Earth serves as a crucial analogue for comparative planetology, allowing scientists to test techniques and technologies in a familiar setting before applying them to other planets, leveraging shared ...

A new analysis of rocks thought to be at least 2.5 billion years old helps clarify the chemical history of Earth's mantle -- the geologic layer beneath the planet's crust. The findings hone scientists ...

A new international study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters reveals that the boundaries between geological epochs and periods, even though randomly distributed, follow a hidden, ...

A team of scientists thinks the planet may have been thrust into its longest ice age because less gas leaked out of volcanoes. By Katrina Miller Around 717 million years ago, Earth’s humid landscapes ...

University of Wyoming geology Professor and National Geographic Explorer Ken Sims has published a new book on the application of isotopes to understanding earth system processes. “Isotopic Constraints ...

There are 35 large Archean cratons around the world that form the geologic core of tectonic plates. Because they’re located at the interior of plates, these landmasses often remain unaltered over the ...

Tiny crystals preserved in ancient beach sands are offering scientists a new way to read the deep history of Australia’s landscapes.

Mountain building, also known as orogenesis, is a geological process that involves the formation and uplift of large, elevated landforms, known as mountains. The term "orogenesis" comes from Greek ...

Scientists studying rocks in South Africa report evidence for the earliest known earthquake triggered by plate tectonics. The temblor struck more than 3 billion years ago. The rocks preserve telltale ...

A thin slice of the ancient rocks collected from Gakkel Ridge near the North Pole, photographed under a microscope and seen under cross-polarized light. Field width ~ 14mm. Credit: E. Cottrell, ...

A thin slice of the ancient rocks collected from Gakkel Ridge near the North Pole, photographed under a microscope and seen under cross-polarized light. Field width ~ 14mm. Analyzing rocks in thin ...