Geology

Oceans apartNew research suggests that ocean-crust formation is a dynamic process.

Greenhouse gas can find a home undergroundNew MIT analysis shows there’s enough room to safely store at least a century’s worth of U.S. fossil fuel emissions.

An eruption-fueled extinction?Enormous volcanic eruptions may have triggered the worst extinction in Earth’s history.

Timeline of a mass extinctionNew evidence points to rapid collapse of Earth’s species 252 million years ago.

The first hairy microbesNew fossils reveal oldest known ciliates.

The tallest tree in the landNew model predicts maximum tree height across the United States; gives information about forest density, carbon storage.

Ancient armorFossils from the Yukon reveal protective plates for microscopic organisms.

Explained: Measuring earthquakesHow do scientists measure jolts such as the recent disaster in Japan? Hint: They don’t use the Richter scale.

Cold asteroids may have a soft heartPartially molten small bodies may be abundant in space, and may have given the Earth its oceans.