earth science

Before and After Photographs of the Washington Landslide

The U.S. Geological Survey has posted a pair of before-and-after Landsat photographs for the landslide in Oso, Washington. The landslide collapsed on March 22nd, burying the community of Oso and briefly blocking the river. https://gizmodo.com/hazard-risk-and-the-steelhead-landslide-in-washington-1551357211 Before: January 18, 2014 After: March 23, 2014 Head over to the USGS website for an interactive slider, where you…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Apr 1

Here’s What a 9.2 Earthquake Can Do to a City

It’s been fifty years since the Great Alaska Earthquake, the biggest ever to shake the United States. At magnitude 9.2, it leveled a city and was felt as far away as Texas. This fascinating short documentary reveals how it also led to a scientific breakthrough. At the time of Great Alaska Earthquake, the theory of…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 30

The Terrible Beauty of Volcanic Eruptions and Lava Flows

We’ve seen a volcano eruption filmed by a drone, and we’ve witnessed the fictional wrath of Mt. Doom. But this gallery of photos reveals the many faces of vulcanism, and they are the very definition of awesome. https://gizmodo.com/watch-a-volcano-eruption-up-close-as-filmed-by-a-drone-1544036414 Lava spews out from the volcano Eldfell, close of the homes, Heimaey, Iceland, January 1973 (Photo by…

io9 Vincze Miklós Mar 28

There is a scientific reason why it always rains on weekends

If you are in the northeastern United States, it’s likely that your weekend traffic makes it rain on Saturday and Sunday. In fact, most of us help control the weather in some way. Here’s how you are making the sun shine, or bringing on a thunderstorm. If you are in the northeastern United States, and…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Mar 10

What do these nighttime satellite photos reveal about civilization?

Looking at the Earth from orbit is fascinating, especially at night. That’s when you can measure the ways that human civilization covers the planet, and discover how national boundaries affect the electrical grid. North Koreaat night The only visible place is Pyongyang, the capital city. Its light emission is equivalent to the smaller town in…

io9 Vincze Miklós Mar 3

The terrible beauty of California’s impending rainstorm

After months of drought, California is about to get hit with a storm that is likely to be the biggest (and windiest) the state has seen in at least 3 years. In this satellite photo taken today by NOAA, you can see the storm approaching. Some cities in southern California are being ordered to evacuate…

io9 Annalee Newitz Feb 28

An earthquake threat is building up in the central U.S.

Seismologists have found that, contrary to popular thought, earthquakes in the central U.S. are not slowly tapering off — instead the threat appears to be building. A new research study, published today in Science by USGS seismologists Morgan Page and Susan Hough, looks at earthquake activity in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (see the red…

io9 Ria Misra Jan 23

California’s terrifying drought, summed up in two satellite images

California has declared a state of emergency after enduring months of a drought that has left the state with only half the rainfall of the lowest rainfall year on record. Nothing captures the foreboding more than these two stark images. California farms supply food to many other parts of the country and the world, so…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 22

Map shows which countries are contributing the most to climate change

This map, created by New Scientist, shows the size of the world’s countries based on how much their emissions are contributing to climate change and global warming. You can see that some countries appear larger than they are, and some are smaller, based on emissions. On average, the planet is slowly warming because of carbon…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 15

Beneath the Antarctic Ice Lies a Chasm Deeper than the Grand Canyon

Buried beneath thick slabs of Antarctic ice there lies a craggy landscape, home to mountains, valleys, and – scientists now know – a massive, subglacial gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon. https://gizmodo.com/this-is-what-antarctica-will-look-like-without-all-that-452404119 https://gizmodo.com/our-clearest-view-yet-of-antarctica-stripped-of-all-its-511636795 Photo Credit: IceBridge project scientist Michael Studinger captured this photograph of a stunning Antarctic icescape beneath a looming lenticular cloud on November…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jan 15

Why earthquakes are sometimes preceded by mysterious lights

For years, people have reported odd glowing and mysterious flickers of light before an earthquake. Now the phenomenon may finally be explained, in a new study that explores the unusual geology of the earthquakes associated with these sightings. For a long time, scientists dismissed the idea of “earthquake lights” as a legend. Then, in the…

io9 Ria Misra Jan 2

Strange Historic Photos From Antarctica and Other Kingdoms of Ice

Right now, a science expedition to Antarctica is trapped in ice, waiting to be freed so they can continue exploring. They’re just the latest group of humans to venture into the unpredictable, frozen world of the South Pole and beyond. Here are some of the most incredible and awe-inspiring images from over a century of…

io9 Vincze Miklós Jan 1

Yellowstone’s Megavolcano is more than twice the beast we feared

Beneath Yellowstone National Park lurks a vast caldera – a high-pressure volcanic cauldron brimming with enough gas and magma to make Mount St. Helens’ 1980-eruption look like a middle school science project by comparison. Now, newly reported findings suggest this megavolcanic reservoir is even bigger than previously believed. Much, much bigger. https://gizmodo.com/further-evidence-that-the-yellowstone-megavolcano-could-5940099 https://gizmodo.com/what-will-really-happen-when-yellowstone-volcano-has-a-508274690 Above: Grand…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Dec 13

