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Eternal Flame Falls: New York's mini waterfall that hides a grotto filled with undying fire
By Sascha Pare published
Eternal Flame Falls sits on a bed of shale rocks rich in organic matter. As this matter breaks down, it produces highly flammable natural gas that escapes through cracks in the ground.

Rare half-pink rough diamond with 'astounding' weight of 37.4 carats discovered in Botswana
By Sascha Pare published
Experts at a laboratory in Botswana managed by the Gemological Institute of America recently examined an extraordinary natural diamond with two distinct color zones.

Scientists discover first direct evidence that slivers of 'proto-Earth' may survive today
By Sascha Pare published
In a first, researchers have discovered fragments of Earth's precursor that contain distinctive chemical fingerprints in ancient rocks from Greenland, Canada and Hawaii.

Stalagmites adhere to a single mathematical rule, scientists discover
By Skyler Ware published
Scientists discover all stalagmites growing from cave floors follow a mathematical rule that explains how these mineral formations develop into different shapes.

Satellites detected strange gravity signal coming from deep within Earth almost 20 years ago, study reveals
By Patrick Pester published
Researchers have discovered there was an anomaly in Earth's gravitational field between 2006 and 2008, potentially caused by a mineral shift deep within Earth's mantle. GRACE satellites detected a strange gravity signal at the time.

Plate tectonics may be why Earth has life — and the key to finding life elsewhere in the universe
By Stephanie Pappas published
Feature Emerging evidence suggests that plate tectonics, or the recycling of Earth's crust, may have begun much earlier than previously thought — and may be a big reason that our planet harbors life.

Sea of Saharan 'star dunes' clashes with otherworldly terrain where 2 countries meet
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A 2017 satellite photo shows the stark contrast along the boundary between a giant field of golden "star dunes" and a barren rocky wilderness in the Sahara, which overlaps with an international border.

Perplexing diamonds from South Africa mine contain 'almost impossible' chemistry
By Stephanie Pappas published
Seemingly contradictory materials are trapped together in two glittering diamonds from South Africa, shedding light on how diamonds form.

Weird glass in Australia appears to be from giant asteroid impact — but scientists 'yet to locate the crater'
By Skyler Ware published
Strange glass strewn across southern Australia appears to be from a mystery asteroid impact 11 million years ago.

Vast source of rare Earth metal niobium was dragged to the surface when a supercontinent tore apart
By Sophie Berdugo published
Potentially the largest known source of niobium discovered in central Australia formed 830 million years ago, and we can thank the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Rodinia.
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