There's a billion-year gap in Earth's geological history. A new study seeks to explain the mystery.

In 1869, John Wesley Powell was studying layers of rock in the Grand Canyon when he noticed an unconformity in the layers. Around a billion years were missing, and the problem turned out to be global.

A layer of rock just 520 million years old sat directly on top of ancient rock dating back 1.4 to 1.8 billion years.

From climate change to species loss and pollution, humans have etched their impact on Earth with such strength and permanence since the middle of the 20th century that a special team of scientists ...

Earth is truly unique among our solar system's planets. It has vast water oceans and abundant life. But Earth is also unique because it is the only planet with plate tectonics, which shaped its ...

Venus is often called Earth’s twin, but the two planets evolved into dramatically different worlds. Scientists believe the explanation may lie in the planet’s geology and the absence of key geographic ...

A thin slice of the ancient rocks collected from Gakkel Ridge near the North Pole, photographed under a microscope and seen under cross-polarized light. Field width ~ 14mm. Credit: E. Cottrell, ...

The Department of Geology is about much more than rocks and minerals. Its faculty and students perform cutting-edge research on everything from how glaciers react to climate change to how molten lava ...