Planet Earth

Earth from space In 2011, a ghostly depression, known as "the mitten," appeared on the surface of and ice sheet in Greenland after the unprecedented collapse of a concealed subglacial lake.

The "fastest evolving vertebrate" title is hotly contested, but here are a few contenders.

Tulip trees were long renowned for their carbon storage. Their unique wood may be responsible.

Human activities now account for two-thirds of all methane venting to the atmosphere, and our efforts to staunch the flow are not yet bearing fruit.

"Human evolution has occurred both due to, and in spite of, the placenta. Every pregnancy, unthinkingly, must navigate a careful path through it. Every menstruation is testament to it. It is partly why menopause exists, to give individuals an escape from the energetic costs associated with its imposition."

The Earth's core may be much younger than previously thought.

The world's largest hot desert, the Sahara, is being hit with unusually heavy rain. Scientists are unclear why, but it may be linked to a subdued Atlantic hurricane season.

Satellite data suggest a volcano in Tanzania that expels extremely runny lava could be creeping toward an eruption.

The growing "gateway to the underworld," officially known as the Batagay megaslump, is the largest megaslump in the world and exposes permafrost layers that are 650,000 years old.

The ancient coelacanth, which has existed for some 419 million years, never stopped evolving despite its reputation as a "living fossil." A new discovery reveals that it evolved faster when plate tectonics were most active.