How was the Earth built?

The Earth started as a mixture of gas and dust around the Sun and grew as it collided with asteroids and dust particles.

Alexander E. Gates, Professor of Earth and Environmental Science, Rutgers University - Newark • conversation
May 5, 2025 ~6 min

US-Ukraine deal highlights Ukraine’s wealth of critical minerals, but extracting them isn’t so simple

Critical minerals are in demand around the world for military, technology and other uses. A geoscientist shares what’s known about Ukraine’s reserves, which could help the country recover from war.

Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington • conversation
March 11, 2025 ~10 min


Ukraine has a wealth of critical minerals − but extracting them isn’t so simple

Critical minerals are in demand around the world for military, technology and other uses. A geoscientist shares what’s known about Ukraine’s reserves, which could help the country recover from war.

Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington • conversation
March 11, 2025 ~10 min

The workhorse ship of ocean drilling may have made its last voyage – here’s why scientists don’t want to see the JOIDES Resolution mothballed

The National Science Foundation says that the JOIDES Resolution has become too costly to fund. But scientists say its $72 million annual budget pales compared with discoveries the ship has enabled.

Suzanne OConnell, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, Wesleyan University • conversation
Sept. 3, 2024 ~11 min

Iceland’s recent volcanic eruptions driven by pooling magma are set to last centuries into the future

The eruptions that began in 2021 in Iceland could last for centuries, which is bad news for Icelanders but good news for scientists seeking to understand how the inner Earth works.

James Day, Professor of Geosciences, University of California, San Diego • conversation
July 31, 2024 ~8 min

Tiny crystals capture millions of years of mountain range history – a geologist excavates the Himalayas with a microscope

Measuring the concentration of radioactive elements in a single, sand-size crystal reveals the growth of the Himalayan mountain range over time.

Matthew J. Kohn, Professor of Geosciences, Boise State University • conversation
April 9, 2024 ~5 min

New England stone walls lie at the intersection of history, archaeology, ecology and geoscience, and deserve a science of their own

New England has thousands of miles of stone walls. A geoscientist explains why analyzing them scientifically is a solid step toward preserving them

Robert M. Thorson, Professor of Earth Science, University of Connecticut • conversation
Dec. 4, 2023 ~10 min

How do crystals form?

There are a lot of myths about crystals − for example, that they are magical rocks with healing powers. An earth scientist explains some of their amazing true science.

Natalie Bursztyn, Lecturer in Geosciences, University of Montana • conversation
Nov. 20, 2023 ~7 min


When Greenland was green: Ancient soil from beneath a mile of ice offers warnings for the future

Knowing Greenland’s ice-free history offers a warning for the future as global temperatures rise.

Tammy Rittenour, Professor of Geosciences and Director of Luminescence Lab, Utah State University • conversation
July 20, 2023 ~10 min

What are mud volcanoes?

When mud, fluids and gases erupt at the Earth’s surface, they hint at what’s happening underground, allowing scientists to build a more comprehensive 3D view of what’s going on inside our planet.

Michael R. Hudec, Senior Research Scientist at Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin • conversation
Dec. 19, 2022 ~9 min

/

2