The first direct evidence of how and when tectonic plates move into the deepest reaches of the Earth is published in Nature today. Scientists hope their description of how plates collide with one sliding below the other into the rocky mantle could potentially improve their ability to assess earthquake risks. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Dr Chris MacLeod, from Cardiff University, said the Earth's crust appeared to be completely missing in an area thousands of kilometres across. He said it was an "open wound on the surface of the Earth", where the oceanic crust, usually 6-7km thick (3.7-4.3 miles), was simply not there. picked by Browntrout 3 years ago

Chondritic meteorites have a similar chemical composition to the sun and are therefore reliable witnesses as to what the solar nebula, from which the planets formed, was composed of. This can be used to deduce what the Earth consists of chemically. However, ETH Zurich researchers have now discovered that strictly speaking this fundamental geological assumption is not true. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Beetles first appeared on Earth at the same time as the earliest dinosaurs but turned out to be much better survivors, a new evolutionary study has shown. Today, there are an estimated 350,000 known species of beetle on Earth, and probably several million more yet to be discovered, say scientists. The insects account for about a quarter of all life forms on the planet. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Whether or not you believe in a flat earth or a spherical one, this should still give you a chance to read about flat earth theory and post your views. picked by TheStep 3 years ago

Movie trailer for the summer release. picked by subobisis 1 year ago

The Japanese lunar orbiter "Kaguya" saw earth, moon and sun line up on April 6, 2008 and captured another "Earth-rise" and "Earth-set" HDTV video - this time when the Earth was full. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

It’s exactly forty years ago today that Neil Armstrong took man’s first step on the moon.

And to mark the historic occasion Google Earth has taken the same leap in cyberspace.

The search engine leader today launched Moon in Google Earth, an interactive 3D atlas of the moon which allows space fans to take their very own virtual steps on the surface of our closest satellite. picked by AutumnLotus 4 months ago

A detailed analysis of the measurements of five different satellites has revealed the existence of warm cloak of plasma around Earth. This newfound feature is part of the magnetosphere, a shield of magnetic fields and electrically charged particles that surround and protect Earth from the onslaught of the solar wind. picked by AutumnLotus 11 months ago

An Arctic seal captured in Fort Lauderdale was taken to SeaWorld for treatment, leaving biologists wondering how the animal made it to Florida from its normal habitat near the North Pole. picked by suebe 3 years ago

The Flat Earth Society considers the notion of a round earth to be a conspiracy. picked by glik 2 years ago

Google Earth has some amazing and interesting images to be found. Here are a few, shown in video form (if you can ignore the cheesy music). picked by tundramonkey 3 years ago

1. Gravity is not the same over the surface of the Earth, 2. Atmosphere 'escapes', 3. The Earth is slowing down... picked by ubikuor 2 years ago

On July 1, scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod plan to begin a 40-day expedition of a ridge encased under the frozen Arctic Ocean. They plan to use robots to navigate and map its terrain and sample any life found near a series of underwater hot springs. picked by DrNothing 2 years ago

John Huston and his pal Tyler Fish became the first Americans to complete an unsupported ski trip to the North Pole this weekend. They carried everything with them without help. picked by suebe 6 months ago

Diamonds more than 4 billion years old -- nearly as old as the Earth itself -- have been discovered in Western Australia, giving scientists vital clues about the early history of our planet. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

In what might embarrass less adventurous souls, astronaut Koichi Wakata is returning to Earth with the underwear he used during his 4 1/2-month space station stay so scientists can check them out.
*Warning to researchers: He kept them on for a month at a stretch* picked by Bornbad 3 months ago

The UK’s national computing grid, along with their counterparts in the US (TeraGrid) and Europe have helped UCL (University College London) scientists shed light on how life on earth may have originated. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

NASA scientists said that sparkles and wavy radiances of the Northern Lights and the Aurora Australis are caused by blasts of magnetic energy between Earth and its satellite, the moon. picked by maxriter 1 year ago

We could have alien origins, say scientists who sent fossilized microscopic life-forms into space and back inside an artificial meteorite. The researchers attached the baseball-size rock to the outside of the European Space Agency's Foton M3 spacecraft to test whether biological material could survive the round-trip journey. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago