Geography Of The World
What Happens If The Mississippi River Locks Shut Down
What a Mississippi River lock shutdown near St. Louis does to grain prices, fertilizer deliveries, and barge traffic, and why the river keeps flowing anyway.
The American Levees Protecting The Most People
The East Coast Protective Levee in Florida shields over 3 million people, more than any other US levee system. See the 14 systems protecting 200,000 or more.
The States Where You Don't Own The Water Under Your Land
Land ownership varies by state. In many states, if you happen to own land with water under it, you may not actually own that water.
The American Rivers With The Most Waterfalls
Seven US rivers pack five or six waterfalls into a few miles, from the Horsepasture in North Carolina to the Genesee in New York and Gooseberry in Minnesota.
The Most Snake Infested Rivers In Michigan
Michigan's Au Sable, Muskegon, Huron, and Detroit Rivers support northern water snakes, garter snakes, queen snakes, and the state's only venomous species.
How Long A Great Lakes Freighter Lasts Before It Is Scrapped
Great Lakes freighters can haul cargo for 50 years or more, and some lakers are rebuilt into their eighties before a final repair sends them to scrap.
Why The Ohio River Carries More Water Than The Mississippi Where They Meet
At Cairo, Illinois, the Ohio River brings more water than the Mississippi, since its rainy Appalachian and Tennessee watersheds beat the drier Great Plains.
Where The Pacific Meets The Arctic
The Bering Strait links the Pacific and Arctic oceans between Russia and Alaska. It was once a land bridge that carried people and animals into North America.
Why Nevada Is Suing The Federal Government Over The Colorado River
Nevada faces a 71 percent cut while the Upper Basin contributes nothing. Why the state sued Interior over the Colorado River, and what it is actually asking for.
The Oldest Lake In The United States
The oldest lake in the US is a two-way fight: Clear Lake long held the title, but 2024 research says Lake Tahoe, at 2.3 million years, is older. Which one wins?
How The Great Salt Lake Holds Less Water Than Lake Tahoe Despite Being Larger
The Great Salt Lake is nearly nine times larger and holds about an eighth as much water. Surface area without depth is just a wet map
The US Rivers Where Bull Sharks Swim Upstream
The US Rivers Where Bull Sharks Swim Upstream include the Mississippi, Potomac, Atchafalaya, and Florida nursery rivers, where young sharks find shelter.
The Largest Animal That Has Ever Lived
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived, with a range that spans from Monterey Bay krill blooms to the Antarctic ice edge.
The Widest Lakes In The United States
The Widest Lakes In The United States. Lake Huron leads, followed by Superior and Michigan, while the Great Salt Lake and Okeechobee close out the list.
The Great Lakes Shipwrecks You Can See From Shore
Several Great Lakes shipwrecks, from the Francisco Morazán off Michigan to a tug's boiler near Kincardine, Ontario, rest in shallows you can see from shore.
The Rivers Where Sturgeon Still Spawn
Eggs on the riverbed, tagged females, and DNA in the young: the hard field evidence that sturgeon still spawn in US rivers, from Maine to California.
The Biggest Waves Ever Recorded Off The US Coast
The Biggest Waves Ever Recorded Off The US Coast include Alaska's Lituya Bay megatsunami, a record wave off Cape Mendocino, and the big surf of Cortes Bank.
How Big Megalodon Actually Was Compared To A Great White
See how megalodon’s latest size estimates compare with the great white, including length, weight, teeth, and bite force.
Where Megalodon Teeth Are Found On American Beaches
Megalodon teeth have turned up on beaches in Florida, Maryland, and the Carolinas, including Caspersen Beach, Calvert Cliffs, and North Topsail Beach.
The Mountains That Are Still Growing
Some mountains are still rising today, pushed upward by tectonic forces even as erosion and melting ice reshape their peaks.
The US Lakes Where Leeches Are Worst
Explore U.S. lakes known for leech encounters, including Minnewaska and Whitefish Lake, and discover why leeches gather near popular swimming spots.
What Happens To Lake Mohave If Lake Mead Hits Dead Pool
Lake Mohave sits just below Hoover Dam and lives off Lake Mead’s releases. If Mead hits dead pool, Mohave drains, taking its marinas and endangered fish with it.
The US Locks That Lift Boats The Highest
John Day Dam on the Columbia River raises boats 113 ft, the highest lift of any US navigation lock and the lead of a chain of Columbia and Snake River locks.
The Most Snake Infested Rivers In The United States
Five U.S. rivers, from the Missouri to the Suwannee, host some of the country's most varied snake communities, venomous and non-venomous alike.
The Difference Between A Gulf And A Bay
Gulfs and bays are both partly enclosed coastal waters, but size, shape, and naming history set them apart, as the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay show.
How Long Would It Take To Sink To The Ocean Floor?
Discover how ocean depth, buoyancy, pressure, and body composition affect how quickly a person could sink in deep water.
How The Mississippi Compares To The Nile
Mississippi vs Nile: the Nile is about 1,800 miles longer, yet the Mississippi carries roughly six times the water. Length, basins, flow, and deltas compared.
How Lake Michigan Holds More Water Than Lake Huron Despite Being Smaller
Lake Huron is bigger on a map. Lake Michigan holds 39 percent more water. One number explains it, and it is not maximum depth.
The US Rivers With The Most Water Moccasins
Cottonmouths are a swamp animal that happens to live along rivers. The US rivers with the most, led by the Atchafalaya, and why the margins matter more than the channel.
The Most Dangerous Rip Currents On US Beaches
Rip currents on US beaches kill more than 100 people a year, with deadly clusters at Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach, the Carolinas, and Lake Michigan.
The Most Dammed Rivers In America
The Most Dammed Rivers In America include the Columbia, Colorado, Snake, and Missouri, where dams power cities, water farms, and reshape river ecosystems.
What Happens If Blue Mesa Is Drained To Save Lake Powell
Blue Mesa, Colorado's largest lake, has been drained to prop up Lake Powell. What that does to its record-low water, its marinas, and its famous kokanee salmon.
How The Himalayas Compare To The Rockies
How the Himalayas and Rockies compare in height, length, age, glacier ice, earthquakes, and the rivers they feed, from Everest to the Continental Divide.
The Tribes That Hold the Oldest Colorado River Water Rights In The US
The Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and San Juan Southern Paiute hold senior Colorado River rights, but four Upper Basin states are blocking their settlement.
The Year The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire
The Year The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire. It was not the river's first fire, but Mayor Carl Stokes turned the blaze into a national push for cleaner water.
What Would Happen If The Atlantic Conveyor Slowed Down
The Atlantic Conveyor is part of the global ocean conveyor belt, in which water moves around the globe over the course of 1000 years.
The US Rivers With The Highest PFAS Levels
Near wastewater outfalls, PFAS ran highest on South Carolina's Pocotaligo among six US rivers tested, measured in river water and not household taps.
The Rivers Where Trout Grow Largest
The Rivers Where Trout Grow Largest. Arkansas tailwaters have produced browns near forty pounds, while steelhead and rainbows grow big on sea time and salmon.
How Deep The Titanic Wreck Actually Sits
The Titanic rests 12,500 feet down in the North Atlantic — crushing depth, but only a third of the way to the ocean's true floor. Here's what that means.
The American Power Plants Built Inside A Mountain
From Tennessee's Raccoon Mountain to Washington's Boundary Dam, several U.S. power plants run their turbines deep inside excavated mountain rock.