Geophysics

Subsidence, or the decline in the elevation of land surface, is creating a problem for some coastal cities as sea levels rise.

ByJesslyn Shields

The confiscation of a jar of Jif peanut butter by the TSA caused an uproar, but a mechanical engineer explains Newtonian fluids and why the TSA was correct.

ByTed Heindel

Zulu Time is a shorthand for describing a time that is the same no matter where you are in the world. So, how does that work?

ByAlia Hoyt

Each year, Earth sees two equinoxes and two solstices. But how much do you actually know about these events? Take the quiz and find out!

ByAlia Hoyt

Water surrounds us, falling from the sky and pouring from faucets, and yet many of us never ask where it comes from. The answer stretches way back — before tides and thunderclouds to the big bang.

ByJonathan Atteberry&Ian O'Neill, Ph.D.

Salt used in the winter to deice roadways is having an impact on hundreds of lakes across the region.

ByJesslyn Shields

Do you ever play that game in which you select the items you'd bring if you got stuck on a desert island? Along with that treasured bootleg recording of your favorite band, we think that an endless supply of water should be at the top of your list. Here's why.

ByJonathan Atteberry

A common misconception is that magma comes from the Earth's molten core. It really comes from the mantle, the layer between the core and the crust. Will it ever run out?

ByTracy V. Wilson

Huge walls of cascading water never cease to capture our attention with their majesty. Ready to marvel at nature? Check out some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

ByRick Mayda

The 7 wonders of the natural world capture the imagination with their natural power and beauty. There is nothing that man can create that can match the beauty nature can create. Learn about all 7, including the great barrier reef.

Bythe Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Some say UFOs, while others say a meteor strike formed the Carolina Bays. Whatever created these isolated ponds and wetlands across North and South Carolina left a wondrous ecosystem that is in dire need of protection.

ByAllison Troutner

Few Americans like the switching between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time, but there's conflict on whether to switch permanently to DST or to ST. What are the pros and cons of permanent DST?

ByAllison Troutner

It's possible that the giant, deadly serpent hanging out at the bottom of Fosse Dionne spring is just a legend, but divers have disappeared trying to find out, so who knows?

ByJesslyn Shields

Deep underneath Antarctica, there lies a hidden lake. Roughly the size of North America's Lake Ontario, the buried landmark has inspired curiosity and controversy for decades.

ByMark Mancini

A lake in South America has disappeared and has left scientists wondering where all the water went to. Is it possible that a lake can abruptly vanish?

ByJacob Silverman

一些事情做了尽可能多的伤害人类ire, and few things have done as much good. Find out where fire comes from and see why it behaves the way it does. The answers might surprise you!

ByTom Harris

Famine might bring to mind historical tragedies or modern media coverage of tiny children with swollen bellies. But how does the unimaginable -- a widespread loss of food -- actually happen?

ByJessika Toothman

The oceans' levels change daily across the globe. We know them as tidal changes. But what causes this constant shift in sea level and why is it more dramatic is some places than others?

ByMark Mancini

Of course you know what gravity is. It's the force behind Wile E. Coyote plummeting off the face of a cliff and you stumbling spastically in front of your crush. But did you know it can bend light and help us detect hidden cosmic phenomena, too?

ByRobert Lamb

We humans love to create. We build soaring skyscrapers from the ground up. We fill blank canvasses with timeless, magnificent art. Can we achieve the ultimate feat and generate matter?

ByRobert Lamb

For more than 40 years, scientists have tried to figure out what's causing large parts of Canada to be "missing" gravity. The force of gravity around Hudson Bay is lower than surrounding areas. Learn about two theories that may explain the phenomenon.

ByJacob Silverman

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock to 90 seconds before midnight, the closest it's ever been to global catastrophe. What does this mean for humanity?

ByJulia Layton

Have you ever wondered what would happen if we were able to flip a switch and turn the Earth's gravity off for a day? The end result may surprise you.

ByMarshall Brain

A map is a type of language, a graphic way of representing information, whether it's to show population density or tell you how to get from Point A to Point B. Here's how they're made.

ByTracy V. Wilson&Alia Hoyt

What are they? We'll give you a hint -- or four. Earth, wind, water and fire aren't among them, but our old friend and force gravity is.

ByCraig Freudenrich, Ph.D.