A 1912 photograph of the original Aswan Dam in Egypt, taken from the west bank of the Nile River.
1902: The Aswan Dams – Mastering the Nile’s Waters

The Aswan Dams, monumental feats of engineering, transformed the Nile River's dynamics, offering benefits and challenges in equal measure

Survivors searching for valuables amidst the wreckage of Galveston, Texas, following the devastating hurricane on September 8–9, 1900.
1900: The Galveston Hurricane – A Historic Catastrophe

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 stands as the deadliest U.S. natural disaster, illustrating the devastating impact of hurricanes and the continuous challenge of disaster response

An undated archival photo from Smith College showing geologist Florence Bascom holding her geologic compass.
1896: Trailblazing Women in Earth Science – Breaking Barriers

Pioneers like Mary Anning, Mary Holmes, and Florence Bascom started breaking gender barriers in Earth science, paving the way for future generations of women scientists

A photograph of the hand-guided release of a typical US Weather Service atmospheric sounding balloon, taken sometime between 1909 and 1920.
1896: Exploring the Layers of Earth’s Atmosphere – The Contributions of Teisserenc de Bort and Aßmann

Teisserenc de Bort and Aßmann's pioneering balloon experiments revealed the layered structure of Earth's atmosphere, leading to the identification of five distinct layers

Main image: Pierre and Marie Curie working on the study of radioactivity in their Paris laboratory, sometime before 1907. Inset: A 1918 photograph of Henri Becquerel, the discoverer of radioactivity.
1896: The Dawn of Radioactivity – Pioneering Discoveries of Röntgen, Becquerel, and the Curies

Discoveries by Röntgen, Becquerel, and the Curies in radioactivity reshaped our understanding of the natural world, leading to groundbreaking advancements in physics and science

The Earth's atmosphere functions somewhat like a transparent greenhouse, allowing sunlight to enter and warm the surface, but trapping heat as it exits, thereby warming the atmosphere.
1896: Understanding the Greenhouse Effect – From Fourier to Arrhenius

The Greenhouse Effect, crucial for Earth's habitable climate, was demystified by Joseph Fourier and Svante Arrhenius, who linked it to atmospheric gases and hinted at human-induced climate change

A 1903 photograph featuring American conservationist John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, alongside US President Theodore Roosevelt on Glacier Point in Yosemite Valley, California.
1892: John Muir and the Sierra Club – Pioneers of Environmental Activism

John Muir's legacy and the Sierra Club's ongoing efforts remain crucial in today's rapidly developing world, symbolizing the importance of environmental advocacy

An 1888 lithograph depicting the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.
1883: The Cataclysmic 1883 Krakatoa Eruption – A Geologic Event of Epic Proportions

The 1883 Krakatoa eruption, one of history's most destructive volcanic events, occurred in Indonesia's complex tectonic setting. It caused immense loss of life, dramatically altered global climate, and reshaped the island's geography, underscoring the power [...]

Main image: USGS geologist G. K. Gilbert climbing an outcrop near Berkeley, California, around 1906. Inset: A photo from around 1891 showing Gilbert's experiments that demonstrated the formation of impact craters by throwing balls of hard clay into soft clay.
1879: The Evolution of the United States Geological Survey – The Legacy of G. K. Gilbert

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, was pivotal in exploring America's expanding territories. Notable geologist G. K. Gilbert's contributions, especially in understanding the Meteor Crater, underscored the agency's role in advancing geological knowledge, which [...]

Vividly colored mineral deposits from hot springs at Lion Geyser and Heart Spring in Yellowstone National Park.
1872: Preserving Earth’s Wonders – The Rise of National Parks

The emergence of national parks, starting with Yellowstone in 1872, signifies a crucial effort in conserving natural ecosystems amid growing environmental pressures, leading to a global network of protected areas dedicated to preserving Earth's invaluable [...]