Geology

There is still great mystery surrounding the early beginnings of the Karnak temple. When did people first begin to settle in this area? How did the Nile river have an impact on this sacred location? New research is finally providing some answers.

Nearly 3,000 growing chasms have opened up in dozens of towns, swallowing up roads and houses in their path. Known as urban gullies, these destructive forces of nature are increasing rapidly and now threaten to displace more than 3.2 million people.

On the remote Yamal and Gydan peninsulas of western Siberia, the landscape is marked by massive craters that look as though the Earth has blown holes in itself. Now, 12 years after the first one was found, scientists say they know what's causing them.

As if hard vacuum, intense cosmic radiation, corrosive dust, meteors, and temperatures whiplashing hundreds of degrees between night and day weren't enough, personnel at future Moon bases will be at significant peril from moonquakes.

With a chemical formula nearly identical to fictional kryptonite, unique mineral jadarite has the potential to power a million electric vehicles each year. But it remains underground, beneath a Serbian valley, more than 20 years after it was found.

A subtle yet significant geological phenomenon is currently taking place beneath the African continent. Rhythmic surges of molten rocks, pulsing upward like a "heartbeat," are ripping the continent apart to pave the way for a new ocean.

A new study from scientists at Michigan State University sheds light on a recently discovered microbe and its potential for scavenging pollutants in deep soil. Further work could lead to novel solutions in providing clean drinking water worldwide.

China is going full Jules Verne as it prepares to go where no drill has gone before. As part of its Deep Ocean Drilling Program, the special-built Meng Xiang (梦想号, "Dream") drill ship is gearing up for a multi-year effort to pierce the Earth's crust.

Scientists have discovered the single largest repository of gold in the world that makes Fort Knox look like a piggy bank. Making up 99.999% of all the precious metal on the planet, it's just sitting there for the taking. However, there is a catch.

If you ever travel back in time around 41,000 years ago, pack some sunscreen. New research suggests that during a cataclysmic polar reversal, our ancestors might have covered themselves in mineral-rich ochre to survive harmful solar radiation.

An alarming new report reveals that right across the country, 28 US cities are sinking, showing the kind of geologic subsidence that could impact buildings and infrastructure sooner rather than later. But, scientists say it's not yet too late to fix.

Each year lightning kills hundreds of millions of trees worldwide, leaving behind scorched trunks and shattered branches, but one species of tropical tree in Panama has turned this destructive force of nature to their advantage.