Oxygen began entering Earth's oceans around 2.32 billion years ago, and shallow seas followed within a few million years.

In the mid-20th century, when people looked at a map of the world, they saw the familiar continents surrounded by vast, featureless oceans. Beneath the waves, the ocean floor was largely unknown — an ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The reason Earth's oceans may have looked different in the ancient past is to do with their ...

Taken from the International Space Station by an astronaut, this is a view of Lake Van off Turkey, the largest soda lake on Earth. This region is prone to major earthquakes because of movement from ...

Earth's deep mantle stored enough water in rocks to equal one ocean during our planet's early molten days, helping explain ...

For roughly 2 billion years of Earth's early history, the atmosphere contained no oxygen, the essential ingredient required for complex life. Oxygen began building up during the period known as the ...

When we look at Earth from space today, we see a pale blue dot—a planet dominated by vast oceans that shimmer under the sunlight. But what if our oceans weren't always blue? According to recent ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Earth’s oceans may not have always been as brilliantly blue as ...

Deep beneath East Africa, the planet is quietly rewriting its own map. A colossal crack is opening in the crust, slowly enough that no one alive today will see the final result, yet fast enough that ...

Earth's oceans, known for their deep blue hue, could one day undergo color shifts, say scientists. A report based on a study published in Nature suggests that our oceans have not always been blue, and ...

Scientists at Yale and in Singapore have devised what may be the ultimate acid test — a comprehensive model for estimating the origins of Earth’s habitability, based in part on ocean acidity. The new ...