A study of the East African Rift reveals that ancient heating and dehydration can strengthen continental crust, reshaping how and where continents break apart.

Memorizing seven continents feels settled, like learning the alphabet. A new study argues the ground rules are less tidy.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Alongside our planet’s oxygen rich atmosphere and plentiful water ...

Models of North China Craton deformation since the middle Jurassic, showing phases of flat slab subduction (a, b) and rollback (c, d). Key: overriding plate (O), downgoing plate (D), trench (T), ...

In 1981, scientists discovered one of the thinnest portions of the Earth’s crust — a 1-mile (1.6 kilometers) thick, earthquake-prone spot under the Atlantic Ocean where the American and African ...

European geophysicists have achieved a highly precise measurement of Earth’s gravitational field, enabling them to explore ...

Continental clues: Modern continental rocks carry chemical signatures from the very start of our planet’s history, challenging current theories about plate tectonics. Researchers have made a new ...

Chris Kirkland receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia. Andreas Zametzer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive ...

A buried wedge of stiff mantle rock might be the reason why the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau have stayed so high for tens of millions of years. A new study suggests that this hidden layer, ...