Current Events

  • Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather
    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong corr...Read more

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    Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather

    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period. Data analyzed in this study cover the period from 431 to 1649, during which time up to 48 volcanic eruptions are identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. You can find the study (open access), published on 6 June 2013 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article. Find out more about how volcanoes can influence climate.
  • EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US
    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, acco...Read more

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    EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US

    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, according to the National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma. The tornado, which remained on the ground for 40 minutes and reached 2.6 miles across (4.2 km), took the lives of 18 people including storm chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. For more information on the tornado, visit http://ow.ly/i/2hfDG.
  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.

Earth's Interior and Surface

Earth, the largest rocky planet, was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The Earth's interior is divided into four layers which is typical of rocky planets. It is cool on the surface but very hot deep inside the planet. The center, or core, is as hot as 9000 degrees F.

The Earth's surface is unique from the other planets because it is the only one with liquid water. Water helps to make surface features such as rivers, lakes and oceans. The moving plates of the Earth’s surface form other surface features such as mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes.

Bison roaming on mixed grass prairie - a type of <a href="/earth/grassland_eco.html&edu=elem">grassland</a> - at Wind Cave National Park (U.S.).  Over one quarter of the Earth's surface is covered by grasslands. Grasslands are found on every continent except <a href="/earth/polar/polar_south.html&edu=elem">Antarctica</a>, and they make up most of Africa and Asia. Grasslands develop where there isn't enough rain for <a href="/earth/forest_eco.html&edu=elem">forests</a> but there is too much rain for <a href="/earth/desert_eco.html&edu=elem">deserts</a>. Grasslands are filled with - you guessed it - grass.<p><small><em> National Park Service</em></small></p>Rainforest vegetation on the Caribbean island of Dominica.  <a href="/earth/rainforest.html&edu=elem">Tropical rainforests</a> are home to thousands of species of animals, plants, fungi and microbes. Scientists suspect that there are many species living in rainforests have not yet been found or described. Rainforests get their name because they receive a lot of rain - an average of 80 inches (203 cm) a year!<p><small><em> NBII Digital Image Library - Randolph Femmer, photographer</em></small></p>This is the Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona. The diameter is 1.2 kilomters, and it is 49,000 years old. Compared with other planets, <a href="/earth/Interior_Structure/crater.html&edu=elem">impact craters</a> are rare <a href="/earth/Interior_Structure/surface_features.html&edu=elem">surface features</a> on Earth. There are two main reasons for the low number of craters. One is that our <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html&edu=elem">atmosphere</a> burns up most <a href="/our_solar_system/meteors/meteors.html&edu=elem">meteoroids</a> before they reach the surface. The other reason is that Earth's surface is <a href="/earth/interior/plate_tectonics.html&edu=elem">continually active</a> and erases the marks of craters over time.<p><small><em>D. Roddy and LPI</em></small></p>Shortly after 5 am on the 18<sup>th</sup> of April in 1906, most people in San Francisco, CA were awoken by a sudden jolt.  The Earth shook violently in a strong <a href="/earth/geology/quake_1.html&edu=elem">earthquake</a>. It lasted for only about a minute, but caused a lot of damage which destroyed much of the city. This photograph was taken just after an earthquake and fires had ravaged the city.<p><small><em> National Archives Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives</em></small></p>An <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000905e.php">8.6 magnitude earthquake</a> struck on 11 April 2012 off of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, followed by a strong aftershock. Earthquake motion was primarily horizontal. A tsunami warning was issued for the Indian Ocean, but was cancelled at 12:36 UTC. A tsunami was observed at 1 meter or less. Find out more about <a href="/earth/geology/quake_1.html&edu=elem">earthquake</a> and <a href="/earth/tsunami1.html&edu=elem">tsunami</a> processes. Check out the resources <a href="/teacher_resources/2011_AGU-NESTA_GIFT_Workshop.html&edu=elem">here</a>.<p><small><em>NOAA</em></small></p>Sinkholes are <a href="/teacher_resources/main/frameworks/esl_bi8.html&edu=elem">natural hazards</a> in many places around the world. They are formed when water dissolves underlying <a href="/earth/Water/carbonates.html&edu=elem">limestone</a>, leading to collapse of the surface. Hydrologic conditions such as a lack of rainfall, lowered water levels, or excessive rainfall can all contribute to sinkhole development. On 2/28/2013, a sinkhole suddenly developed under the house outside of Tampa, Florida, leading to the tragic death of its occupant, Jeff Bush.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Southwest Florida Water Management District</em></small></p>

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Explore Earth's Interior and Surface

Interior

The Earth's interior is made of rock and metal. It has four main layers: 1) the inner core: ...Read more

Surface

Underneath the water that fills the oceans, and the dirt and plants that cover the land, the ...Read more

Surface Features

Look at this picture of the surface of the Earth! Can you find these features? the Pacific ...Read more

Earthquakes

The ground underfoot might seem like it’s not going anywhere but it is. It moves. If it moves ...Read more

Volcanoes

There are several ways in which a volcano can form, just as there are several different kinds ...Read more

Plate Tectonics

Many forces change the surface of the Earth over time. The largest force that changes our ...Read more

Elements

An element (also called a "chemical element") is a substance made up entirely of atoms having ...Read more

Geology

Geology means, literally, the study of the Earth. Explore this section to understand the structure ...Read more

Biomes and Ecosystems

Biomes are large areas of the world where there are similar plants, animals, and other living ...Read more

Historical Events

6/25 Hermann Oberth,a Romanian and German physicist, was born on this date in 1894 Details
6/28 Maria Mitchell, an American astronomer, died on this date in 1889 Details
6/29 George Hale, an American astronomer, was born on this date in 1869 Details

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7/20 Galileo Looks Beyond to Other Worlds
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Did you know?

Do you know why and where earthquakes happen? Check our our expanded content on earthquakes!

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Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Epicenter
xEpicenter : The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface vertically above the hypocenter (or focus), point in the crust where a seismic rupture begins.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Scientists Study "Glaciovolcanoes," Mountains of Fire and Ice

In the spring of 2010, the eruption of a volcano called Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland cancelled many flights in Europe. Eyjafjallajökull is a glaciovolcano, which means it's a volcano that is covered by...Read more


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