Geology

Stunningly preserved fossils of reptilian footprints and underbellies discovered last year in the Italian Alps have helped researchers unearth a tropical lakeside ecosystem that predates dinosaurs.

The near-complete database reflects a spirit of trust and collaboration among the country’s scientific community — but will it last?

Until now, Antarctica was the only continent on Earth without any known amber fossils. But sediment cores taken from below the seafloor have revealed a tiny piece of fossilized resin holding fragments of an ancient rainforest that covered the South Pole during the Cretaceous period.

Geologists found evidence in the way enigmatic sandstones called Tava formed in the Rocky Mountains hundreds of millions of years ago.

Emerging evidence suggests that plate tectonics, or the recycling of Earth's crust, may have begun much earlier than previously thought — and may be a big reason that our planet harbors life.

Earth surface is covered with rigid plates that move, crash into each other and dive into the planet's interior. But when did this process begin?

Nevada is becoming a major producer of lithium, thanks to topography, climate, and geologic serendipity.

Vietnam's Son Doong cave is so large, you could squeeze 15 Great Pyramids of Giza inside it and fly a Boeing 747 airplane through some of its passages.