For many tourists, Mountain Lake in southwestern Virginia has been an idyllic retreat. But in 2008, it vanished, leaving behind only cracked earth and a small pond. In this multimedia presentation, EARTH reporter Cassandra Willyard tells the geologic story behind the lake's disappearing act.

Media stories that granite countertops can emit dangerous radiation have sparked panic among consumers. But such fears are baseless, experts say.

“Giant Crystal Cave,” a new National Geographic Channel documentary on exploration beneath Mexico’s Naica Mountain, follows three scientists into a harrowing cave of wonders.

For many tourists, Mountain Lake in southwestern Virginia has been an idyllic retreat. But in 2008, it vanished, leaving behind only cracked earth and a small pond. In this multimedia presentation, EARTH reporter Cassandra Willyard tells the geologic story behind the lake's disappearing act.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which provides drinking water to many Californians, is sinking rapidly, buoyed partly by aging levees that keep parts of the delta dry. But scientists now say they may be able to rebuild the delta — and sequester carbon in the process.

A magnitude-7.5 earthquake rocked through the Indonesian island of Sulawesi early Monday, leaving four dead and thousands homeless.

The Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, helped keep the ozone hole over Antarctica from growing. Now, new research suggests that the treaty also prevented significant regional climate change.

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Los Angeles Thursday (sort of). During the Great Southern California ShakeOut Drill — yes, it was only a drill — millions of people, from fire and rescue workers to scientists to schoolchildren, learned what being prepared for the "Big One" entails.

Alaska's North Slope contains a vast resource of natural gas hydrates — and a significant portion of that is technically recoverable, according to a new USGS assessment. As a a result, hydrates, once considered an unconventional energy resource, may soon be a significant part of the U.S. energy mix.

With the Martian winter approaching, the sun sets on NASA's solar-powered Phoenix Lander.

With sea levels projected to rise, the tiny island nation of Maldives is in desperate straits. So its new president has announced a radical plan — to use tourist dollars to buy a new homeland.