Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

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...

Apr 30, 2010

Methane Tracking Could Size Up Gulf Oil Slick

Sizing up the oil gusher from the Deepwater Horizon disaster has proven difficult so far, but one scientist suggests that measuring methane in the water could give a better idea of how much oil has spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. Methane makes up about 40 percent of the leaking...

Mar 31, 2010

How Are Oil Spills Cleaned?

On Monday, workers in Australia rushed to contain an oil spill from a grounded ship in the Great Barrier Reef. The Chinese-registered Shen Neng 1 ship was carrying 72,000 tons (65,000 metric tons) of coal, and was loaded with 1,000 tons (950 metric tons) of fuel when it collided into...

Mar 31, 2010

How Do Flowers Know When to Bloom?

Flower petals breaking through the snow, an early hint of spring's arrival, hides a very complex genetic process behind its floral façade. Flowers know when to bloom because of a gene named Apetala1. A lone master gene, Apetala1 triggers the reproductive development of a plant, telling it when it's time...

Mar 31, 2010

Ancient Supervolcano Created Giant Underwater Mountain Chain

A supervolcano on the ocean floor might have spewed massive amounts of lava in a rapid amount of time, new findings that could help reveal the mysterious origin of some of these ancient goliaths, which may have triggered mass extinctions through Earth's history. Roughly a dozen supervolcanoes currently exist. Some...

Mar 31, 2010

Scientists Race to Engineer a New Magnet for Electronics

A magnet at the heart of high-tech products such as cell phones and hybrid cars relies upon an increasingly scarce supply of the rare earth element known as neodymium. Now one of the original inventors of that magnet hopes to create a new generation of magnetic materials that can ease...