Volcanoes are responsible for creating most of Earth's crust by transporting molten rock from deep within the Earth to the surface. Volcanoes are typically present at active plate boundaries, where two tectonic plates either converge or diverge. At convergent plate boundaries, one plate is forced... click to read more

Sea ice spreads over vast areas of both the north and south polar regions, especially in the respective winters, and is a significant component of the polar climate system. Sea ice reflects far more of the sun's radiation that reaches it than liquid water does.... click to read more

A large portion of the world's population depends on marine fishing to maintain their way of life, whether from a diet, cultural, or employment perspective. We cannot separate the action of fishing from one of its most basic technical elements: the fishing boat. At a... click to read more

Insects such as bees and hoverflies are important pollinators of many wildflowers and crop species. The global value of the services provided by pollinators for crop production is estimated at between US$235 billion and US$577 billion per year. There has been a lot of publicity... click to read more

What do you think of when you hear the word 'extinction'? Chances are you think of dinosaurs or dodos. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks of plants. This contrast reflects that, until recently, we lacked a global overview of ongoing plant extinction. Extinction occurs... click to read more