The earth's structure can be compared to an orange: its crust is the peel supported by the earth's heavy mantle.

GEOLOGY posted ahead of print 14 Feb.–2 Mar. is a dynamic collection of papers covering modeling studies of the U.S. New Madrid Seismic Zone; landslide prediction through examination of the Slumgullion landslide, Colorado; investigation of a potential nuclear waste repository site in Finland; understanding river delta formation and long-term evolution with insights from the Mekong River, Vietnam; and an explanation of how drought drove forest decline and dune building in eastern upper Michigan, USA.

A mysterious cycle of booms and busts in marine biodiversity over the past 500 million years could be tied to a periodic uplifting of the world's continents.

Ancient minerals tell story of planet's distant past.

Jewelers abhor diamond impurities, but they are a bonanza for scientists.