December 2018

130-million-year-old Insects Trapped in Amber Right When They Were Born

One of the newly discovered millipede fossilized in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Burma). Credit: Dr Thomas Wesener …

Research Reveals 'Fundamental Finding' About Earth's Outer Core

Researchers used cutting-edge supercomputing techniques to make a critical discovery about the chemical composition of th…

Earth Loses Hundreds of Tons of Atmosphere to Space Every Day

Earth Loses Hundreds of Tons of Atmosphere to Space Every Day. Credit: ESA/AOES Medialab Scientists have know…

Why Is Sea Level Rising Faster in Some Places Along the US East Coast Than Others?

(Photo courtesy Joseph R. Melanson, skypic.com) Sea levels are rising globally from ocean warming and melting of land…

Rare-earth Elements Discovered in Georgia Kaolin Mines, Study Finds

Scheelite. Photo: Rob Lavinsky The high-density minerals in the Georgia kaolin mines are potential sources of…

Largest Known Diamond in North America Found

The record-setting stone was found in October, according to Dominion Diamond Mines. The find is said to be more than doub…

Oceans Are Being Sucked Into Earth’s Interior Through World’s Deepest Trenches

File photo of a deep sea trench. The Mariana Trench is the deepest natural point on Earth. Photo: ISTOCK Thr…

Two Earthquakes Shake Eastern Tennessee, Felt by Some in Upstate

Google Map. Two earthquakes struck Wednesday morning in eastern Tennessee, rattling people awake across several Southe…

Scientists Reveal a Massive Biosphere of Life Hidden Under Earth's Surface

A nematode (eukaryote) in a biofilm of microorganisms. This deep-dwelling creature (Poikilolaimus sp.) was discovered in …

NASA: Arctic Sea Ice Decline Slows Down Temporarily

Captured on Landsat 8, the image shows a view of the Anzhu Islands in the Arctic Ocean during the summer melt season. (Ph…

This Beach Has Sand That Looks Exactly Like Popcorn

If you thought there were only sand and pebble beaches in the world, then you’re in for a surprise. There’s a bay in the …

Gemstone Turns Out to Be Fossil of an Unknown Dinosaur

A new kelpie-sized dinosaur has been identified in the Lightning Ridge opal fields, 100 million years after it roamed prehi…

Volcanoes Fueled by 'Mush' Reservoirs, Not Magma Chambers

Photo: (USGS) Volcanoes are not fed by molten magma formed in large chambers finds a new study, overturning classic id…

Fossil Algae Reveal 500 Million Years of Climate Change

Fossil Algae. Photo: James St. John Earth scientists are able to travel far back in time to reconstruct the geologic…