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Myths about Earth
In cultures around the world, humans have developed stories to help them understand how the Earth came to be, and why things happen. Many of these stories share interesting similarities, which point, perhaps, to deep common concerns of human beings. Explore the links in this section to find out about myths related to Earth, and phenomena that occur at the Earth’s surface.
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Explore Myths about Earth
Egyptian: Geb
Thousands of years ago, Geb was worshipped at the city of Heliopolis in lower Egypt as the ...Read more
Aztec: Coatlicue
Coatlicue, whose name means "Serpent Skirt," was the Earth goddess of life and death in the ...Read more
Greek: Gaea
Gaea was the great deity of the early Greeks. She represented the Earth and was worshipped ...Read more
Chinese: Hou Ji
Hou Ji was originally a Chinese hero of royal descent. His ancestor was Huang Di. Tang, the ...Read more
Inca: Pachamama
Incas of ancient Peru believed that Pachamama personified the Earth. Incas ruled Peru from ...Read more
Maya: Bacabs
The Earth was conceived by the Maya as flat with four corners. Each corner represented a cardinal ...Read more
Maori: Papa
According to the Maori people of New Zealand, Rangi was the Sky Father and his wife was the ...Read more
Norse: Midgard
Midgard is the realm where human beings live. Midgard, the Earth, was created from the flesh ...Read more
Sumerian: Enlil
Enlil was the Sumerian god of Earth and air. Sumerians were living more than three thousand ...Read more
Aspects of the Earth
Explore myths related to phenomena on Earth like storms, wind, rainbows, and more. ...Read moreHistorical Events
3/1 Yellowstone National Park was founded as first National Park in 1872
3/3 F5 "Candlestick Park" tornado hits Jackson, Mississippi in 1966
3/9 Earthquake with magnitude 8.6 hits Andreanof, Alaska in 1957
Full Earth and Space Science History Calendar (Members only)
Teacher Opportunities
3/12 NSTA Chicago National Conferences
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3/13 2:00 - 3:00 NESTA Session: Harnessing the Power of Earth System Science for Developing Science Practices and Crosscutting Concepts
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3/13 Friends of Earth Science Reception
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Did you know?
Did you know that the ancient Greeks revered Gaea as the Earth goddess, and that she was the mother of the Titans and the first humans?Did you know that in Norse mythology, there is a huge rainbow bridge called Bifrost that connects Midgard, the realm of humans, to Asgard, the home of the gods?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Tallus slope
xTallus slope : An accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags or mountain cliffs
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
Soil Microbes Produce Less Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Than Expected With Global Warming
In dark, rich soils on every continent, microbes dealing with the effects of climate change aren't accelerating global warming the way scientists had predicted, a study by researchers at the University...Read more
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Real Climate: climate science from climate scientists
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