A 1,500-foot tsunami took scientists by surprise. Now we know why it happened
By chance a tour boat avoided a deadly tsunami set off by the retreat of Alaska's coastal glaciers. Scientists are working to spot landslides like the one that caused the massive wave to warn people in harm's way
Africa could split apart sooner than scientists thought
New research reveals that a rift in Earth’s crust is just a few million years away from splitting the continent of Africa into two—and creating a new ocean
Here’s what stops huge earthquakes in their tracks
When an earthquake rupturing along a fault hits a barrier, it creates a seismic signature called the “stopping phase.” Scientists have isolated this and could use it to better predict earthquake risk
A volcanic mystery reveals that rising magma has a stealth mode
In 2022 a swarm of earthquakes in the Azores suggested that an eruption was imminent, but none happened. Now we know why, and it means magma can be sneakier than we knew
Risk of ‘megaquake’ in Japan higher after powerful earthquake strikes
After a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan and set off tsunami warnings, there’s an elevated risk of a “megaquake” following in its wake
The mystery of how and when the Grand Canyon formed gets a new clue
A new study suggests a proto–Colorado River filled a large basin before spilling westward to set the Grand Canyon’s modern path
The world’s deepest sensors will detect earthquakes around the world from far below Antarctica
Here’s how scientists drilled 8,000 feet through ice to place the world’s deepest seismometers
Inge Lehmann and Earth’s deepest Secret
Science writer Hanne Strager explores how the trailblazing Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann overcame self-doubt to discover that Earth has a solid inner core, overturning the long-held belief that it was liquid
When did plate tectonics on Earth begin? New research finds some of the earliest clues
Scientists have found the oldest direct evidence for tectonic motion on Earth by more than half a billion years
There might be less water on the moon than we’d hoped
New satellite data come up dry as the search for lunar ice continues
Fresh claim of making elusive ‘hexagonal’ diamond is the strongest yet
After decades of debate, researchers say that they have found the clearest evidence yet for this rare form of carbon
Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano erupts, shooting lava 1,300 feet into the air
Over nine hours, Kīlauea released 16 million cubic yards of lava and sent a cloud of ash beyond 30,000 feet