Planet Earth

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Aerial view of road amidst trees during autumn, Vermont, United States, USA.
Why do leaves change color in the fall? Plants draw on a suite of pigments to produce energy from sunlight, and in the fall, some become more obvious than others.
Deep sea water abyss with blue sun light.
'Earth's civilizations are shaped by what the ocean engine does,' says oceanographer Helen Czerski In this interview, British oceanographer Helen Czerski explains the systems driving our ocean, compares it to a fancy cocktail, and explains what the next great ocean frontier is.
Rubidgeinae skull
'They seemed primed to take over': How the Great Dying doomed the 'beast tooth' and set the stage for the dawn of the dinosaurs "Much as we can only wonder today what knowledge was lost in the ransacking of the Library of Alexandria, we can also ponder what sort of magnificent creatures born of the Cambrian explosion were lost."

Latest about Planet Earth

Many valuable diamonds, raw and cut, for further processing for the jewelry industry.

What's the deepest-occurring gemstone on Earth?

By Amanda Heidt published

Very few gems can withstand the intense pressure of Earth's mantle, but some require it to crystallize.

Geology
illustration showing earth being bombarded with huge space rocks

Mystery blobs in Earth's mantle may be linked to ancient gold and platinum that arrived from space

By Stephanie Pappas published

The gold and platinum that came from giant space rocks should have sunk into Earth's core instead of rising to the crust. Scientists have now worked out how this happened — and it may explain some really weird blobs deep in our planet's mantle.

Geology
Sipuncula, Peanut Worm

10 phallic flora and fauna that look just like penises

By Patrick Pester published

Nature must think willies are funny, too.

Planet Earth
A color-enhanced image of surface water temperatures shows the Gulf Stream crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the Florida Straits.

Gulf Stream weakening now 99% certain, and ramifications will be global

By Ben Turner published

A new analysis has concluded that the Gulf Stream is definitely slowing, but whether it's due to climate change is hard to tell.

Planet Earth
The El Niño pattern stands out in the warm sea surface temperature anomalies in the Pacific in 2023.

A strong El Niño is coming this winter. What does that mean?

By Aaron Levine published

Thanks to El Niño, meteorologists are predict a snowy winter in the Rockies, storms and wet weather in the South and drier conditions in the Northwest and Uppder Midwest.

Weather
'The Fram in the Ice', 1895, (1897). Fram (Forward) was a ship used in northern and southern polar expeditions by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen. It was launched in 1892 and used until 1912. Currently it is preserved at the Fram Museum, Oslo. From Farthest North, Vol. 2 by Fridtjof Nansen. [Archibald Constable and Company, London, 1897]. Artist Unknown. (Photo by Print Collector/Getty Images)

The Fram: A Victorian expedition to the North Pole that was as brilliant as it was bonkers

By Helen Czerski published

British physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski explains how Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen's expedition to the North Pole was 'one of the most bonkers and brilliant experiments ever devised'.

Planet Earth
A beautifully detailed image of a leatherback turtle nesting at sunrise on the beach.

'This is the cost of living in seawater': The ingenious and (to us) heartbreaking way turtles survive the salty oceans

By Helen Czerski published

In this extract from the new book Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works, oceanographer Helen Czerski explains the ingenious way turtles contend with the extreme saltiness of the sea.

Planet Earth
Deep sea water abyss with blue sun light.

'Earth's civilizations are shaped by what the ocean engine does,' says oceanographer Helen Czerski

By Alexander McNamara published

In this interview, British oceanographer Helen Czerski explains the systems driving our ocean, compares it to a fancy cocktail, and explains what the next great ocean frontier is.

Planet Earth
Close-up of costume diamonds in a black background.

Is anything harder than a diamond?

By Laurel Hamers published

Diamonds are naturally hard, but is there anything from Earth, space or even a lab that's harder?

Geology
A Paper Nautilus drifts on a piece of ocean debris at night, surrounded by heavy sediment.

Eerie blackwater dive image shows paper nautilus floating on stick after volcanic eruption

By Annie Corinne Shaink published

A photograph of a paper nautilus in the aftermath of the Taal volcano eruption in the Philippines has won 2023 Ocean Photographer of the Year award.

Planet Earth
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