Geography Of The World
Where Denver Would Get Water If The Colorado Failed
Denver would lose about half its supply if the Colorado failed, and would not run out. The bigger threat is a compact call taking its water rights first.
The Most Dangerous Currents On The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes hide powerful currents beneath their surface. Learn where dangerous conditions develop and what swimmers and boaters should know.
The Underwater Canyons Off The US Coast
Massive submarine canyons cut into the US coastline, plunging thousands of feet and sheltering corals, whales, fish, and methane seeps.
Is It Legal To Keep What You Find On A Beach In Every State
Can you legally keep what you find on the beach? Empty shells usually, yes, but national parks, Hawaii's sand, live animals, and feathers can all get you fined.
6 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In Wyoming
Six Wyoming reservoirs where prairie rattlesnakes cross open water toward boats, plus what anglers and paddlers should know to stay safe on shore.
The Warmest The Oceans Have Ever Been
Ocean surface temperatures hit a record 21.11°C in August 2026, and the extra heat is already driving bleaching alerts on Florida's coral reef.
The Largest Lake Entirely In The Lower 48
The largest lake entirely in the Lower 48, why the gap to second place is so enormous, and the case that Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are one lake.
Why Every American Town Has A Water Tower
That water tower over town isn't just a landmark. Its height and stored water help keep taps flowing and firefighters supplied when demand spikes.
What Dead Pool Actually Means At Hoover Dam
Dead pool at Hoover Dam is 895 feet, the height of a set of gates. It does not mean Lake Mead is empty, and it is not where the power stops.
The Underwater Waterfalls Hidden In The Ocean
See how hidden ocean waterfalls form in the Denmark Strait and Faroe Bank Channel, plus why Mauritius offers a striking illusion.
The Creatures That Survive Near Scalding Ocean Vents
At scalding ocean vents, life survives in total darkness, where giant tubeworms and microbes tap chemicals from Earth itself for energy.
The US Lakes With The Highest PFAS Levels
PFAS testing across US lakes spans Maine's Malabeam Lake, Lake Mead, and the Great Lakes, with concentrations mapped from government and research data.
The Deepest River In The United States
New York's Hudson River holds the standard U.S. river-depth record at 216 feet, measured between West Point and Constitution Island.
How Many Americans Live Within A Mile Of A Lake?
Tens of millions of Americans live within a mile of a lake, from the Great Lakes shoreline to Florida's ponds and North Texas reservoirs. Here is where.
The Snowpack That Feeds The Entire Colorado River
Nearly a third of the Colorado's snowpack arrives in about eleven days a year, in storms that hit California first. The snow that feeds the entire river.
How Much Bigger The Great Lakes Were During The Ice Age
Huron, Michigan and Superior were once a single lake. Then Lake Michigan dropped 350 feet below its modern surface. How much bigger the Great Lakes were, and smaller.
How Lake Tanganyika Holds Almost As Much Water As All Five Great Lakes
See how Lake Tanganyika holds nearly as much water as all five Great Lakes in North America while learning about its geology, wildlife, and role in Africa.
The Longest Great Lakes Freighter Ever Built
The longest Great Lakes freighter ever built is the 1,013-ft Paul R. Tregurtha, "Queen of the Lakes," a giant too big to ever leave the lakes for the ocean.
How Much Colorado River Water Evaporates Before Anyone Uses It
The Colorado River loses ~1.9 million acre-feet a year to evaporation before anyone uses it, more than 3x Nevada's entire share, and the Lower Basin never counts it.
How Lake Malawi Compares To The Great Lakes
How does Lake Malawi compare to the Great Lakes? It's smaller in area but far deeper, holds more water than any but Superior, and has the most fish of any lake.
The Lakes Where Largemouth Bass Grow Largest
The largemouth record has stood since 1932, when a Georgia farmer caught a 22-pounder and ate it. The lakes where largemouth bass grow largest, and why the mark still holds.
The Parts Of The American Seafloor Nobody Has Mapped
The unmapped US seafloor stretches from the Great Lakes to Alaska to the Pacific, where 44% of American waters still lack modern sonar coverage.
The Saltiest Sea In The World
The Red Sea, between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, is the world's saltiest sea at 40 parts per thousand. Discover the reasons why the water is so salty.
The American Borders Drawn By A River That Moved
There is a town in Iowa you cannot reach from Iowa without leaving Iowa. The American borders drawn by rivers that moved, and the rule that decides who keeps what.
The Deep-Sea Creatures We Only Discovered Recently
Few regions of the world are more terrifying than our deep oceans, places we have hardly mapped full of creatures undiscovered.
What Happens If The Chicago Locks Are Opened
Chicago has opened its locks about 50 times since 1985, each time deliberately contaminating its own drinking water to avoid flooding the Loop. What actually happens. (158, would trim)
The Great Lakes Wrecks Discovered In The Last Ten Years
Great Lakes shipwrecks found from 2017 to 2025, from the James Carruthers in Lake Huron to Barge 129 off Lake Superior, mapped by sonar and ROVs.
The Biggest Waves Ever Recorded At Sea
See how the biggest waves ever recorded at sea compare, from a 112-foot visual estimate to rogue waves and modern satellite records.
Why Certain Sharks Never Enter Warm Water
Greenland sharks and other cold-water species stay cold not by latitude but through metabolism, body heat, prey, and the deep water beneath warm seas.
The Rivers Where Smallmouth Bass Grow Largest
Where do smallmouth bass grow biggest? From the goby-fueled St. Lawrence to the Columbia, Susquehanna, New, Snake, and upper Mississippi, the top trophy rivers.
The American Reservoirs That Have Never Been Full
A few American reservoirs have never once filled since their dams were built. From Oklahoma's Optima Lake to Texas and Colorado, the reservoirs still waiting.
The Reservoirs Supplying Power To The Most Homes
America's biggest reservoir powerhouses are concentrated in places where river volume and engineered head work together at enormous scale.
The Youngest Lakes In North America
From a lake that filled in weeks to one dammed 700 years ago, these are North America's youngest natural lakes and the disasters that made them.
The Rainiest Mountain In America
The Rainiest Mountain In America is Mount Waialeale on Kauai, where the summit averages about 450 inches of rain a year and once recorded 683 in 1982.
What Happens If Zebra Mussels Reach The Last Clean US Lakes
Clearer water is the warning sign. Smaller walleye, mercury-heavy fillets, and clogged intake pipes are what zebra mussels bring to a clean lake.
What Happens If The Welland Canal Closes To US Shipping
What happens if Canada's Welland Canal closes to US shipping? Great Lakes trade to the Atlantic would stall, but the iron-ore fleet feeding US steel rolls on.
Why Some Mountains Are Flat On Top
Grand Mesa, Table Mountain, Mount Roraima, and Herðubreið are all flat-topped, but four entirely different geologic processes made them that way.
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.