Earth Science Facts

Surprising facts about Earth's age, core, plates, rocks, ice, fossils, and landscapes.

Visual learning: These pages use real Wikimedia Commons scientific diagrams, geology photographs, landforms, and glacier imagery.
Earth Layers
Earth LayersA cutaway diagram helps show crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
Plate Boundaries
Plate BoundariesGlobal maps reveal major tectonic plates and their boundaries.
Grand Canyon
Grand CanyonLayered rock records long periods of deposition, uplift, and erosion.
Glacier
GlacierGlaciers shape valleys and store large amounts of freshwater ice.

Earth's Age

Explore the key ideas behind earth's age.

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Moving Plates

Explore the key ideas behind moving plates.

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Hidden Core

Explore the key ideas behind hidden core.

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Oldest Rocks

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Ice and Sea Level

Explore the key ideas behind ice and sea level.

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Fossil Time

Explore the key ideas behind fossil time.

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Mountains Change

Explore the key ideas behind mountains change.

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Earth Is Active

Explore the key ideas behind earth is active.

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Earth's Age

Earth's Age is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying earth's age also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.

Moving Plates

Moving Plates is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying moving plates also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.

Hidden Core

Hidden Core is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying hidden core also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.

Oldest Rocks

Oldest Rocks is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying oldest rocks also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.

Ice and Sea Level

Ice and Sea Level is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying ice and sea level also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.

Fossil Time

Fossil Time is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying fossil time also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.

Mountains Change

Mountains Change is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying mountains change also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.

Earth Is Active

Earth Is Active is one part of the larger Earth system. Earth scientists compare rocks, landforms, maps, measurements, fossils, satellite observations, and field evidence to understand how this topic formed and how it changes over time. Studying earth is active also shows how slow geologic processes can build dramatic landscapes over thousands to millions of years. Weather, water, ice, gravity, heat from inside Earth, and plate movement often work together rather than acting separately.