Discover our planet, one place at a time
New Zealand's Great Walks offer breathtaking treks through fiords and volcanoes, but this wilderness is no accident. Delve into the fascinating story of how these world-famous trails are meticulously engineered…
When the sun's activity plummets, it's not just an astronomical event—it redraws the map of our world. Explore how these Grand Solar Minimums triggered the Little Ice Age, freezing Europe's…
Ever wondered about those strange, elongated hills that dot the landscape in certain parts of the world? These are drumlins, the teardrop-shaped footprints left behind by colossal ancient glaciers. Discover…
Scattered across the vast, white expanses of Earth's glaciers are small, dark pools of water called cryoconite holes. Far from being empty, these holes are bustling micro-worlds, hosting resilient communities…
Have you ever wondered what gives some mountain lakes their stunning, opaque turquoise color? The secret lies in "glacial milk", a cloudy meltwater rich with fine rock flour ground from…
Not all surfaces are created equal when it comes to heat. We explore the Albedo effect—the measure of a surface's reflectivity—and how its geography, from the brilliant white ice caps…
Discover the powerful, gravity-driven winds that form when cold, dense air pours down from high elevations. We journey from the ferocious gales of Antarctica's ice sheets to California's infamous Santa…
Ever wondered why the coast of Brazil seems to fit so neatly against Africa? This is just one clue to a lost world—the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Journey with us…
Beneath the immense ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland lies a hidden realm of liquid water, home to vast, interconnected subglacial lakes. These dark, isolated worlds may harbor unique life…
Witness the thunderous crash of a glacier meeting the sea, a spectacle of raw natural power. But this dramatic collapse is more than just a show; it's a complex physical…
Ancient pollen grains, preserved for millennia in sediment, are microscopic time capsules. Scientists use palynology (the study of pollen) to reconstruct past climates and landscapes, track the spread of human…
Explore the fascinating world of moulins, the near-vertical shafts that funnel meltwater from a glacier's surface to its base. These "glacial mills" act as a powerful lubricant, dramatically reducing friction…
Beyond the colossal power of glaciers lies a subtler, yet equally dramatic world. These are the periglacial landscapes, found at the frigid edges of ice sheets and in the vast…
Journey to New Zealand's Fiordland, a primeval world sculpted by colossal glaciers. Plunge into the dramatic geography of how rivers of ice carved deep fiords, creating a landscape of vertical…
Discover the "bisses" of Switzerland, ancient irrigation channels carved into the sheer cliffs of the Valais region. These marvels of medieval engineering were built to divert precious glacial water to…
Uncover how a simple list of Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet, compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891, spawned the national pastime of "Munro bagging." This recreational pursuit has created…
For centuries, the unique geography of Ireland's peat bogs has provided 'turf', a fuel source that shaped the landscape and became the very scent of rural life. Today, this ancient…
Discover how a period of global cooling from c. 1300-1850, known as the Little Ice Age, rewrote human history. From the mysterious disappearance of Viking colonies in Greenland to the…
In Iceland, where colossal glaciers conceal active volcanoes, a terrifying phenomenon known as a jökulhlaup can occur. These sudden and catastrophic glacial outburst floods are among the most powerful natural…
Dive deep into the science of the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt, the massive current that regulates Earth's climate by transporting heat around the globe. Discover how this planetary-scale system, driven…