Geography Of The World
The Ocean Animals That Can Dive Deeper Than A Submarine
Discover the ocean animals that dive deeper than many submarines, including whales, sharks, seals, sea turtles, narwhals, and penguins.
Why The Missouri Is Longer But The Mississippi Got The Name
The Missouri outruns the Mississippi by about 200 miles, yet loses its name where they meet. A 1673 naming and a water-volume twist explain why.
How Big Lake Superior Is Compared To Ireland
Lake Superior is 97.3 percent the size of the island of Ireland and 117 percent the size of the Republic. Both are true, and the difference is a 1921 border.
Where Crayfish Go In The Winter
Crayfish ride out winter deep in lakes, wedged in cold streambed gravel, or sealed in burrows down at the water table, waiting for spring to warm.
The US Waters Where Boil-Water Notices Happen Most Often
The US Waters Where Boil-Water Notices Happen Most Often include the reservoir behind Jackson’s water crisis and the Asheville source hit by Hurricane Helene.
The American Coastline That Is Actually Growing
The American Coastline That Is Actually Growing is in Southeast Alaska, where land freed from melting glaciers is rising faster than the sea around it.
What Happens If The Rio Grande Dries Up At El Paso
What Happens If The Rio Grande Dries Up At El Paso? The river already vanishes for months, so wells and desalination keep taps running while farms suffer.
What Happens To Yuma If Lake Mead Hits Dead Pool
At Lake Mead dead pool, Yuma, Arizona could supply homes from wells, but its winter vegetable fields would lose the Colorado River water they depend on.
Why November Is The Deadliest Month On The Great Lakes
November is the deadliest month on the Great Lakes thanks to the Witch of November, the autumn gales that sank the 1913 fleet and the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The Great Lakes Ranked By Number Of Islands
Lake Huron holds far more islands than any other Great Lake, while Lake Erie has the fewest. Here is how the islands of each Great Lake compare, lake by lake.
The Most Snake Infested Rivers In Florida
Snakes are a vital part of river ecosystems all over the world. Florida's climate is especially suited for these cold blooded creatures.
Why Rivers Meander Instead Of Running Straight
A river has no reason to curve, yet almost none run straight. The physics of a single bend explains why water loops, and why straightened rivers wander back.
The US Lakes Where Lake Sturgeon Still Survive
Lake sturgeon persist, thanks to stocking and recovery efforts in the Great Lakes and inland lakes of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New York.
How Deep Crater Lake Is Compared To The Empire State Building
At 1,949 feet, Oregon's Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US, deep enough to hide the Empire State Building with hundreds of feet of water to spare.
The Island Ferries That Stop Running For Winter
US island ferries from Beaver Island, Michigan to Alaska's Aleutians shut down for winter on staggered dates, with the final boat set by each operator.
The Longest Mountain Range In The United States
The Rockies run some 3,000 miles from British Columbia to New Mexico, crossing six western states and feeding the Colorado, Rio Grande and Missouri.
The US Coastlines Where Sea Level Is Rising Fastest
The US Coastlines Where Sea Level Is Rising Fastest are in Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia, where sinking land adds to the rising ocean at tide gauges.
What Happens To The Coachella Valley If Lake Mead Hits Dead Pool
Unlike the Imperial Valley, Coachella has a backup. Unlike a real backup, it is already overdrawn by 230,000 acre-feet a year.
What Happens To Miami If The Florida Reef Dies
What Happens To Miami If The Florida Reef Dies? The city would lose a natural seawall against storm waves, plus billions in tourism and fishing.
The Mountain Range That Crosses The Most States
The Appalachians run about 2,000 miles from Alabama and Georgia to Maine and into eastern Canada. Here are the states they cross and how the range formed.
Why Lake Superior Never Gives Up Her Dead
A body floats because bacteria inflate it with gas. Lake Superior’s deep water is too cold for that to happen. The physics behind the Edmund Fitzgerald line
The American Mountains Where Rattlesnakes Den For The Winter
From New York's Adirondacks to Arizona's Chiricahuas, rattlesnakes den through winter in rocky mountain crevices, returning to the same shelters each year.
Why The Mississippi Runs Brown And The Ohio Runs Green
At Cairo, Illinois, the Ohio and Mississippi flow side by side in two colors. Sediment, algae, and upstream rain explain the split and why it can flip.
How Lake Superior Could Cover North And South America In A Foot Of Water
Lake Superior is said to hold enough water to flood North and South America a foot deep. We ran the numbers: it can cover one continent, but not both.
The River That Forms The Longest State Border
The Mississippi River forms hundreds of miles of US state boundaries, including about 581 miles along Illinois. See how a river becomes a state line.
The Highest Underwater Mountain In American Waters
Southeast Hancock Seamount rises about 16,400 ft off the North Pacific floor, making it the tallest fully underwater mountain in American waters.
The Deepest Point Off The California Coast
The Deepest Point Off The California Coast lies at the foot of Davidson Seamount, an underwater volcano far off Monterey, not in famous Monterey Canyon.
The Steepest River In The United States
The Kaweah River in California drops more than two miles from the Sierra to the San Joaquin Valley in just 33.6 miles, giving it Class IV and V whitewater.
The Muddiest River In The United States
The Missouri carries more sediment than any Mississippi tributary, but New Mexico's Rio Puerco runs thicker with 500,000 milligrams a litre.
How Lake Titicaca Compares To The Great Lakes
Lake Titicaca, high in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, is millions of years older than the Great Lakes and deeper than most of them, despite its smaller size.
The US Waters Where Orcas Live Year-Round
Orcas occur all year in the waters of Alaska, Washington, and California, where Kenai Fjords, the San Juan Islands, Monterey Bay, and Juneau offer boat tours.
Hoover Dam Was Built For 2080 Megawatts, It Now Makes 1300
Hoover Dam was built for 2,080 megawatts but a falling Lake Mead has cut its output sharply. How hydraulic head and drought drained its power.
The Difference Between A Wave And A Swell
The wind can stop, but the waves keep coming, crossing entire oceans as swells before breaking on a sunny shore far from the storm that created them.
8 Most Alligator Filled Rivers In Texas
Explore Texas rivers where alligators live, from East Texas swamps to Gulf Coast wetlands, including habitats known for giant gators.
The Mountains Where Lightning Strikes Most Often In America
Colorado's densest lightning falls near Pikes Peak, not on the state's highest summits. Moisture decides where bolts land across five mountains.
Why Utah Lake Is Fighting To Survive
Utah Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Utah, but runoff, algal blooms, and a failed island-building plan have shaped its reputation. Here is its story.
Why Snakes Are Sometimes Found Frozen In Ice
How snakes end up frozen in pond ice after a winter thaw, why cold water traps them, and how some garter snakes survive brief partial freezing.
Why So Many Big American Cities Were Built On A River
Trade, drinking water, and water power built New Orleans, Louisville, and Minneapolis. Here’s why America’s cities cluster on rivers.
The Rivers Where Sturgeon Grow Largest
12-foot white sturgeon, century-old giants, record catches: a look at the eight North American rivers where sturgeon grow largest, and what their young need.
How The Aral Sea Compares To The Great Lakes
In 1960 the Aral Sea was bigger than Lake Huron. Today it is a third the size of Erie. The same lake went from second place to last in sixty-five years.