Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

May 31, 2010

The World's Biggest Oceans and Seas

Intro Marit Jentoft-Nilsen/NASA Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface, with the largest body of water, the Pacific Ocean, taking up more than one-third of the planet's surface. All of the oceans on Earth are estimated to have a volume of 0.3 billion cubic miles (1.332 billion...

May 31, 2010

New Web Site Launches: OurAmazingPlanet

A half-century ago, two U.S. Navy explorers ventured to the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, nearly 7 miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Nobody has returned to the abyss since, and most of the oceans remain largely unexplored. So today, World Oceans Day, LiveScience's parent company,...

May 31, 2010

How Hot Is Lava?

Ice melts at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Chocolate melts at 90 F. But rock? Now we're talking a lot more heat. Lava, the melted rock that shoots out of volcanoes, can flow at temperatures of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. Lava that's on the cooler side comes out of volcanoes at only...

May 31, 2010

Depth of Himalayan Mountain Roots Revealed

An epic collision between two ancient continents pushed the Himalayas up fom the Earth's surface. That much is known, but a new study reveals how deep the unseen wreckage penetrated underground. Sprawling sections of the Earth's crust — the rocky plates floating on the scorching, molten rock inside the Earth,...

May 31, 2010

Earth's Atmospheric Layers Seen from Space

A spectacular new image taken by astronauts on the International Space Station shows the various layers of Earth's atmosphere during sunset over the Indian Ocean. A brilliant sequence of colors in the image denotes each of the layers of Earth's atmosphere, which are visible here because the picture was taken...

May 31, 2010

What Does Poison Ivy Look Like?

The leaves of poison ivy plants consist of three leaflets, and each leaflet has a pointed tip and can be bright or dull green, according to the National Park Service. The leaflets are usually at least an inch and a half (3 centimeters) long. The edges of the leaflets can...

May 31, 2010

This Is Not Mars

This barren, reddish terrain may look like it belongs on Earth's neighbor, but it's no Martian landscape -- it's actually a unique geological feature in Australia. Located in the Northern Territory of Australia, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park hosts some of the world's most spectacular examples of inselbergs, or isolated mountains....

May 31, 2010

Magma Plume Discovered Under Southern Africa

A blob of the Earth's gooey insides linked to volcanic eruptions has been detected below southern Africa. The newly discovered blob is known to geologists as a mid-mantle plume. Mantle plumes are columns of hot, gushy gunk that flow toward the Earth's surface and are a known contributor to volcanic...

May 31, 2010

Canyons Form Quickly, Recent Gusher Suggests

Some of the most spectacular canyons on Earth and Mars were probably formed in the geologic blink of an eye, suggests a new study that found clues to their formation deep in the heart of Texas. Lake Canyon Gorge, a 23-feet- (7-meter-) deep canyon in Comal County, Texas, was carved...

May 31, 2010

In Photos: The Wild Cats of Kruger National Park

Kruger Park (Image credit: Linda and Dr. Dick Buscher) Kruger National Park is the flagship of South Africa's extensive national park system. With more than 4.9 million acres of the Lowveld region's environment under protection, this African paradise is unmatched in plant and animal diversity and number. Kruger Park (Image...

May 31, 2010

Pollution Continues to Blight National Parks

Pesticides and other pollution from agricultural and industrial sources are a continuing concern in national parks of the West, two new studies confirm. In research performed by an international group of scientists from 2003 to 2005, pesticides and other forms of pollution were found in eight national parks and preserves...

May 31, 2010

Open the Floodgates: Mighty Mississippi Could Fight Oil Slick

Oil has hit the fragile Gulf coast wetlands. To fight it, the mighty Mississippi River must get even mightier, scientists suggest. The battle plan is simple: Open the floodgates on the Mississippi River leg that runs through New Orleans and the rushing water will block the BP Deepwater Horizon oil...

Apr 30, 2010

How Much Longer Will the Eyjafjallajokull Volcanic Eruption Last?

Since the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull began exploding on March 20, the eruption has cycled from low rumblings to economy-altering detonations and then back to a gentle trickle of magma. Unlike most volcanoes, Eyjafjallajokull erupts at varying speeds and strengths. Each burst can be prolonged for years, and making predictions about...

Apr 30, 2010

What's The Deepest Lake In The World?

The Great Lakes aren't all that great, in terms of depth anyway. At over a mile deep (1,642 meters or 5,387 feet) Lake Baikal in the Russian region of Siberia is the deepest lake in the world. It's also the most voluminous freshwater lake on the planet. Lake Baikal is...

Apr 30, 2010

How Are Fake Diamonds Made?

Diamonds are one of the world's most valuable commodities, the planet's hardest substance and perhaps the most symbolic expression of love and commitment found in nature. Except when they aren't. While real diamonds form deep within the earth during geological processes spanning billions of years, so-called fake, or manmade, diamonds...