Search | New Scientist

Reconstruction of Earth's surface 90 million years ago, showing North America, Europe and Africa fragmented

Watch how the continents have shifted over the past 100 million years

2 March 2023

The transformation of Earth’s land masses from the Cretaceous Period onwards have been reconstructed in unprecedented detail down to a 10-kilometre resolution

What are the mysterious continent-sized lumps deep inside Earth?

4 May 2022

For decades, planetary scientists have been trying to understand the origins of two colossal geological anomalies inside our planet. New insights suggest they could be leftovers from a cosmic collision

Wave-like flow at the surface of the Earth's outer core and background magnetic field lines.

Tiny magnetic waves have been discovered in Earth’s core

21 March 2022

Fluctuations in Earth’s magnetic field that repeat every seven years can be used to probe the inner workings of our planet

Crawford Lake, one of the few meromictic lakes around the world, highlight of the Crawford Lake Conservation Area, south of Milton, Ontario Canada; Shutterstock ID 145107226; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Geologists to pinpoint official birthplace of the Anthropocene in 2022

25 January 2022

Whether we are in a new geological epoch is still up for debate, but geologists have almost decided where on Earth should be the official birthplace of the Anthropocene

PAHOA, HI - MAY 4: In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, a column of robust, reddish-brown ash plume occurred after a magnitude 6.9 South Flank following the eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on May 4, 2018 in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa, Hawaii. The governor of Hawaii has declared a local state of emergency near the Mount Kilauea volcano after it erupted following a 5.0-magnitude earthquake, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,700 residents. (Photo by U.S. Geological Survey via Getty Images)

Plumes of rock that feed volcanic hotspots are surprisingly cold

6 January 2022

Geologists may need to come up with a new explanation for the sources of volcanic activity in places like Iceland and Hawaii

New mineral davemaoite discovered inside a diamond from Earth's mantle

11 November 2021

Trapped inside a tiny diamond, there are tinier crystals of a never-before-seen mineral that makes up 5 per cent of the lower mantle

The tides are getting stronger thanks to the shifting continents

15 May 2018

The ocean tides are the strongest they have been for millions of years, and they will get stronger for several million years to come – because of the position of the continents