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GEOLOGY

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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.

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The Mediterranean Sea Could Disappear in the Distant Future

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

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10 Facts About Silicon

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

Earth as captured from near the lunar horizon by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2015.

The Science Behind Why the Earth Isn't Flat

Let's review why and how we've known for at least 2300 years that the Earth is round.

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8 Science-Backed Tips to Keep Your Feet From Burning on Hot Sand

The beach is wonderful when it's not giving you third-degree burns.

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Snorkeler Discovers Gold Nugget Worth $65,000 in Scottish River

Talk about striking gold.

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Interactive Map Shows Where Your House Would Have Been 750 Million Years Ago

Trace the evolution of Earth era by era.

R. Sieben, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser Keeps Erupting, and Scientists Aren't Sure Why

In March, it erupted for the first time since 2014—and has erupted six more times since.

Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

15 Facts About Lava

We tried to bomb lava into submission. It didn't work.

A volcano erupts on the Pacific island of Vanuatu, part of Earth's Ring of Fire.

16 Explosive Facts About Volcanoes

Whether they're minor eruptions or cataclysmic explosions like Vesuvius, Tambora, and Krakatau, volcanoes have had a major impact on the world's climate and history.

John Fielding, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

9 'Scientific Mysteries' the Internet Loves, Debunked

Spoiler: The answer is not "aliens." It's never aliens.

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High-Speed Railway Project Uncovers a Prehistoric Coastline Near London

The subtropical coastline near Ruislip dates back to 56 million years ago.

Cyrus Read, Alaska Volcano Observatory/U.S. Geological Survey

Hear the First Recording of Volcanic Thunder

It's a feat some scientists thought was impossible.

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10 Rugged Facts About Badlands National Park

It erodes at a rate of one inch per year.

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AI Could Help Scientists Detect Earthquakes More Effectively

It identified 17 times more earthquakes than traditional methods.

Stefan Flöper, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Why There's a 4-Ton Steel Ball Making Mini-Earthquakes in Germany

The ball is dropped from a height of more than 4 stories.

Hiroshi Kawahara, AFP/Getty Images

How Do Tsunamis Work?

The earthquake-triggered waves are both destructive and unpredictable.

Courtesy of Gem Diamonds Ltd.

Fifth Largest Diamond in The World Discovered in Southern Africa

It weights more than a billiard ball.

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Mysterious 'Hypatia Stone' Is Like Nothing Else in Our Solar System

"These latest results are opening up even bigger questions about its origins."

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Ocean Waves Are Powerful Enough to Toss Enormous Boulders Onto Land, Study Finds

Strong winter storms in Ireland in 2013 and 2014 were able to hurl 600-ton boulders right out of the sea.

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Spelunkers Discover New Caverns in Montréal's Ancient Cave Network

The cave system below the Saint-Léonard borough is believed to sit atop an aquifer and may lead to the Montréal water table.

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Geological Map Shows the Massive Reservoir Bubbling Beneath Old Faithful

The geyser we see is just the tip of the iceberg.

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Just How Hot Is Lava?

The burning question, answered.

J. P. Oleson

Time Has Only Strengthened These Ancient Roman Walls

In the 1st century CE, Pliny the Elder wrote that Roman seawalls grew "every day stronger." Turns out he was right.