Skip to main content

Earth Science

Science

Life in Lava Tubes

December 3, 2024

Standing in one of Hawaii’s caves, you might think it’s empty. It’s dark, and it’s quiet. Not many plants or animals call this place home. But there’s a lot of life. Most of it you just might not notice. There…

Audio

Environment

Early Blossoms

April 5, 2024

Cities such as Tokyo, Japan, and Washington, D.C., get millions of tourists every spring during cherry blossom season. The blooms mark the return of warm weather. But the trees are blooming earlier and earlier. This is an indication of increasing…

Audio

World

A Volcano Erupts

January 19, 2024

A volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula erupted on the morning of January 14. It sent molten lava into Grindavík, a fishing town. Several houses caught fire. No deaths were reported, but many people were forced from their homes. While staying…

Audio

Environment

Sea Change

January 11, 2024

Enric Sala is standing under a replica of a right whale at the natural history museum in Washington, D.C. It’s the summer of 2023. Outside, the air is smudged with wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada. But Sala is talking…

Audio
Spanish

World

Bright Lights

December 21, 2023

The Northern Lights—the aurora borealis—are a natural light display that can be seen near the Earth’s poles. This sighting on December 6 was captured over Kirkj…

Audio

History

8 Questions for Myria Perez

March 1, 2023

Myria Perez is a fossil preparator and educator at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C. She spoke with TFK Kid Reporter Elisha Lee. 1. What exactly do you do for your job? I work with fossils,…

Audio

Time Off

Strange World

September 14, 2022

You don’t have to go to outer space to find amazing things. Terrestrials, a new podcast by Radiolab for Kids, finds weirdness and mystery right here on Earth. The series explores wonders such as an octopus that escapes from…

Audio

World

Icelandic Volcano

August 12, 2022

The Fagradalsfjall volcano, near Reykjavík, Iceland, began erupting on August 3. Scientists had predicted an eruption because of recent earthquakes. Lava continues to flow from the volcano. Its last eruption started in March 2021. Lava flowed for six months. As…

Audio

Environment

Kaboom!

February 17, 2022

Smoke billows from Mount Etna, in Italy, on February 10. The eruption sparked a rare volcanic storm, sending lightning bolts across the sky. But it did not caus…

Audio

World

Underwater Volcano

January 20, 2022

An underwater volcano erupted on January 15 near Tonga. The island nation is located in the South Pacific Ocean. The blast sent ash, gas, and soot about 12 miles above the ocean’s surface. It also triggered a tsunami that hit…

Audio