Start here · Essential guide
How the Earth Works, from Core to Crust
A plain guide to Earth's layers, from the iron core through the mantle to the thin crust, and the heat, motion and cycles that connect them.
Space and Science
Earth Science and Natural Hazards
How the planet works beneath and above the surface, and why hazards occur.
How Fossils Form and What They Tell Us
Learn how buried remains turn into fossils, why so few organisms are preserved, and what fossils reveal about ancient life, environments and Earth's history.
How Tsunamis Form and Travel
Learn how sudden seafloor movement, landslides and other triggers create tsunamis, why the waves cross oceans so fast, and why coastlines are hit hard.
How Volcanoes Erupt
Learn how magma, dissolved gas and pressure drive volcanic eruptions, and why some volcanoes flow gently while others explode with ash and fast-moving clouds.
Hurricanes, Cyclones and Typhoons: One Storm, Many Names
Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm. Learn how warm ocean water fuels them, why names differ by region, and where the main hazards come from.
Ice Ages: Why Earth Cools and Warms Over Long Periods
An introduction to ice ages: what the term means, how orbital cycles, greenhouse gases, continents and ocean circulation help explain glacial and warm periods.
Ocean Currents and How They Shape Climate
Learn how winds drive surface currents, how density drives deep circulation, and how both move heat around the planet and influence regional climates.
The Rock Cycle: How Rocks and Minerals Form
Learn how minerals form rocks, how igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks differ, and how heat, pressure, weathering and burial turn one type into another.
The Water Cycle Explained
Follow water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff and groundwater, and see how the Sun and gravity keep Earth's water moving.
Why Earthquakes Happen and How They Are Measured
Learn why faults slip and release seismic waves, how scientists locate earthquakes, and what magnitude and intensity scales do and do not tell you.
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