February 13, 2019
Piecing together the big picture of coral reef health
Today, news of damaged or devastated coral reefs has become commonplace. Reefs face many threats, including bleaching, disease, overfishing, …
The EARTH archive
Mapping
Explore the archive by subject.
30 articles · Page 1 of 2
January 17, 2019
Wrangling the data to choose Mars landing sites
NASA has sent four rovers to Mars, and the fifth — the Mars 2020 Rover — is slated to launch in summer 2020 for an early 2021 arrival. Selecting …
November 8, 2018
Comment: National Geological Surveys: The past, present and future
The world’s oldest national geological survey is 183 years old; the youngest is 19. These two, and every other one out there, represent countries …
May 23, 2018
Down to Earth With: John 'Jack' Reed Jr.
Geologist Jack Reed spent his career studying rocks the most strenuous way someone can — by climbing them. During much of his 47 years with the …
April 10, 2018
New map of Titan shows moon's hidden surface
Before NASA’s Cassini mission, which ended in 2017 after 13 years orbiting Saturn, little was known about the surface of the planet’s largest …
April 10, 2018
Unprecedented exploration of undersea volcano yields surprising results
Underwater volcanic eruptions happen every day, but because of the vastness of the ocean and the great depth of water blocking the view, catching …
March 20, 2018
Benchmarks: April 4, 2011: Air France Flight 447 wreckage found using modern oceanography tools
In the early morning hours of March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370), en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, lost communication with …
February 27, 2018
Ice (Re)Cap: March 2018
From Antarctica to the Arctic; from polar caps, permafrost and glaciers to ocean-rafted sea ice; and from burly bears to cold-loving microbes, …
January 12, 2018
Fossil reefs show sea level rose in bursts
Off the coast of Texas, a collection of fossil coral reefs sits under 60 meters of water — relics from 20,000 years ago, when the sea surface was …
December 14, 2017
Nautical charts reveal coral decline around Florida Keys
Coral reef cover is known to have decreased over the past few decades, but longer term estimates of coral cover have been difficult to …
September 19, 2017
Mapping Louisiana's disappearing shoreline
Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost an area of coastal wetlands larger than the state of Delaware. A new map, published in GSA Today, charts the …
September 14, 2017
New map of Arctic geology published
At first glance, it might seem there’s little more to the Arctic than frozen tundra, ice and seawater, but the top of the world is home to some …
June 19, 2017
New global volcanic emissions map debuts
Volcanoes may not always be erupting ash or lava, but that doesn’t mean they’re not venting other materials. Many, in fact, continuously spew …
April 6, 2017
Breakup of Pangea led to thicker oceanic crust
Oceanic crust formed at mid-ocean spreading centers, like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is recycled back into the mantle at subduction zones. Aside …
August 23, 2016
Benchmarks: August 24, 1873: The Mount of the Holy Cross is found, photographed and mapped
The rumors had persisted for decades, some said for centuries. Deep in the Colorado Rockies was a mystical mountain. Upon the face of a towering …
August 16, 2016
First global topographic map of Mercury released
Mercury’s surface is arid, gray and scarred by craters over much of its landscape. Given its close proximity to the sun, a manned trip to Mercury …
July 6, 2016
Illustrating Geology: Great images that transformed the field
Last year marked the 200th anniversary of the publication of what many consider the greatest geologic image ever produced: William Smith’s epic …
June 17, 2016
Comment: What's a map worth? The big cost and bigger benefit of three-dimensional elevation data
High-resolution topographic data are critical for a number of tasks — from managing flood risks to ensuring aviation safety to mapping hiking …
June 16, 2016
Red Planet Roundup: July 2016
With two rovers patrolling the surface of Mars, five spacecraft orbiting above it, and scientists here on Earth studying the Red Planet from …
June 15, 2016
A new gravity map of Earth
Gravity differs from place to place around Earth because of the uneven distribution of mass across and within the planet. Scientists can study …
May 20, 2016
Seeing the seafloor in high definition: Modern mapping offers increasing clarity on Earth's vast underwater landscape
Gliding through pitch-black waters 50 meters off the ocean bottom, the “D. Allan B” can sense the seafloor below in striking clarity, despite the …
May 16, 2016
Comment: Assessing the threat from massive rock slope failures in the Norwegian fjordlands
All high-latitude coastlines with pronounced relief are characteristically incised by deep fjords — carved by repeated glacial cycles — reaching …
April 21, 2016
First all-digital geologic map of Alaska released
When it comes to natural beauty, Alaska’s rugged, massive landscape is an embarrassment of riches, with towering mountains and lush forests, …
April 13, 2016
Down to Earth With: Tectonicist Eldridge Moores
“When Eldridge Moores was 10 years old, his family lived in Crown King, Ariz., a tiny, remote mining settlement high in the rugged Yavapai …