Earth Sciences

Researchers used radiocarbon dating to determine some termite mounds in an arid region were about 34,000 years old.

Scientists were taught that they would never find fossils in volcanic rock but a recent discovery shows the complete opposite.

In the wake of tensions between the federal and Tasmanian governments over the redevelopment of the RSV Nuyina's base in Hobart, WA says it's open to discussions about the future of the Australian Antarctic Program.

Hobart's hosting of the icebreaker research vessel the RSV Nuyina is at risk due to the "exorbitant cost" of the redevelopment of Macquarie Wharf 6, the federal environment minister warns.

Justine Thompson has investigated crooks and crashes on Sydney's beat, but on remote Macquarie Island, halfway to Antarctica, she had 50-knot winds, orcas, major refuelling operations and people to manage.

As the world hits an alarming climate milestone, a new report by a US research team shows the staggering amount of extreme heat days each country experienced last year, with the majority made more likely by human-induced climate change.

Aurora chasers in south-western WA may have caused irreversible damage to an ecological site at Lake Clifton hosting 2,000-year-old examples of the Earth's earliest life forms.

After weeks of planning, a RAAF C-17 Globemaster has completed a 10,000-kilometre mission to Antarctica to drop off essential cargo to expeditioners who were left with limited supplies after a recent voyage by Australia's icebreaker didn't go to plan.

A newly released report shows Australia's icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina, is facing a $100 million cost blowout by 2030 due to rising crew, fuel and maintenance costs.

Passengers on a flight that experienced significant turbulence as it travelled from London to Singapore last week are still coming to terms with what happened.

Every inch of the country is likely to have higher-than-normal temperatures between June and August, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's official winter outlook. Just how wet it will be, however, is less clear.

Expeditioners at Australia's research station on Macquarie Island sometimes have to stay in mouldy, asbestos-riddled accommodation blocks. To improve conditions and enhance scientific capabilities, a major upgrade costing hundreds of millions of dollars is underway.

As the world continues to burn fossil fuels, global temperatures are rising, and turbulence is just another natural phenomenon that's affected by that warming.

The team is trekking 560 kilometres to the summit of the Greenland ice cap after NASA reported it had shrunk a fifth more than previously thought. 

The Earth has seen its biggest geomagnetic storm in more than 20 years, creating spectacular auroras across the globe. And the Bureau of Meteorology says the southern lights should be visible again tonight. 

Growing up in Kununurra, Archie Stanley has developed a passion for geology — and he's putting his interests to a worthy cause.

Just over a decade ago, an outback cattle station worker in the NT stumbled across a rare diprotodon fossil sticking out of the red soil. Now fondly known as Shirley, scientists have discovered how old the marsupial is.

Australia may have just shivered through the coldest April in almost 10 years, but the rest of the world continued to break heat records for the 11th month in a row. 

If you're living in south-eastern Australia, the weather has probably been feeling a bit like Groundhog Day. What's been causing this extended rain streak? And why does it matter for Australia's weather? 

Kennanook/Cape Grim boasts some of the cleanest air in the world, allowing scientists to use it to monitor the planet's baseline atmosphere and help solve a climate puzzle.

When the wind blows in from the Southern Ocean, the north-western tip of Tasmania receives the purest air on the planet. For scientists, it's the perfect place to resolve a puzzle that's messing with climate models.

With Australia holding the biggest share of the world's silver reserves, an 18 per cent price rise over the past six months has people talking — especially when it comes to the silver lining of technology.

A five-hour drive from Sydney, a community garden of sorts has sprouted. But instead of sharing tomatoes or lettuce, "gardeners" harvest solar energy. And it's already a hit with people otherwise excluded from the rooftop solar boom.

Researchers from Flinders University have described three new species of extinct kangaroo, helping to solve a nearly 150-year-long scientific mystery.

Two main cranes malfunctioned during the RSV Nuyina's recent resupply mission to Antarctica, adding to a growing list of problems plaguing the $528 million vessel.