Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Alongside our planet’s oxygen rich atmosphere and plentiful water ...

Models of North China Craton deformation since the middle Jurassic, showing phases of flat slab subduction (a, b) and rollback (c, d). Key: overriding plate (O), downgoing plate (D), trench (T), ...

European geophysicists have achieved a highly precise measurement of Earth’s gravitational field, enabling them to explore ...

Continental clues: Modern continental rocks carry chemical signatures from the very start of our planet’s history, challenging current theories about plate tectonics. Researchers have made a new ...

In 1981, scientists discovered one of the thinnest portions of the Earth’s crust — a 1-mile (1.6 kilometers) thick, earthquake-prone spot under the Atlantic Ocean where the American and African ...

Memorizing seven continents feels settled, like learning the alphabet. A new study argues the ground rules are less tidy.

Earth's crust today has a surprisingly similar composition to the planet's first outer shell, or "protocrust," new research finds. This early rocky shell featured chemical signatures previously ...

The phenomenon has been happening for millions of years quietly beneath our feet and could shed new light on how the ...

Finland's river crystals hold clues about the formation of 'Scandinavia's' oldest bedrock 3.75 billion years ago. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here ...

Chris Kirkland receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia. Andreas Zametzer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive ...