The Swimmer
On a clear, sunny Tuesday afternoon, last August, Andreas Fath climbed out of a river in Paducah, Ky. A small…
Category: Earth science
Inside the lost cave world of the Amazon’s tepui mountains
They are vast towers rising out of the jungles of the Amazon basin. Tepuis, rocky tabletop mountains isolated by hundreds…
Going deep
HOW low can you go? Dedicated deep cavers plumb the depths for an answer, and a newly announced expedition…
Where will lighting strike?
Michael McQuilken will never forget the day lightning struck his younger brother. On August 20, 1975, he and…
Burning to learn
In central California’s Yosemite National Park, it doesn’t take much to set the forest on fire. A discarded cigarette.…
Living Long Beneath the Sea
In the muck beneath the ocean floor, there’s something alive. Lots of somethings. But don’t worry: You’ll never see…
Icy inns at Earth’s end
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, reminding us once again of the deadly threat icebergs…
Seal scientists
Climate scientists concerned about global warming keep a close eye on Antarctica. There, some of the ice shelves that…