Earth's Systems
- Earth
Let’s learn about rivers
Rivers vary a lot in size and terrain, but all share a few basic features.
- Environment
Watch out: Hail can get really big!
New data from hailstones suggest most of these icy chunks may not form the way scientists long thought.
- Environment
Study uncovers secrets in water’s underground treks
Water's subterranean travels can be long, slow — and carry pollutants far from where they first got drawn into the Earth.
- Planets
A giant, busted planet fuels a nebula’s mysterious glow
This Helix Nebula is like a colorful explosion frozen in time. Its center seems to be steadily radiating X-rays.
- Planets
Mars’ rust suggests it was once wet — and its seas frigid
Mars may once have held enough water to fill oceans and form coastlines. And the planet’s red dust hints that its seas would have been quite frigid.
- Earth
Earth farts may explain some spooky floating lights
The gases released by earthquakes might occasionally ignite, triggering ghostly lights sometimes witnessed in South Carolina.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Lava bomb
An explosive volcanic eruption can shoot a blob of lava into the air. As that blob travels, it cools, creating a dangerous lava bomb.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Supercontinent
These gigantic landmasses form when much of Earth’s landmass smashes together.
- Earth
Experiment: Can plants stop soil erosion?
Soil erosion washes pollutants into streams and rivers — but plants may help limit that.
- Earth
Many natural underground stores of freshwater are shrinking
A lot of these aquifers are quickly disappearing due to climate change and overuse. Fortunately, there is growth in some of the world’s major aquifers.
- Earth
Explainer: Sprites, jets, ELVES and other storm-powered lights
Fleeting glows collectively known as “transient luminous events” flash in the skies above powerful lightning storms.
- Climate
Warmer seas trigger skyrocketing ice loss in 3 Antarctic glaciers
Destabilized by waves and vanishing sea ice, one of the glaciers lost 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of ice in 16 months — a possible hint of worse to come.
