'The Earth, instead of appearing as an inert statue, is a living, mobile thing.' - Geologist John Tuzo Wilson (1908 - 1993)

- Astronaut Buzz Aldrin (1930-present)

- Poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

Explore key moments in Earth’s transformative history as continents drift and climate fluctuates over 4.6 billion years. The Smithsonian presents a series of interactive snapshots of the earth. From its toddler years during the Hadean period, when its surface was mostly molten, to the mostly unidentifiable landmasses of the future earth, 100 million years from now.

From the crust to the core, each of Earth's layers—some solid, some liquid—plays a role in generating its magnetic field, moving tectonic plates, and cycling matter. These details are determined through modeling since humans have only drilled 12 kilometers underground.

One fact about our time is becoming increasingly well-known. No matter how far you travel, no matter in which direction you point, there is nowhere on Earth that remains free from the traces of human activity.

- Philosopher Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980)

Researchers at the University of Sydney developed the model, incorporating changing plate boundaries rather than just moving continents, to better understand the changes to biological and climatic systems throughout Earth’s history.

- Marine biologist and environmentalist Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

The Earth's internal forces have continuously pushed and reshaped how the planet's land masses are arranged. From one supercontinent hundreds of millions of years ago, to present day, the Earth has looked dramatically different throughout the...

Plates sinking into Earth’s mantle pull carbon from the surface, helping stabilize the atmosphere and climate by removing greenhouse gases from volcanic eruptions. At the same time, magma is a significant contributor of heavy metals and other crucial minerals for life to the surface.

The face of the Earth isn’t remotely the same as when the dinosaurs ruled the roost. The passing of millions of years, plate tectonics, and a spotty track record with asteroid collisions have changed the planet’s surface. Use this interactive globe to see what the Earth looked like millions of years ago.

The Earth is teeming with life while all the other exoplanets and planets aren't. A very specific set of aligned factors forms the habitability of our planet, and without just one of these fortunate factors, we might not be here. This piece lists...

Human activity has fundamentally changed our planet. We live on every continent and have directly affected at least 83% of the planet’s viable land surface.

-Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, in "The Way of the Explorer"

Four and a half billion years ago the Earth formed from dust in space to become a molten ball of rock orbiting the sun. Travel back in time to investigate how the Earth was made.

- Lady Bird Johnson (1912-2007)

These processes transfer heat from Earth’s core to the surface via rising magma plumes, while cooler, denser rock falls into the mantle at rates similar to human fingernail growth. These rates are determined by combining seismic data with computer simulations to model Earth’s interior.

Life has existed on Earth for at least 3 billion years, but the planet has not always looked like it does today. Rather than the blues and greens of our modern globe, for a 300 million-year period, the Earth was covered in ice and snow, from the poles to the equator. Surprisingly, life was thriving at the time.

Researchers are demystifying the science of earthquakes—from their origins deep within the Earth to the scales that measure their strength. This article, which was part of a series of weekly reports from Cornell University, serves as a guide to...

- "The Lord of the Rings" author JRR Tolkien (1892-1973)

Life can only arise in incredibly specific conditions, an abundance of certain substances like water and phosphorus, lots of time, and the right proximity to a heat-and-light-providing star. These two experts on evolution of life say above all, life requires luck. Here's a list of eight ingredients to life.

German meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were all one giant landmass in the past, which he named Pangaea. Despite geological and climate evidence suggesting continental movement, his theory was dismissed until the 1960s.

Attenborough argues that accounts of humanity's origins from different cultures cannot all be correct because they often differ, whereas geological records are consistent worldwide, meaning science provides the best understanding of the natural world. However, he acknowledges that, just as insects lack awareness of human goings-on, humans may be unaware of the existence of a deity.

Alfred Wegener proposed continental drift—the movement of large landmasses—in 1912 to explain why similar rock layers, plant and animal fossils, and glacial deposits were found on continents that were then unconnected. In the early 1960s, this was combined with evidence of seafloor spreading, mantle convection in Earth's interior, and earthquake and volcanic data outlining plate boundaries to produce the accepted theory.

- Isaac Asimov

- Astronaut John Glenn (1921–2016)

- President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)

Tectonic plates are pieces of Earth’s lithosphere, which consists of the crust and the solid, upper layer of the mantle. Segments of major plates can break and form minor or microplates, whose total number varies based on ongoing geological activity.

We'll likely never see the Earth's core, but we can make educated guesses about what it's like down there. Nearly as hot as the sun's surface and under impossibly high pressure, the inner Earths extreme conditions make it impossible to explore. Yet, seismic waves during earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and light waves from the sun provide fascinating insights about our planet's mantle, crust, and core.

This animated video takes you on a journey through the different layers of the Earth's core, with insight into what makes up each shell. Earth's outer core, which is about 1,400 miles thick, is made up of liquid iron and nickel at a blistering...

- Albert Einstein

Astronomers going back to Hipparchus in the 2nd century BCE have noticed our planet has a distinct wobble. More recently, scientists have observed that the Earth is 26 miles wider at the equator than from pole to pole. The wobble results from our...

From Galileo’s crude spyglass to the James Webb Space Telescope, each technological leap has expanded our observational reach and redefined philosophical and moral conceptions of our place in the universe. Identifying signs of life through the study of exoplanet atmospheres would represent the next great revolution.

In the last century, humans have covered the Earth in 1,300 metric gigatons of built material, known as technomass. That amount is more than the Earth's entire biomass at 1,100 GT, which includes all living organisms. To get a sense of the scale of this comparison, click through this striking, simple visualization showcasing the various organisms comprising biomass as well as the materials making up the technomass.

- Author Jack London (1876 - 1916)

The Earth is so shaped by human action, it's hard to imagine what it would look like without us. This brief, digestible explainer for kids highlights what a humanless world would look like one year after the extinction event.

- Author Douglas Adams (1952-2001)

In English, "Earth" means the planet and the land, but many languages identify each with distinct words. Earth is often given a maternal name or one that identifies it as the land of the living.

A fun interactive on how old ships’ logs are giving scientists new insights into the past and future of the Earth’s changing climate (w/maps and pictures).

The world is full of beautiful landscapes, creatures, and scenes. Here's a gallery of 80 incredible photos with explanatory captions to deepen your appreciation for the diverse wonders of Earth.

The legendary natural historian has had more direct encounters with wildlife than most people in history. As he turned 99, the Englishman recounts his favorite encounters with marine life, from whales to capuchin monkeys in mangroves. Despite the obstacles the environment faces, Attenborough believes in nature's resilience.

- Author Malcolm Gladwell (1963 - present)

One of the most profound mysteries of human life on earth is the presence of living cells: organic, self-organizing, reproducing creatures with a drive to survive within given set conditions. Traditional theories posit life came from divine...