Latest about Planet Earth
Gargantuan waves in Earth's mantle may make continents rise, new study finds
Dramatic cliffs and high plateaus are caused by the same wave triggered in Earth's middle layer when continents pull apart, a new study finds.
Plate tectonics fired up at least 3 billion years ago, study of ancient rocks in Australia indicates
Researchers have discovered the world's oldest known arc-slicing fault in Australia, intensifying the debate over the origins of plate tectonics.
Sapphires form inside the fiery hearts of volcanoes, not deep in the mantle like we thought
A new study of sapphires found in volcanic fields in Germany reveals that these beautiful blue stones form where magma and rocks from Earth's crust mix.
'Smoking terror' volcano that destroyed city 400 years ago burps toxic cloud
Earth from space A 2018 astronaut photo shows Nicaragua's active Momotombo volcano spitting out a cloud of toxic gas and steam just a few years after its latest eruption.
Why scientists are blown away by 'Twister' and 'Twisters'
Weather experts talk about why the film "Twister" is often such a favorite among tornado researchers and what they think of its new stand-alone sequel, "Twisters"
3 remarkable trees: A living fossil, a deadly canopy, and the world's biggest seeds that were once mounted in gold by royals
"Sailors believed they grew underwater at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, and it was thought that male trees uprooted themselves on stormy nights and walked to find female trees, embracing them to pollinate their large flowers."
Giant wildfires can create their own weather. Here's how.
Wildfires can generate tornado-like fire whirls and other "unpredictable and erratic" weather. An atmospheric scientist explains how.
Volcano in Tanzania with weirdest, runniest magma on Earth is sinking into the ground
Tanzania's outlandish Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, the only volcano on Earth that is currently erupting carbonatite lava, has been sinking at a rate of 1.4 inches per year for the past decade.
Minerals evolve under pressure in the same way life does, researchers find
Researchers say they've discovered evidence for the recently proposed 'law of increasing functional information' by proving that minerals evolve as life does.
Salar de Uyuni: The world's largest salt desert and lithium reservoir surrounded by volcanoes
The Salar de Uyuni desert is famous for its gleaming surface waters and hexagonal salt crust patterns, but below this otherworldly landscape lie about 11 million tons of highly sought-after lithium.
