GEOSCI / EARTH SCIENCE
Inside
a
living
planet
Discover the forces, processes and systems that shape our world.
Explore Earth
Mount Merapi
Indonesia
FEATURED DISCOVERY
Africa's Giant
Explore the volcanic forces shaping Africa's largest mountain.
Explore Discovery
FEATURED ARTICLES
01 / 03
03
Asteroids
Learn how collisions between asteroids and Earth have shaped our planet's surface.
Explore article ↗RESEARCH
Advancing
Earth Science
Explore the research and discoveries revealing how our planet works, from its deep interior to the changing landscapes on its surface.
FIELDWORK · GEOLOGY · DISCOVERY
STATISTICS
Beneath the surface.
01
GEOCHRONOLOGY
A planet in the making.
GEOCHRONOLOGY
01 / 04
0
BILLION YEARS
A planet in the making.
Earth formed approximately 4.54 billion years ago, leaving a record of its history in ancient minerals and rocks.
FORMATION OF EARTH
4.54 Ga
02
HYDROSPHERE
A blue planet.
HYDROSPHERE
02 / 04
0
OCEAN COVERAGE
A blue planet.
Oceans cover approximately 71% of Earth's surface, shaping climate, ecosystems and the global water cycle.
EARTH'S SURFACE
71%
03
VOLCANOLOGY
A restless interior.
VOLCANOLOGY
03 / 04
0
POTENTIALLY ACTIVE
A restless interior.
More than 1,350 potentially active volcanoes, excluding those beneath the oceans, are recognised worldwide.
GLOBAL VOLCANISM
WORLDWIDE
04
SEISMOLOGY
A planet that never stands still.
SEISMOLOGY
04 / 04
0
DETECTABLE / YEAR
A planet that never stands still.
Roughly 500,000 earthquakes can be detected worldwide each year. Most are too small to be felt.
GLOBAL SEISMICITY
ESTIMATED