MS-ESS2-2
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.
- Earth
A volcanic eruption sparked the highest lightning ever seen
The eruption plume spawned lightning that started 20 to 30 kilometers (some 12 to 19 miles) above sea level.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Tectonic Plate
Tectonic plates are giant slabs of rock that make up Earth’s outer layer.
- Earth
Under the ice, a hidden lake hints at its origin — and coming end
Lake Mercer may serve as a model for better understanding the birth and life of Antarctica’s hundreds of subglacial lakes.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Seismology
Seismology is the branch of science focused on seismic waves — vibrations that run through or around Earth.
- Earth
Analyze This: Salt may quash lightning over the sea
Bits of airborne salt may help raindrops form, removing water from clouds before it can freeze as part of the process that makes lightning.
- Physics
Explainer: What is friction?
The force of friction always acts to slow things down. It depends on just two factors: the surfaces and how hard they press together.
- Climate
Greenland’s inland ice is melting far faster than anyone thought
Inland melting of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream is accelerating — and may contribute far more to sea level rise than earlier estimates suggested.
- Earth
One 2022 tsunami may have been as tall as the Statue of Liberty
A massive volcanic eruption in the South Pacific, earlier this year, appears to have triggered one tsunami that was initially 90 meters (nearly 300 feet) tall.
- Earth
Uplifting Antarctic shores point to accelerating loss of glaciers
It appears the Pine Island and “Doomsday” Thwaites glaciers are losing ice — and shrinking faster — than at any time in the past 5,500 years.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Fault
A fault is a crack in Earth’s crust where pieces of rock scrape past each other.
- Earth
Tiny gemstones show when Earth’s crust first started moving
Chemical hints observed in zircons suggest when the important process of plate tectonics first took off.
- Earth
The Alps’ Matterhorn shows how much even big mountains sway
Such mountain sway data can help planners map high-risk zones for peaks, bridges or any large structures.
