic.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

Scientists have found that chemicals in some sunscreens can cause coral bleaching, prompting the Hawaii state legislature to propose an exhaustive ban on them.

By Christopher Hassiotis

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

By Mark Mancini

Wouldn't it be nice if we could pull CO2 out of thin air and transform it into a fuel that's better for the environment?Now we can.

By Mark Mancini

The Ancient Earth visualization map shows the movement of the planet's tectonic plates in a really cool way.

By Patrick J. Kiger

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

Around 90 percent of an iceberg is under the water, but changing weight distribution caused by melting can make it flip.

By Stell Simonton

The super-cool phenomenon of tidal bores happens in only a few places on the globe, and it takes a very specific set of conditions to occur.

By Mark Mancini

Sweden puts less than 1 percent of its household trash into landfills, in part because it burns nearly half to generate heat and electricity.

By Patrick J. Kiger

There's still a lot we don't know about the world. A thousand years ago, we thought we could literally sail off the edge of the planet. Good thing we're quick learners. But while space may be the final frontier, the ocean may be the greater mystery.

By Kate Kershner

There's no denying it: "Anomaly" is a great word, full of danger and mystery. So when an underwater object is declared a bona fide anomaly, it's no surprise our ears perk up a bit. But is the Baltic Sea anomaly worth the hype or just a big old dud?

By Kate Kershner & Yara Simón