GEOLOGY

See What the Inside of a Volcano Looks Like, Courtesy of Some Unlucky Drones

Two unlucky drones were sacrificed to capture this incredible footage from inside an active volcano's crater.

The Enigma, a 555-Carat Black Diamond That’s Said to Be From Outer Space, Is Hitting the Auction Block

The 555-carat black carbonado diamond is purported to be from outer space, though some experts are questioning its origin story.

The Appalachian Mountains have a long, fascinating history.

11 Facts About the Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains occupy a towering spot in North American cultural identity, thanks in part to the Appalachian Trail. The rugged peaks have been influencing the continent for a lot longer than we’ve been around to appreciate them.

Pyrite, or fool's gold, has fooled us once again.

Irony Alert: Fool’s Gold Actually Contains Real Gold

The metal known as pyrite fooled gold rush enthusiasts in the 1800s, but it turns out the material may contain gold after all.

Animal-inspired jewelry at the American Museum of Natural History.

7 Pieces of Animal-Inspired Jewelry From the American Museum of Natural History's Halls of Gems and Minerals

When the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals reopen at the American Museum of Natural History on June 12, they will feature a new exhibit of animal-inspired jewelry.

In Guatemala, Chef David Garciá Uses an Erupting Volcano As His Pizza Oven

At Pizza Pacaya in Guatemala, customers can order a pizza pie cooked with lava from an erupting volcano.

Watch Scientists in Iceland Cook Hot Dogs on Lava From an Active Volcano

When the long-dormant Geldingardalsgos volcano erupted in Iceland this month, scientists took the opportunity to have a lava-fueled barbecue.

Mt. Everest Just Got a Tiny Bit Taller, After Years of Disputes Between China and Nepal

The legendary summit is now nearly 2 feet taller, thanks to China and Nepal thawing out their contentious debate over its size.

How African Dust Storms Create the Caribbean’s Beautiful Beaches—and Protect Them from Hurricanes

Bermuda's red soil and the Bahamas's white-sand beaches might have come from the same place: the Sahara Desert.

Earthquakes don't cause giant cartoonish chasms to open up, but they can tear up the landscape like this.

9 Rockin' Facts About Earthquakes

Fear not: the chances of “The Big One” hitting while you read this article are very, very slim. But that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.

A Massive Volcanic Eruption in Alaska May Have Doomed the Roman Republic

Research shows that a volcanic eruption in Alaska triggered a two-year cooling period in the Mediterranean—possibly destabilizing an already volatile Roman Republic.

Two Bombs Dropped Near a Hawaiian Volcano Decades Ago Were Found Intact in a Lava Tube

Bombs were dropped near Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano to divert the flow of lava in the 1930s and 1940s, and two devices that never exploded have just been discovered.

10 Steamy Facts About Old Faithful

Old Faithful isn't as predictable as it used to be, but geologists in Yellowstone National Park can still time its eruptions pretty accurately.

7 Mysterious Geological Formations That Still Baffle Scientists

From a lake the color of Pepto-Bismol to mysterious rock rings in the Sahara Desert, these strange geological wonders continue to stump scientists.

Thomas Schoch, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Australia’s Sacred Uluru Monolith Is Closing to Tourists for Good This Weekend—So Tourists Are Rushing to Climb It

Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, is a sacred site to the Anangu people. As of Saturday, it will be permanently closed to tourists looking to climb it.

9 Monumental Facts About Chimney Rock

Standing around 325 feet tall from peak to base, Chimney Rock looms like a lighthouse on the Great Plains—and had a starring role in a popular video game.

The World’s Eighth Lava Lake Was Just Discovered on a Remote Sub-Antarctic Island

See the satellite photo that just confirmed the existence of an extremely rare lava lake on a remote island.

What Caused Pangea to Break Apart?

The ocean basins are constantly opening and closing, so what caused Pangea to break apart is slowly putting the next supercontinent together.

Scientists Solve an Ancient Stonehenge Mystery: Where the Massive Rocks Came From

Archaeologists aren't sure how ancient people moved the rocks used to make Stonehenge 4000 years ago. But now, part of the mystery has been solved.

10 Discoveries and Inventions That Are More Recent Than You Think

When you really think about how recent some discoveries we take for granted are, Pluto and Clint Eastwood have a lot in common.

There Are 72,000 Tons of Diamonds Hiding Throughout This Town in Germany

They formed when a crater hit the spot 15 million years ago.

A 2.63-Carat Diamond Was Unearthed by a Grandmother at an Arkansas State Park

She thought she had dug up a piece of glass.

The Mediterranean Sea Could Disappear in the Distant Future

The continents are going to look very different 50 million years from now.

10 Facts About Silicon

If you have a cell phone in your pocket or dirt on your shoes, you’re carrying silicon.

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