Geography Of The World
The Year The Mississippi Hit Its Lowest Level Ever
The Mississippi River hit a record low at Memphis in October 2023 after drought and heat, disrupting barges and pushing saltwater toward New Orleans.
The Deepest Blue Hole In American Waters
The Deepest Blue Hole In American Waters may be Green Banana, a deep Gulf sinkhole whose flushing water and nighttime chlorophyll spike puzzle scientists.
The Coldest Point In American Waters
The coldest water in America is the Arctic Ocean off Alaska, below fresh water’s freezing point yet still liquid. Why salt keeps it from icing, and the Bering cold pool.
How Big Texas Is Compared To Europe's Largest Countries
Texas is larger than nearly every country in Europe. Its 268,597 square miles stack up against Europe’s biggest nations in surprising ways.
The Most Snake Infested Rivers In Tennessee
Tennessee rivers like the Mississippi, Hatchie, Wolf, and Duck see cottonmouths, northern water snakes, queen snakes, and the odd swimming timber rattlesnake.
The American Dams In The Worst Condition
Lake Hodges, El Capitan, and Anderson in California, Livingston in Texas, and Guajataca in Puerto Rico: the US dams rated poor or unsatisfactory and why.
The Busiest Cargo Rivers In America
Grain, coal, crude and containers move by the hundreds of millions of tons on these waterways. See which US rivers carry the most cargo and how they do it.
The Deepest Point Off The East Coast
Explore Brownson Deep, the Atlantic’s deepest point, more than five miles below the surface in the Puerto Rico Trench north of Puerto Rico.
How Many Seas Are There In The World?
Counting the world's seas is harder than it sounds. Some lie inside other seas, one has no shoreline at all, and a few of the most famous are lakes.
What Would We Find If We Drained The Oceans
Drain Earth's oceans and the Bering land bridge, the abyssal plains and the Mariana Trench are what the seafloor leaves behind.
The Coldest Rivers in North America
The Coldest Rivers in North America include the Yukon, Mackenzie, and Copper, where glaciers, permafrost, and subarctic winters keep the water near freezing.
How Much Power Hoover Dam Loses For Every Foot Lake Mead Drops
Detailed view of the Hoover Dam intake towers standing above the Colorado River, showing water levels and surrounding rocky desert terrain
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.