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Thousands of coal fires burn around the world; in the U.S., more than 100 underground fires are burning in at least nine states. Some have been burning for decades, but although they present a health and environmental hazard, they have been difficult to extinguish.
Can the carbon dioxide emitted by volcanoes really be considered "missing science" in the climate change debate, as a 2009 bestselling book claimed? No — the real missing science, geologist Terry Gerlach says, is when popular books don't include the most recent or accurate data to support their claims.
What should scientists say if the truth is they are quite uncertain about what might happen in the future, as is usually the case? It is a real dilemma, but there is a need for plain talk — admitting what scientists don't know and simultaneously telling people how to prepare for natural hazards.
Is every snowflake truly unique? Physicist Kenneth Libbrecht has made a career out of photographing the variety of snowflake shapes, from familiar six-sided forms to more exotic "bullet rosettes" and "capped columns." EARTH's latest slideshow takes you on a visual tour of these delicate ice crystals.
Tired of waiting for a chance to fly to the moon? The Open Space Movement, a platform for anyone interested in developing and funding aerospace technology to share ideas, is here — and its founders hope to jet us ahead toward the future of aerospace engineering.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the city is better prepared for another storm, but there's still a lot of work to be done.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the city is better prepared for another storm, but there's still a lot of work to be done.
Debate continues over how much oil remains in the Gulf from last April's spill — but one thing we do know, thanks to a new study, is that in addition to the oil visible at the surface, the leaking well produced a subsurface plume of oil 1,100 meters deep.
Can the carbon dioxide emitted by volcanoes really be considered "missing science" in the climate change debate, as a 2009 bestselling book claimed? No — the real missing science, geologist Terry Gerlach says, is when popular books don't include the most recent or accurate data to support their claims.
