Today marks what would have been the 105th birthday of Marie Tharp, the groundbreaking cartographer who revolutionized our understanding of the ocean floor. This piece honors her legacy—how her meticulous mapping work in the mid-20th century revealed the hidden contours of the seafloor, including the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and helped prove the theory of continental drift. Despite facing skepticism and sexism in her field, Tharp’s contributions laid the foundation for modern geology and oceanography.

Editor’s Note: Tharp’s story isn’t just about maps—it’s about persistence and how one person’s work can reshape entire fields. Her struggles as a woman in science also highlight the barriers many still face today. Celebrating her reminds us that behind every big discovery, there’s often an overlooked figure who changed the game.

A massive 8.7-magnitude earthquake just hit off Russia’s coast—the strongest since Japan’s devastating 2011 quake—triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific. Authorities are urging coastal communities to stay alert as waves could reach nearby shores.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just another tremor—it’s a rare, high-magnitude event with the potential to send dangerous waves across the Pacific. While it’s unclear yet how severe the impact will be, the scale of the quake and the widespread warnings mean millions should be paying attention. If you’re near the coast, now’s the time to check emergency alerts and know your evacuation routes.

Scientists have discovered a massive, slow-moving "hot blob" of molten rock beneath the Appalachians that likely broke off from Greenland when it separated from North America 80 million years ago. It’s been creeping southward at a glacial pace—about 12 miles every million years—and could eventually reach the New York area.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t something to panic about—we’re talking geological timescales here, so "eventually" means millions of years from now. But it’s a fascinating glimpse into how Earth’s mantle moves and reshapes continents over eons. For scientists, it’s like uncovering a hidden chapter in the planet’s history, showing how even the ground beneath our feet has a wild backstory.

Scientists have uncovered a massive, ancient volcanic chain stretching 400 miles beneath southern China. These long-dead volcanoes were formed around 800 million years ago when two tectonic plates smashed together during the breakup of Rodinia, Earth's prehistoric supercontinent.

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a massive, horseshoe-shaped zone in the Pacific Ocean packed with volcanoes and prone to earthquakes. It’s basically Earth’s most dramatic geological hotspot—where tectonic plates collide, causing everything from spectacular eruptions to devastating tremors.

A mysterious volcanic island popped up in the Caspian Sea near Azerbaijan, only to vanish almost as quickly as it appeared. Satellite images captured over two years show the fleeting landmass—dubbed a "ghost island"—forming after an underwater eruption and then eroding away into the sea. It's a rare, almost poetic reminder of how dynamic our planet can be.

Scientists have uncovered yet another prehistoric shark species in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave—this one, dubbed Macadens olsoni, had a distinctive set of curved teeth and prowled the oceans roughly 340 million years ago. The discovery adds another piece to the puzzle of ancient marine life hiding in what’s now the world’s longest cave system.