Here’s what lurks inside the world’s deepest pits

In our quest for natural resources, humans have dug very, very deep into the Earth. We haven’t raised a Balrog yet, but we’ve accidentally lit pit fires that burn for decades, and we’ve caused earthquakes. Here are some insane pictures of the deepest pits we’ve ever dug. https://gizmodo.com/underground-fires-that-burn-for-decades-375485 https://gizmodo.com/human-caused-earthquake-rocks-chicago-1467122323 The Kola Superdeep Borehole in the…

io9 Vincze Miklós Nov 26

This is how the Earth’s weather looks to a supercomputer

NASA’s Discover supercomputer is capable of simulating the world’s weather at extremely fine resolutions. This high-res global atmospheric model, showing winds at a 6 mile (10 km) resolution, will help scientists better understand Earth’s complex and tumultuous climate system. NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS-5) can simulate worldwide weather down to 2 miles (3.5…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 21

Human-caused earthquake rocks Chicago

On November 4, an earthquake shook the suburbs of Chicago. It was an incredibly rare event for the region, and now scientists say it was caused by human activity. Specifically, explosions in a quarry set off the quake — and could do it again. According to Alex Ruppenthal, on My Suburban Life: Scientists still think…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 18

The coming food riots of the twenty-first century

The next century could witness the rise of severe localized famines, leading to food riots, vulnerability to pandemics, and other problems. A leaked intergovernmental report suggests that famine is a likely scenario for the near future. Several journalists, including the New York Times’ Andrew Revkin, have posted a leaked version of a report from the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 4

What is the Anthropocene, and are you living in it?

Humans have had such a dramatic impact on the planet that we’ve changed geological history. Future scientists will be able to find humanity’s distinctive chemical signature written into the rocky record of Earth’s crust. That signature marks the beginning of the Anthropocene, or the new human age. It sounds dramatic, but the Anthropocene has humble…

io9 Annalee Newitz Oct 24

How science fiction could get climate change right

We’ve all seen how terrible things can get when science fiction tries to tackle environmental issues. There’s The Day After Tomorrow, with its super ice-hurricanes, and The Host, starring fish monsters created by pollution. Still, there’s no reason you can’t have disaster porn and accurate representations of climate change at the same time. Here’s how.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Oct 23

Your planet is beautiful

Wind-sharpened jaws of sand are closing around the uncertain foam of the river. This gorgeous shot is via the European Space Agency’s Observing the Earth archive. Here’s what the ESA has to say about this: Korea’s Kompsat-2 satellite captured this image over the sand seas of the Namib Desert on 7 January 2012. The blue…

io9 Annalee Newitz Oct 7

Before and After Photographs of the Washington Landslide

Here’s What a 9.2 Earthquake Can Do to a City

The Terrible Beauty of Volcanic Eruptions and Lava Flows

There is a scientific reason why it always rains on weekends

What do these nighttime satellite photos reveal about civilization?

The terrible beauty of California’s impending rainstorm

An earthquake threat is building up in the central U.S.

California’s terrifying drought, summed up in two satellite images

Map shows which countries are contributing the most to climate change

Beneath the Antarctic Ice Lies a Chasm Deeper than the Grand Canyon

Why earthquakes are sometimes preceded by mysterious lights

Strange Historic Photos From Antarctica and Other Kingdoms of Ice

Yellowstone’s Megavolcano is more than twice the beast we feared

Here’s what lurks inside the world’s deepest pits

This is how the Earth’s weather looks to a supercomputer

Human-caused earthquake rocks Chicago

The coming food riots of the twenty-first century

What is the Anthropocene, and are you living in it?

How science fiction could get climate change right

Your planet is beautiful

‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Jumps to Big Opening Weekend

Artemis 2 Day 6: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Bose SoundLink Micro Speaker (2nd Gen) Reopens Below Black Friday Pricing, Big Sound in a Tiny Package at a Tinier Price

Skip the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Apple’s Entry-Level iPad (A16) Hits Its Lowest Price on Amazon

‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ Is a Fine Prequel to a Great TV Show

Apple App Store Experiences Surge in New Apps Amid Vibe Coding Boom

Report Says Software Engineer Job Listings Are Up 30% This Year

Microsoft Says You’re Not Supposed to Take Copilot’s Advice Seriously

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Let us help find what you are looking for...