But there has been one big mystery: Earth’s inner core, a solid ball of iron, only began to form about a billion years ago.

The core is estimated to contain 99.999 percent of Earth’s gold, as well as high concentrations of platinum and other highly siderophile elements. These metals, which bond readily with iron ...

Gigantic hidden fortresses discovered 1,800 miles underground in Earth's mantle, rewrite how the planet's interior works.

Earth is fortunate in having a magnetic field: it protects the planet and its life from harmful cosmic radiation. Other ...

For more than 100 years, scientists have puzzled over whether the Earth’s magnetic field had already been generated stably ...

Despite decades of effort, humans have only drilled 0.2% into Earth’s crust. Heat, pressure, and flowing rock make reaching ...

Artifacts from the Iron Age have revealed an intense historical magnetic anomaly in the Middle East. Could using a similar approach elsewhere help us unravel the mysteries of Earth's magnetic field?

Over 99.999 percent of Earth's gold is locked away within the Earth’s metallic core, buried beneath 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) of solid rock.

Scientists break down the reasons why days are getting shorter—and the mystery they're still trying to solve about Earth's ...

Although more than 99.95% of Earth's gold is locked in the molten core, tiny amounts may be coming up to the surface in magma, a study found. A lava fountain at Kilauea in Hawaii is seen in early May.