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![A close-up photo of a rock containing a raw gold nugget in a mine.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8KnXcaQf9NwLaim4vNt5JW-320-80.jpg)
What's the difference between a rock and a mineral?
By Sascha Pare published
Rocks and minerals are closely related, but there are fundamental differences between the two.
![close up of an avocado leaf with a stem running diagonally from left to right](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SoJj2vUsPUsbLpW4FKRmVb-320-80.jpg)
What is photosynthesis?
By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated
Reference Photosynthesis is the process plants, algae and some bacteria use to turn sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen.
![two people walking along a snow-covered street with frozen trees and icy fog surrounding them](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AZSbvDZwjEAMRSoGtzAtBo-320-80.jpg)
What is the coldest city in the world?
By Joe Phelan last updated
The coldest city in the world is in Siberia, where temperatures plummet to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Here's why it's so cold there.
![A spiral of cloud nestled along a coastline](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TEZ2n69rFYBsmBQrwGvqLn-320-80.jpg)
Earth from space: Mysterious, slow-spinning cloud 'cyclone' hugs the Iberian coast
By Harry Baker published
This 2017 satellite photo shows an unusual cloud "cyclone" nestled up against the coastline of Spain and Portugal. Researchers are unsure what caused the strange structure's spin, but ocean eddies and an extreme heat wave likely played key roles.
![Port of Tacoma at sunset with Mount Rainer in the background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FDTEWsqyZiRWJihgvikEzd-320-80.jpg)
'The difference between alarming and catastrophic': Cascadia megafault has 1 especially deadly section, new map reveals
By Stephanie Pappas published
The Cascadia subduction zone is more complex than researchers previously knew. The new finding could help scientists better understand the risk from future earthquakes.
![Alaskan tundra](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/R7KfxzTYodhBid5dnLNQhm-320-80.jpg)
Arctic 'zombie fires' rising from the dead could unleash vicious cycle of warming
By Sebastian Wieczorek, Eoin O'Sullivan, Kieran Mulchrone published
Zombie fires that burn underground over winter may be a case of climate change-driven spontaneous combustion, new research reveals.
![Iron rich water falls into the ocean from the glacier](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/h9iSdxxfgtK8VvfpaMB7GR-320-80.jpg)
Blood Falls: Antarctica's crimson waterfall forged from an ancient hidden heart
By Sascha Pare published
Iron-rich waters buried beneath Taylor Glacier in East Antarctica are sporadically released in what looks like a bloody mess — but the so-called Blood Falls aren't as gruesome as they first appear and sound.
![Algae on the surface of the ice in Greenland.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9GWjhx95oDDAUa7YA32pHM-320-80.jpg)
Giant viruses discovered living in Greenland's dark ice and red snow
By Patrick Pester published
The giant viruses might infect algae that are increasing Greenland's ice melt. These viruses could help kill off the damaging algal blooms, helping to reduce some of the impacts of climate change.
![Geologist examines a coal outcrop near Utah's old Star Point mine.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hKFbdcH6LvxFuKno5LgBp4-320-80.jpg)
Rare-earth elements could be hidden inside coal mines
By Stephanie Pappas published
Rare earth elements are necessary for modern technology, including green energy, but they only come from a few sources around the globe. New research has discovered them hiding in coal mines in the U.S.
![A tall tree with a pair of thick leg-like roots that make it look like the tree is walking](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XsMgr7HcTRAD6qCz3Ei8rG-320-80.jpg)
100-foot 'walking tree' in New Zealand looks like an Ent from Lord of the Rings — and is the lone survivor of a lost forest
By Harry Baker published
An unusual northern rātā tree that looks like it is striding across an empty field has been crowned New Zealand's Tree of the Year. The giant plant, which looks strikingly similar to an Ent from "The Lord of the Rings," is centuries old.
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