Geography Of The World
The Deepest Dive Ever Made In American Waters
Sirena Deep is the deepest crewed dive in U.S. waters. In 2019, Vescovo and Jamieson reached 10,714 meters off Guam and spent 176 minutes on the floor.
The Highest Mountain You Can Reach Without Climbing Gear
The Highest Mountain You Can Reach Without Climbing Gear is Argentina's Aconcagua, whose Normal Route reaches the summit on foot, with no rope or ice axe.
The Last Working Ferries In America
Five men still pull a ferry across the Rio Grande by hand. A 1953 steamship still burns coal. The last working ferries in America, and why each one survived.
The Lakes That Beat Back An Invasive Species
An aquatic invader almost never leaves once it spreads through a lake. At these lakes, from Lake Davis to Lake Ngatu, crews proved the exception.
The Longest Rivers Flowing Out Of The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes drain to the Atlantic through just a handful of rivers, from the 744-mile St. Lawrence to the 28-mile Detroit River.
The US Ports That Would Stop A State's Economy
Some US ports are so vital their closure would halt a whole state's economy, from Alaska's Valdez oil terminal to Honolulu, LA/Long Beach, Houston, and Savannah.
The Creatures Waiting At The Bottom Of The Deep Sea
Goblin sharks, sea pigs, and dumbo octopuses live in the crushing dark of the deep ocean. Meet eight of the strangest creatures down there.
The Windiest Mountain In America
Mount Washington, New Hampshire, averages 34.9 mph winds a year. That long-term figure, not the 231-mph gust of 1934, is what earns the summit its title.
Where Phoenix Would Get Water If Lake Powell Failed
If Lake Powell failed, would Phoenix run dry? No. Only ~40% of its water is Colorado River. The Salt/Verde rivers, banked groundwater, and recycling fill the gap.
The Oldest Lighthouses on the Great Lakes
Discover the oldest surviving lighthouses on the Great Lakes, from Toronto’s 1808 Gibraltar Point Lighthouse to Michigan’s historic Beaver Head Light.
The US Lakes Where Bull Sharks Have Been Caught
From a 39-pound catch in Sabine Lake to years of Louisiana research, fishing records reveal the US lakes where bull sharks are more than just a rumor.
Why The East Has Almost No Big Reservoirs
All ten of America's largest reservoirs are west of the Mississippi. Why the East has almost none, and the 1902 law that drew the line down the middle.
The Most Dangerous Stretches Of US Coastline
From Point Reyes in California to Makapuu on Oahu, seven US coastlines where sneaker waves, rip currents, and cold water make the shore itself risky.
The Great Lakes Beaches With The Strongest Rip Currents
Calm water hides the pull. Documented deaths and measured currents show which Great Lakes beaches carry the strongest, most dangerous rip currents.
What Is The Oldest River In The World
The Finke in central Australia holds the strongest claim to the world's oldest river, though no method exists for dating any river directly.
The Fastest River In The United States
Rapids and tidal channels run faster in short stretches, but the record for the fastest free-flowing navigable river goes to one wild Alaskan waterway.
The Fastest Animals In The Sea
Meet the ocean's fastest swimmers, including billfish near 70 mph, killer whales, great barracuda, little tunny, and the Dall's porpoise.
Why Lakes Turn Over Every Spring And Fall
During Spring and Fall, the lakes churn, which allows the water from the depths of our deeper lakes to deliver oxygen and nutrients essential to aquatic life
How Long Would It Take To Refill Lake Oroville?
About six months. Lake Oroville went from a record low to full between December 2022 and June 2023, and the limit on refilling is not water but federal flood rules.
The Largest Ships Sailing The Great Lakes Today
Meet the 13 largest ships sailing the Great Lakes today, from the record-holding Paul R. Tregurtha to the fleet’s other 1,000-foot giants.
The Deadliest Animals In The Ocean
From painless bites to poison with no antidote, the ocean's deadliest creatures give little warning. Here's what to watch for and why they're so lethal.
How Many Americans Drink Great Lakes Water Every Day
About 20 million Americans drink Great Lakes water every day, plus 10 million Canadians. How five lakes reach taps from Chicago to Cleveland.
How Deep The Mariana Trench Really Is
How Deep The Mariana Trench Really Is comes to 36,070 feet at Challenger Deep. Drop Mount Everest in and its summit would still sit a mile underwater.
The Underwater Rivers That Flow Beneath The Ocean
Underwater rivers carry dense brine and sediment across the ocean floor, carving channels and creating unusual deep-sea ecosystems.
How Much Of America's Fresh Water Sits In Just 10 Lakes
The 5 Great Lakes alone account for roughly 90% of all the fresh water in the United States and about a fifth of the fresh surface water on the entire planet
How Climate Change Is Warming The Great Lakes Faster Than The Oceans
How Climate Change Is Warming The Great Lakes Faster Than The Oceans comes down to vanishing ice, shallow water, and a warming feedback loop.
The Sea Levels Rising Fastest Along US Coasts
US sea level is rising fastest at Grand Isle, Louisiana, near 8.2 mm a year, with Texas Gulf and Mid-Atlantic tide gauges close behind in 2024 VIMS data.
Why The Everglades Is Actually A River
The Everglades has a source, a slope and a mouth, which makes it a river. Why Marjory Stoneman Douglas was right, and which two of her five famous words were wrong.
How Much Water The Colorado River Has Lost Since 2000
How much water has the Colorado River lost since 2000? About 33.5M acre-feet from its reservoirs, even more underground, and a fifth of its flow. The calm numbers.
What Happens If The Snowpack Fails Two Years In A Row
In 2021 the Upper Colorado had 80 percent of normal snowpack and 30 percent of normal runoff. What happens when the snow fails twice, and why year two is worse.
How Many Reservoirs Does The Colorado River Have
Ten reservoirs make up Colorado River system storage, holding 59.6 million acre-feet. Two of them hold 85 percent of it, and the system is currently near a quarter full.
How Lake Victoria Compares To All Five Great Lakes
Lake Victoria is nearly the same size as Lake Huron and holds a tenth of the Great Lakes' water. How Africa's largest lake compares, by area and by volume.
Why There Are No Sharks In The Deepest Ocean
Why There Are No Sharks In The Deepest Ocean, where scarce food, near-freezing cold, and an ancient body plan keep even the deepest sharks out.
The US Dams That Have Never Used Their Spillway
Garrison Dam went 56 years without opening its spillway. Oroville went 49. Both first uses caused damage, which is the problem with an untested spillway.
Which State Has Lost The Most Lakes?
California stands out for losing major lakes to farming and urban water diversions, including Tulare Lake and Owens Lake.
The Deepest Canyons In The United States
Cowboys, stampeding herds, and a beauty so immense that it drives some spectators to religion: canyons are an emblem of the grand American expanse.
How Lake Superior Holds More Water Than The Other Four Great Lakes Combined
Lake Superior holds about 2,900 cubic miles of water, more than Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario combined, because its basin runs so deep.
How Many Ships Pass Through The Soo Locks Every Year
Soo Locks in Michigan see about 4,500 vessels a year, but the Corps also counts 7,000 lockages and 284 individual ships. Here is why.
The American Rivers That No Longer Reach The Ocean
The Colorado has not reached the sea naturally since 1998. The Gila, Santa Cruz, San Joaquin and Owens all stop short too. The American rivers that no longer finish.
The US Lakes Where Fish Are Unsafe To Eat
Some US lakes look clean, but their fish carry PFAS, mercury, and PCBs at levels that push state officials to warn anglers against eating them at all.