Current Events
- Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read morexMassive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report. - Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read morexKansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News. - Earth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows
Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 ...Read morexEarth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows
Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 degrees hotter than in a previous experiment run 20 years ago. These measurements confirm geophysical models that the temperature difference between the solid core and the mantle above, must be at least 1500 degrees to explain why the Earth has a magnetic field. For more information about this study, see the press release from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
Geology
Geology means, literally, the study of the Earth. Explore this section to understand the structure of the Earth and its surface features, what causes earthquakes and tsunamis, and why volcanoes form and erupt. Learn about minerals, which form the building blocks of rocks, and how rocks are made and destroyed. Learn about Earth’s fascinating history, the variety of life forms which have roamed the surface over the millennia, and the dramatic changes that have happened over Earth’s long history.
You can get your own minerals and fossils, as well as the Fall 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist on Rocks and Minerals in our online store!
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Explore Geology
Earth's Interior and Surface
Earth, the largest and densest rocky planet, was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The Earth's ...Read more
Minerals (and the Stuff They Are Made Of!)
Minerals occur naturally on rocky planets and form the building blocks of rocks. They are ...Read more
Rocks and the Rock Cycle
Rocks are always on the move through the rock cycle! Click on parts of this rock cycle diagram ...Read more
Earth's Layers and Moving Plates
Many forces cause the surface of the Earth to change over time. However, the largest force ...Read more
Earthquakes
The expression "on solid ground" is often used to describe something as stable. But sometimes ...Read more
Volcanoes
There are several ways in which a volcano can form, just as there are several different kinds ...Read more
Fossils and Earth History
The Earth has been around for approximately four and a half billion years! The geologic time ...Read more
Scientists Who Study Rocks
Geology is the study of rocks and geologists are the people who study them! There are many ...Read more
Rocks, Minerals, Fossils in Online Store
Available Now! Beautiful specimens that inspire curiosity and demonstrate the inherent beauty of our planet. ...Read more
Earth Science Literacy Framework
This Earth system science literacy guide identifies the Big Ideas and fundamental concepts ...Read moreHistorical Events
5/21 Williamina Fleming, a Scottish-American astronomer, died on this date in 1911 Details
5/22 ~7.9 magnitude earthquake hits near Xining, Tsinghai, China in 1927
5/24 Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, died on this date in 1543 Details
Full Earth and Space Science History Calendar (Members only)
Teacher Opportunities
Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)
Did you know?
Did you know that mica minerals make some rocks sparkle? They also may have been the place where life first formed at the bottom of an ancient sea!Do you know why and where earthquakes happen? Check our our expanded content on earthquakes!
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Tuff
xTuff : A type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
Scientists Study "Glaciovolcanoes," Mountains of Fire and Ice, in Iceland, British Columbia, U.S.
Glaciovolcanoes, they're called, these rumbling mountains where the orange-red fire of magma meets the frozen blue of glaciers. Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which erupted recently, is but one of...Read more
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Learn about planets outside our solar system through Exoplanets and Alien Solar Systems by Tahir Yaqoob, Ph.D., a book in our online store book collection.
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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support!
