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The Black Sea at Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria.
maps

The Paratethys Sea Was the Largest Lake in Earth’s History

The Black, Caspian, and Aral Seas are the last surviving fragments of a body of water that stretched from Austria to Turkmenistan.
Frank Jacobs March 3, 2023
Kaneana Cave
Waianae, Hawaii

Kaneana Cave

This coastal cavern is associated with the Hawaiian god of creation.
museums

Podcast: Jadeite Cabbage

A tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from Beijing’s Forbidden City to Taipei's National Palace Museum.
The Podcast Team February 22, 2023
floods

Washington's 'Washaway Beach' Experiment Is Reshaping Ideas About Coastal Erosion

In 2016, a concerned local dropped $400 worth of rock on a vanishing beach to see what would happen. Now engineers are watching, too.
Sarah Trent February 13, 2023
Rare foggy day
Ojai, California

Piedra Blanca

Unusual white sandstone formations in the Los Padres National Forest.
volcanoes

What Caused This Massive Mud Volcano Eruption in Indonesia?

For more than a decade, hot mud has oozed across thousands of acres, displacing entire villages.
Michael Hudec January 23, 2023
Winona, Missouri

Rocky Falls

A 40-foot waterfall flows into this unique natural swimming hole.
Lake Powell, Utah

Cathedral in the Desert

The damming of the Colorado River buried an iconic geologic formation before record-breaking drought brought it back.
It's one thing to see a bird of prey soaring on a thermal. It's another thing entirely to get this close to one.
amusement parks

Our Favorite Photos of 2022 Are a Feast for the Eyes and the Imagination

Wondrous portraits of feathered friends, lowriders, a handmade amusement park, and more.
Winnie Lee December 29, 2022
Dubuque, Iowa

Crystal Lake Cave

An underground wonderland in Iowa.
museums

Podcast: Fluorescent Rocks of Sterling Hill

A light show, courtesy of a historic New Jersey mine.
The Podcast Team November 30, 2022
At 10-times magnification, sand from Alaska's Point Spencer resembles semiprecious stones.
science

These Tiny Jewels Come From One of Alaska's Most Unusual Beaches

This microscopic treasure was collected from a remote site near the Arctic Circle.
Gemma Tarlach November 15, 2022
Neah Bay, Washington

Cape Flattery

At the most northwestern point of the contiguous United States lies a trail leading through an ancient forest to stunning cliff-side vistas and massive oceanside caves.
Arthur's Seat
Edinburgh, Scotland

Arthur's Seat

This extinct volcano rises above Edinburgh and is special for its panoramic views over the city.
Looking down on the foundations from the old mill site for the Mazama Queen mine.
Mazama, Washington

Mazama Queen Mine

The crumbling remains of a gold mine that was operational in the 1930s.
Garretson, South Dakota

Palisades State Park

These cliff and rock formations are made out of Sioux Quartzite.
Falls Creek Falls.
Rebel Creek, Nevada

Falls Creek Falls

An unusual waterfall in the Santa Rosa Range, within the Great Basin of Nevada.
Plug seen looking southeasterly, close-up.
Mono City, California

Basalt Plug

This large chunk of dark rock is a relic from an ancient volcanic eruption.