Geology news, features and articles
The far-reaching science of geology covers everything from ancient fossils to the precious minerals beneath our feet. At Live Science, we deliver geology discoveries that absolutely rock and help you to understand the makeup of our planet. Whether you want to know how to tell the difference between geologic ages, why Earth has a new geologic age or facts about an ancient supercontinent, our expert writers and editors have you covered with the latest geology news, features and articles.
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Ancient burrowing bees made their nests in the tooth cavities and vertebrae of dead rodents, scientists discover
By Sascha Pare published
Scientists made a unique discovery in a cave on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola: dozens of fossilized bee nests inside rodent bones that were deposited by owls thousands of years ago.

Giant structure discovered deep beneath Bermuda is unlike anything else on Earth
By Stephanie Pappas published
A thick layer of more than 12 miles of rock may explain why Bermuda seems to float above the surrounding ocean.

Earth's crust hides enough 'gold' hydrogen to power the world for tens of thousands of years, emerging research suggests
By Sascha Pare published
Reservoirs of hydrogen gas that form naturally in Earth's crust could help humans decarbonize. The challenge now is finding these accumulations and working out how best to mine them, experts say.

A huge helium shortage is looming — but ancient rocks in Earth's crust may be hiding massive reservoirs
By Sascha Pare published
For decades, helium has been produced with natural gas, generating huge carbon emissions. Now, geologists are looking for new helium sources — and finding enormous "carbon-free" reservoirs that could revolutionize the industry.

Trio of 'black mesas' leftover from Paleozoic era spawn rare sand dunes in the Sahara
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows three dark hills, or mesas, towering above part of the Sahara desert in southern Mauritania. The structures are remnants of a single Paleozoic era formation, and have helped to create a series of striking sand dunes.

Sistema Ox Bel Ha: A vast hidden system that's the longest underwater cave in the world
By James Price published
This incredible submerged cave network is the longest of its kind in the world and plays a vital role in the region.

A gulf separating Africa and Asia is still pulling apart — 5 million years after scientists thought it had stopped
By Stephanie Pappas published
The Arabian and African tectonic plates failed to pull apart 28 million years ago at the Gulf of Suez, but the area hasn't stopped rifting.

Parts of Arizona are being sucked dry, with areas of land sinking 6 inches per year, satellite data reveals
By Skyler Ware published
Groundwater extraction has caused parts of the Willcox Basin to subside by up to 12 feet since the 1950s. New research reveals that some areas sunk by 3 feet in just 4 years.
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