Life's Little Mysteries Earth Archives
What's the Great Barrier Reef?
April 05, 2010, Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
The world's largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef is actually made up of 2,800 coral reefs and is home to thousands of fascinating species.
View Full Article »
How Are Oil Spills Cleaned?
April 05, 2010, Denise Chow, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
There are four basic ways to clean or contain an oil spill, and workers determine the most appropriate method depending on the location of the spill, potential hazards, weather conditions, waves and cu...
View Full Article »
Can You See a Sonic Boom?
March 28, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
Sonic booms can indeed be visible. The phenomenon occurs sometimes when a jet breaks the sound barrier.
View Full Article »
Why Is the Sky Blue?
March 25, 2010, Robert Roy Britt
Blue light has a short wavelength, and the particles in the air scatter it around, making the sky appear blue.
View Full Article »
Would I Weigh Less at the Equator?
March 25, 2010, Ben Mauk
Amazingly, you would experience less gravity at Earth's equator. An object's gravitational pull on another object depends upon both objects' masses and their mutual distance.
View Full Article »
Why is Grass Green?
March 25, 2010, Ben Mauk
Like many plants, most species of grass produce a bright pigment called chlorophyll.
View Full Article »
Why Does Copper Turn Green?
March 25, 2010, Andrea Thompson
Like other metals, it corrodes when left out in the elements.
View Full Article »
Why Does Rain Bring a Flood of Earthworms?
March 25, 2010, George Frederick
Earthworms will be all over you driveway when it rains hard. Here's why.
View Full Article »
Why Can't We Drink Saltwater?
March 24, 2010, Andrea Thompson
It tastes bad... and will leave you dehydrated.
View Full Article »
Why Are Tree Rings Lighter or Darker?
March 24, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
New wood formed in a tree during spring and summer is light in color.
View Full Article »
Where Do Electrons Get Energy to Spin Around an Atom's Nucleus?
March 24, 2010, Ben Mauk
Electrons were once thought to orbit a nucleus much as planets orbit the sun. That picture has since been obliterated by modern quantum mechanics.
View Full Article »
Where Are Most of Earth's Volcanoes?
March 23, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
Many volcanoes lie where you can't see them.
View Full Article »
What's the Longest Lake in the World?
March 23, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
The longest lake in the world is also a very popular place to live.
View Full Article »
What's the Largest Recorded Volcanic Eruption?
March 23, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
It wasn't in Italy, but the city it buried has been dubbed "The Pompeii of the East".
View Full Article »
What's the Deepest Canyon?
March 23, 2010, Andrea Thompson
Are you looking on Earth, or in the vast solar system?
View Full Article »
What's the Deadliest Natural Phenomenon?
March 23, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
Hurricanes may have a ferocious bark, but the bite of floods and droughts is worse.
View Full Article »
What's Smog?
March 23, 2010, Andrea Thompson
Just what is in that brown, hazy layer of air around you?
View Full Article »
What's the Fate of Earth?
March 23, 2010, Robert Roy Britt
Even if we survive the looming 90-year drought and the unknown ultimate consequences of climate change, and even if anti-aging research pans out and you can hang in there a couple more billion years, e...
View Full Article »
What is Fire?
March 23, 2010, Ben Mauk
Prometheus stole fire from the gods and bequeathed it to humans. Aristotle defined it as one of the four essential elements.
View Full Article »
What is Fool's Gold?
March 22, 2010, Corey Binns
Pyrite may be shiny and brass-colored, but any miner will tell you, it is not as good as gold.
View Full Article »
What is a Gold Karat?
March 22, 2010, Corey Binns
Most gold jewelry isn't made of pure gold.
View Full Article »
What Is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
March 22, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a backup supply of crude oil that's pumped into deep underground salt caverns.
View Full Article »
What's a Mirage?
March 22, 2010, Corey Binns
Puddles don't just evaporate instantly into thin air. Buildings don't shimmy like belly dancers. But sometimes, mirages make faraway objects look like they're rippling.
View Full Article »
What is a Landslide?
March 22, 2010, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
Landslides can happen can occur on land or water.
View Full Article »
What is a Sonic Boom? Can I See One?
March 22, 2010, Ben Mauk
The sound barrier is just a certain velocity relative to the surrounding environment, not an actual membrane to be penetrated by a jet's nose. Yet we have photos.
View Full Article »
