Tectonic plates
The deadliest earthquakes in history
Over 11,000 people have been killed in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Northern Syria on Monday. Some past earthquakes have been even deadlier.
How Mauna Loa went from a hot blob to the biggest volcano in the world
Hawaii's Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano in the world. But how was it formed?
Earthquakes along San Andreas linked with shifts in Earth's magnetic field
Earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates suddenly slipping at fault lines, releasing large amounts of energy as seismic waves.
Stirring New Zealand Supervolcano Moves Ground Above It
The lakebed of Lake Taupō, which sits in the caldera of a supervolcano, is shifting in various places due to the volcano's magma.
How a 'Huge, Silent' Earthquake Caused a Mysterious Global Tsunami
The "hidden" earthquake caused a tsunami recorded over 6,200 miles from the epicenter, researchers said.
Iceland Earthquake Swarm Hits 9,000 Quakes in 10 Days
The swarm started on June 19 and so far three of the earthquakes have been above magnitude 5.
One of Africa's Tectonic Plates Is Rotating in a Different Direction
Researchers have found the counterclockwise movement is down to the lithosphere, rather than a mantle plume rising from the deep.
Fragment of Ancient Lost Continent Revealed Off the Coast of Canada
"Finding these 'lost' pieces is like finding a missing piece of a puzzle. The scientific puzzle of the ancient Earth can't be complete without all of the pieces," said researcher Maya Kopylova.
This Is What Earth Would Look Like If the Oceans Slowly Drained Away
"The ocean floor is just as variable and interesting in its geology as the continents," planetary scientist James O'Donoghue said.
Earth's Tectonic Plates Began Moving Around 2.5 Billion Years Ago
When exactly plate tectonics emerged and how it has evolved through time are two of the most significant and hotly debated questions in Earth sciences today.
Ice Ages 'Caused by Collision of Earth's Continents'
The collision triggers a chemical reaction that causes carbon dioxide to be sucked from the atmosphere.
Northern CA Hit by 11 Earthquakes Over Weekend
The largest of the quakes measured 4.5 on the Richter scale.
What Earth's Next Supercontinent Might Look Like
Four scientific scenarios for how Earth's tectonic plates might move over the next 200 million years or so.
Oceans Are Being Sucked Into Earth's Interior
Three times more water than previously estimated is being dragged down through Earth's subduction zones .
Earthquake Rattles Iran's Only Nuclear Power Plant
The quake struck 60 miles from the Bushehr nuclear plant in the south of the country.
Yellowstone Supervolcano Fueled By Pacific Ocean Plates
A recent study further unravels the mystery of Yellowstone's volcanic system.
Giant Oxygen Explosions Could Have Set Stage for Life
Molten rock deep below Earth's surface could have been crucial to life taking off.
Supercontinent Pangaea's Breakup Caused Planet to Warm
Giant global networks of rift valleys had an impact way above the surface of the Earth.
Scientists Have Drilled Into a Dangerous Tectonic Plate
The borehole revealed extreme underground heat and fluid pressure that could be used as a source of geothermal energy.
Scientists Discover Ancient Continent Beneath Mauritius
The continent likely broke off from a supercontinent hundreds of millions of years ago.