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an overhead view of Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone
We finally know where the Yellowstone volcano will erupt next A detailed look at Yellowstone's magma storage system finds that only one region is likely to host liquid magma in the long term.
a photo of an angel oak tree
'Rising temperatures melted corpses out of the Antarctic permafrost': The rise of one of Earth's most iconic trees in an uncertain world As the Atlantic grew wider, the ancestral population of all of today's oaks may have been straddling the continents of the Northern Hemisphere. If so, the ancestor of the oaks we know today was a widespread population that was cleaved in half as North America inched westward.
a rocky shore on the Great Lakes
Scientists find hidden 'hotspot' that helped create the Great Lakes before North America even existed A hotspot that now lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean was once under the Great Lakes, and may explain why they formed where they did.

Latest about Planet Earth

NASA satellite image showing melt on Alaska.

Alaska's ice is melting in front of our eyes, staggering satellite shots show

By Ben Turner published

Unusual weather patterns and climate change have been driving stark changes in the northwestern state. Now, new satellite images show the extent of this transformation.

Climate Change
A photo of the Trovants, bulbous stones emerging from the earth

Romania's trovants: The bulbous 'living' rocks that inspired folkloric tales of dinosaur eggs and aliens

By Sascha Pare published

Trovants are rocks that grow by absorbing minerals from rainwater. Romania is home to a cluster of trovants that inspired folklore of dinosaur eggs, plant fossils and alien creations.

Geology
Cracks in Greenland ice sheet.

Greenland's ice sheet — the second biggest in the world — is cracking open at alarming speed, scientists discover

By Sascha Pare published

New 3D maps of the Greenland Ice Sheet show how huge cracks in the ice that accelerate melting expanded between 2016 and 2021.

Climate Change

Scientists discover hidden 'plumbing' that's driving Antarctic ice sheet into the ocean

By Skyler Ware published

Maps created by combining different models of glaciers and ice sheets reveal the way water is flowing deep beneath Antarctica's ice.

Antarctica
A photograph of ice and meltwater at the North Pole.

'Extreme' warming in the Arctic as North Pole temperatures swell 36 F above average

By Patrick Pester published

The North Pole was above freezing on Sunday after an extreme winter warming event caused temperatures to climb more than 36 F (20 C) in the high Arctic.

Climate Change
The Cascade Range extends from southern British Columbia in Canada through Washington, Oregon and northern California in the United States. The highest peaks, called the High Cascades, are volcanoes. Mount Baker, seen in the foreground here, is one of the tallest peaks in the range. Mount Rainier, seen in the background, is the tallest peak in the Cascades.

Scientists find giant magma reservoirs hidden beneath dormant volcanoes in the Cascades

By Stephanie Pappas published

The magma system beneath volcanoes may persist even after recent eruptions, a new study finds.

Volcanos
An aerial view of the Zagros mountains

Ocean plate from time of Pangaea is now being torn apart under Iraq and Iran

By Stephanie Pappas published

What was once the floor of an ancient ocean is still shaping the landscape between Arabia and Eurasia.

Geology
A rodent is seen eating seeds in New York, NY, United States

Rat numbers are skyrocketing across US cities — and it's only going to get worse

By K.R. Callaway published

Rat populations are growing in cities around the world because of climate change. A new study explains why this is happening now and what we can do about it.

Climate Change
A close up of the golden river of waste

Golden river of toxic waste spills out from deadly mining disaster in South Africa

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space A 2022 satellite photo shows a shimmering trail of dried, chemically-enriched mud left behind by a torrent of wastewater that flooded a South African mining town, killing three people.

Earth from space
A photograph of the town of Fira above a cliff on Santorini island, taken on February 3, 2025, during the earthquake swarm.

'We've just seen earthquake after earthquake after earthquake': Santorini earthquake swarm intensifies but likely won't trigger volcano

By Patrick Pester published

Santorini's earthquakes are intensifying as a rare earthquake swarm continues to rattle the Mediterranean's Aegean Sea. The earthquakes are probably caused by faults rather than volcanic activity.

Earthquakes
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