Stories by Sarah Simpson

Geologists say newfound deposits in the embattled country could fulfill the world's desire for rare earth and critical minerals and end opium's local stranglehold in the process

Vast deposits of rare earth and critical minerals found in Afghanistan by U.S. geologists under military cover could solve world shortages and get the country off opium and out from under Taliban control. Photos show their gutsy excursions

Geologists actually mapping the country's mineral bounty suspect its prime cache of coveted rare earth elements is considerably larger than the latest estimate lets on

Natural challenges add to concern about Taliban interference

Rocks on a remote Norwegian island in the Arctic Ocean may offer fresh insights into previous worldwide climate change episodes

New fish farms out at sea, and cleaner operations along the shore, could provide the world with a rich supply of much needed protein

Icelandic eruptions, oil spills, deadly heat: NASA's Terra satellite has captured spectacular views of such dramatic events, documenting our planet's ever-changing visage since the satellite's five sensors saw "first light" 10 years ago

Did asteroid strikes during the earth's youth spawn the earliest fragments of today's landmasses?

Marine zoning is a bold remedy for sick seas

From solar power to powering our planet with garbage, Scientific American explores ideas that would improve our planet

The melting Arctic is releasing vast quantities of methane. How big is this greenhouse threat? What can be done?

A new report citing drawbacks of the corn ethanol craze casts a pall over the centennial of a Nobel Prize-winning discovery that transformed global food production

Pedestrians, used to loud engine noise, have less warning when a car powered by a hybrid or electric motor approaches

Mars may have needed acid rain to stay wet

Earth's heat keeps continents afloat and land above sea level

Why underground nuclear tests are so hard to hide

What Floyd Landis has in common with ocean sediment

Returning the big ones to keep fisheries healthy

Submarine with a chain saw for eco-friendly logging

The Moon's water may be difficult to get

How to journey to the center of the earth--maybe