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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Scientists reveal the origin of the Euphrates — a river that fed the 'cradle of civilization'The Euphrates River fueled the "cradle of civilization," and a new study reveals the waterway was born of two other ancient rivers around 3.6 million years ago.
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Fingal's Cave: Scotland's 'cave of melody' where eerie echoes bounce off pillars of solidified lavaFingal's Cave is a hollow inside the Scottish island of Staffa that is characterized by massive, interlocking hexagonal columns of volcanic rock and astonishing acoustics.
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How hot is Earth's core?Life's Little Mysteries What's the temperature in Earth's core, and how did we figure that out?
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The Appalachian Mountains hold enough lithium to make 500 billion cellphones, researchers discoverResearchers with the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the ancient Appalachians mountain system holds 2.5 million tons of the critical element lithium.
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Thríhnúkagígur: The only volcano on Earth where you can descend into a magma chamberThríhnúkagígur is a volcano near Reykjavík in Iceland with an empty magma chamber decorated with vivid colors that scientists and tourists can access via an open cable elevator.
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Ancient process that created rare earth elements discovered — and it could help us locate desperately needed depositsA new study suggests rare earth elements form in magma above ancient subduction zones, as that magma reacts with substances that are released when one tectonic plate dives beneath another.
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Concentric rocky rings adorned with ancient artwork wear a magma 'hat' in the SaharaEarth from space A 2025 astronaut photo shows a massif made of concentric mountain ridges in the Libyan desert. The rocky walls contain ancient artworks and are occasionally used to contain herds of grazing cattle.
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Incomplete remains of world's 'youngest' impact crater spotted lurking in Chinese forestEarth from space A 2021 satellite photo shows off the recently uncovered Yilan crater in China, which is most likely the youngest impact structure on Earth. The incomplete ring is also the largest of its kind and only the second impact crater ever found in the country.
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Hidden beauty of Zimbabwe's 2.5 billion-year-old 'geological marvel' revealed in striking astronaut photoEarth from space A 2010 astronaut photo shows off the astonishing scale of the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe, which stretches over 340 miles (550 kilometers). The lengthy structure, which is not actually a dike, is full of extremely valuable minerals that fuel a massive mining industry.
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