New evidence from rocks, molecules and machine learning is forcing scientists to redraw the opening chapters of Earth’s story ...

Researchers have made a new discovery that changes our understanding of Earth's early geological history, challenging beliefs about how our continents formed and when plate tectonics began. A study ...

happened to collide with the Earth. The best-known episode is that in which the dinosaurs died 65 million years ago, but there have been many other catastrophic impacts both before then, and since.

Atoms found deep inside our planet argue that parts of “proto-Earth,” the early version of our planet, still survive inside the mantle.

Deep beneath our feet, at a staggering depth of over 5,100km, lies Earth's inner core — a solid ball of iron and nickel that plays a crucial role in shaping the conditions we experience on the surface ...

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), ...

Smithsonian researcher Wriju Chowdhury is part of an expedition searching for 4-billion-year-old crystals that could uncover the secrets behind Earth’s early history Emma Saaty A remote geologic ...

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 ...