A study on tectonic plates that converge on the Tibetan Plateau has shown that Earth's fault lines are far weaker and the ...

Carbon released from Earth's spreading tectonic plates, not volcanoes, may have triggered major transitions between ancient ice ages and warm climates, new research finds.

Our planet has experienced dramatic climate shifts throughout its history, oscillating between freezing "icehouse" periods ...

How moving tectonic plates and rising heat from deep within Earth created one of the ocean’s largest canyons. On land, giant canyons like the Grand Canyon are usually the slow handiwork of rivers that ...

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

Learn about the movement of tectonic plates off the coast of northern California, a process that could incite major earthquakes. The hidden processes that drive earthquakes cause a lot of commotion ...

Scientists have traditionally focused on volcanic arcs as the main natural source of atmospheric carbon dioxide. These form ...

For decades, geologists labeled a billion-year stretch of Earth’s history—from 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago—as the “Boring Billion.” They assumed not much occurred during the time: mountain building ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. David Bressan is a geologist who covers curiosities about Earth. A new study, using a combination of old models, new geophysical ...

The history of Earth's continents might be different from what we first thought. The most popular theory of how the continents formed billions of years ago may not be right, according to a paper in ...

Learn more about how Earth’s crust unzipped beneath the Atlantic Ocean, creating a giant underwater canyon.