Third-largest diamond on Earth uncovered in Africa, miners say By Brandon Specktor The whopping stone measures 1,098 carats, just a bit less than the second-largest diamond ever found.
Google Earth reveals the world's largest geoglyph By Stephanie Pappas A set of sinuous lines found in the Thar Desert of India may be the largest geoglyph ever discovered.
Huge sinkhole bursts open near underwater 'blowhole' in South Australian coast By Brandon Specktor A large 40-foot-wide sinkhole opened suddenly near South Australia's ancient Limestone Coast, threatening to break away even more
Climate 'tipping points' could push us past the point-of-no-return after less than 2 degrees of warming By Ben Turner Nearly one-third of the 3 million simulations run by scientists showed disastrous effects within 2 degrees of warming, and scientists say their estimates are conservative.
Hoover Dam reservoir reaches record-low water levels By Rachael Rettner The low levels will likely require states to implement water-saving measures.
Dramatic images capture rapid slide of Antarctic glacier By Nicoletta Lanese Scientists studied the acceleration using high-res radar images, captured by satellites.
See the 'Star of India,' decades after it was nabbed in a heist By Mindy Weisberger The American Museum of Natural History's Hall of Gems and Minerals is newly renovated and reopens with "Beautiful Creatures," an exhibit of stunning jewelry inspired by animals.
Summer School with Live Science: Lemon volcanoes By Diana Whitcroft Live Science will explore the eruptive realm of acid-base chemistry in our new kids video series: Summer School with Live Science.
Earth's core is growing 'lopsided' and scientists don't know why By Brandon Specktor New seismic models show that Earth's inner core may be growing faster in the east than in the west, creating a 'lopsided' pattern at the center of our planet.
Greenhouse gases: Causes, sources and environmental effects By Tiffany Means, Marc Lallanilla Greenhouse gases are atmospheric gases that absorb infrared radiation and trap heat in the atmosphere. Increases in emissions of these gases are leading to climate change and global warming.
Hunks of oceanic crust are wedged inside Earth's mantle By Sarah Derouin Earth's middle layer is chunky, like peanuts in a sea of caramel.
'Glacier blood' could be key to understanding impacts of climate change By Nicoletta Lanese An expedition to the French Alps is revealing the biology of "glacier blood" and how it is impacted by climate change.
Tons of toxic pellets blanket Sri Lanka beaches, causing environmental disaster By Yasemin Saplakoglu A burning container ship dumped tons of plastic debris onto Sri Lanka's beaches, prompting a widespread environmental disaster.
'Bonanza' gold veins in rocks finally explained By Stephanie Pappas Scientists now think they understand how gold can form veins thicker than a man's forearm: the clumping of gold nanoparticles.
Hurricane season kicks off. Expect higher-than-normal storm activity. By Yasemin Saplakoglu The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has officially begun, and it's expected to bring a higher-than-average number of storms in the months ahead.
Satellites may have been underestimating the planet's warming for decades By Stephanie Pappas Satellite observations of different climate variables don't quite add up, suggesting these measurements might be missing something about the atmosphere.
What is plate tectonics? By Tiffany Means Blame plate tectonics for Earth’s mountains, earthquakes, volcanoes, and why its continents fit together like pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle.
$1.2 million worth of rare, stolen cactuses confiscated and returned to Chile By Mindy Weisberger Officials have returned stolen cactuses to Chile, after recovering the rare plants during two raids in Italy in 2020.
How much energy can be created at one time? By Xuejian Wu How much energy can be created at one time without losing control?
