MS-ESS2-2

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.

  1. Earth

    Scientists Say: Magma and lava

    The word magma refers to molten rock deep inside Earth. That rock is called lava when it reaches Earth’s surface.

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  2. Earth

    Scientists Say: Anthropocene

    Humans are changing the world in profound ways. Some scientists think those changes have launched a new epoch in Earth’s history: the Anthropocene.

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  3. Earth

    Greece’s Santorini volcano erupts more when the sea level drops

    Data showing this association go back at least 360,000 years.

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  4. Earth

    Rock rising from below the Atlantic may drive continents apart

    Molten rock rising from the deep mantle at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge may drive plate tectonics there more than had been expected.

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  5. Environment

    What you can do to improve soils

    Soils are the life-sustaining structures under our feet. Here are some tips for keeping soils healthy. First rule of thumb: Give more than you take.

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  6. Environment

    Surprising long-haul dust and tar are melting high glaciers

    Dust and tar blown onto high mountains, like the Himalayas, boost the melting of snow and ice far more than scientists had realized. Here’s why.

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  7. Earth

    Scientists Say: Earthquake

    An earthquake is a sudden and sometimes violent shaking of the ground.

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  8. Earth

    Did rain put the Kilauea volcano’s lava-making into overdrive?

    Scientists share strongly conflicting opinions about why Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano spewed an overabundance of lava in 2018.

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  9. Earth

    Explainer: Why sea levels aren’t rising at the same rate globally

    The ocean is rising all over the world. The rise seems speedier in some places. What gives? Many factors, it turns out, affect where — and why — the tide gets high.

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  10. Planets

    Asteroids may have delivered water to early Earth

    Scientists shot mineral pellets at a simulated planet. It showed an impact wouldn’t have boiled off all of an asteroid’s water.

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  11. Earth

    How long will Kilauea’s new eruption last?

    A government volcano expert answers burning questions about the ongoing Kilauea eruption.

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  12. Physics

    Explainer: Winds and where they come from

    Temperature and pressure are critical factors affecting why the wind blows where it does. Understanding the nature of wind can teach us a lot about weather.

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