Geology news, features and articles

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Iran's folded rocks: The crumpled mountains at the intersection of Asia and Europe
By Sascha Pare published
Iran's folded rocks are a colorful formation that is part of the Greater Caucasus mountains, which formed when the Eurasian tectonic plate collided with the Arabian plate millions of years ago.

'Quiet Chernobyl' changed Earth's surface so much the planet's mantle is still moving 80 years later
By Sascha Pare published
The land beneath the former Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is rising and will continue to do so for many decades. Now, scientists have an explanation that involves the sea drying up.

Study reveals 'flawed argument' in debate over when plate tectonics began
By Stephanie Pappas published
You don't need plate tectonics to get continental crust that looks modern, a new study finds.

Massive magma eruptions may have ripped Africa and South America apart
By Stephanie Pappas published
Huge outpourings of magma accompanied the split between South America and Africa 135 million years ago.

Rainbow Mountains: China's psychedelic landscape created when 2 tectonic plates collided
By Sascha Pare published
The colorful swirls and stripes that characterize China's Rainbow Mountains would have remained hidden without the epic tectonic collision that created the Himalayas.

North America is 'dripping' down into Earth's mantle, scientists discover
By Sascha Pare published
Seismic mapping of North America has revealed that an ancient slab of crust buried beneath the Midwest is causing the crust above it to "drip" and suck down rocks from across the continent.

Lake Salda: The only place on Earth similar to Jezero crater on Mars
By Sascha Pare published
Lake Salda, in southwestern Turkey, bears a close resemblance to Mars' Jezero crater, which is currently being sampled by NASA's Perseverance rover.

30,000-year-old fossilized vulture feathers 'nothing like what we usually see' preserved in volcanic ash
By Jess Thomson published
Fossilized vulture feathers that were stunningly preserved in volcanic ash were a mystery until now.

Refuge from the worst mass extinction in Earth's history discovered fossilized in China
By Stephanie Pappas published
The End-Permian mass extinction killed an estimated 80% of life on Earth, but new research suggests that plants might have done okay.

52-foot-high 'megaripples' from asteroid that killed the dinosaurs mapped deep beneath Louisiana in 3D
By Tom Howarth published
Buried "megaripples" — some the size of five-story buildings — are helping scientists piece together the devastation following the impact that wiped out the nonavian dinosaurs.
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