Showing 1 - 40 of 40 Things to Make and Do

Seismic Slinky HANDS-ON What goes on under the ground during an earthquake? Use a Slinky to model the various seismic waves that make the earth tremble. MAKE IT

The People of the Arctic ARTICLE Who lives in the Arctic, and how did they get there? READ IT

Cookie Subduction HANDS-ON Get a taste of how the earth's plates move. MAKE IT

Tundra and Permafrost ARTICLE If you want to dig a ditch in the Arctic, you’d better bring more than a shovel. READ IT

Active Zone: Graphics A downloadable series of graphics from our Faultline website gives a snapshot of seismic science. VIEW IT

Science from the Ashes ARTICLE The 1906 earthquake jolted geologists into focusing on how and why faults break loose. READ IT

Building for the Big One ARTICLE The three most densely populated cities on the planet where seismologists expect major earthquakes are San Francisco, Tokyo, and Istanbul. Find out why the effects in each city will be very different. READ IT

Antarctic Exploration ARTICLE The lure of Terra Australis Incognita begins with the Ancient Greeks and ends with modern cruise ships. READ IT

Climate Change and the Arctic ARTICLE The impacts of climate change hit most severely at the poles. READ IT

Ice at the Poles ARTICLE There's more to polar ice than just frozen water. Learn about the many varieties of ice found at the poles and how and where they form. READ IT

Antarctica: Ice Gallery INTERACTIVE Take an animated tour of Antarctica's variety of ice formations, which give it a beauty unrivaled anywhere on Earth. TRY IT

Antarctic Marine Ecosystem ARTICLE The Antarctic food web is the simplest on the planet, and krill are at its hub. READ IT

Continental Divide: The Breakup of Pangea INTERACTIVE Control the breakup of Pangaea and explore evidence of the former supercontinent. TRY IT

Dry Valleys ARTICLE The nearly ice-free Dry Valleys are an Antarctic anomaly, and Earth's closest equivalent to Mars. READ IT

Damage Control: Retrofitting ARTICLE In an earthquake, some older structures collapse and others stand tall. The difference is usually retrofitting. READ IT

Ice Stories: Greenhouse Gases ARTICLE Heat-trapping gases play a major role in polar climate change. READ IT

Geology for Fossil Hunters PHOTO ESSAY Search a geological map of Ethiopia for fossils. VIEW IT

About Antarctica ARTICLE The only continent without any countries or government . . . READ IT

Active Zone: Media Downloadable media about earthquake science. VIEW IT

Greenland ARTICLE Land of ice and people READ IT

The Great Shake: San Francisco 1906 PHOTO ESSAY San Francisco was born in gold dust, and nearly died in rubble and ashes. VIEW IT

Antarctic Geology ARTICLE Remote sensing allows geologists to peek under the ice—and find a big surprise. READ IT

Active Zone: Links Realtime data, more about earthquake dynamics, and loads of other information. VIEW IT

Ice Stories: Related Links Find links relevant to research at the poles. VIEW IT

Icebergs ARTICLE They're a menace to ships, but life thrives in these frozen oases. READ IT

Ice and Sediment Cores ARTICLE Scientists dig under the surface for clues to past climate READ IT

Liquefaction HANDS-ON What happens to sandy or fine-grained soils when an earthquake shakes them up? Try this simple activity to find out. MAKE IT

Remembering Loma Prieta ARTICLE Read stories and see footage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. READ IT

International Polar Years ARTICLE Four times over 100-plus years, major initiatives have brought together scientists from around the globe to collaboratively study the poles. READ IT

Polar Geography ARTICLE The frozen worlds of the Arctic and Antarctica READ IT

McMurdo Station ARTICLE "Mac Town," the first stop for many scientists in Antarctica, is the same as any town—only different. READ IT

The Iñupiaq People of Barrow, Alaska ARTICLE The majority of Barrow residents are indigenous people who live both traditional and modern lives READ IT

Quake Basics: Waves ARTICLE The earth moves in mysterious ways READ IT

About the Arctic ARTICLE A brief introduction to the land of the midnight sun. READ IT

Quake Basics: Faults ARTICLE What's at fault? READ IT

Polar News Feed See recent articles on polar science. VIEW IT

Quake Basics: Plate Tectonics ARTICLE See a map of recent earthquakes in the United States, and learn why earthquakes happen so frequently on the West Coast. READ IT

Quake Basics: Measurements ARTICLE Richter and beyond READ IT

The South Pole(s) ARTICLE Will the “real” South Pole please stand up? READ IT

Seismic Science: Damage Control ARTICLE We can't predict when an earthquake will occur, but we can avoid some potential disasters. READ IT

Showing 1 - 15 of 15 Websites

Live Deep-Sea Exploration with the E/V Nautilus Follow along with expedition leader Bob Ballard and his crew on the exploration vessel Nautilus as they search for hydrothermal vents, underwater volcanoes, and ancient shipwrecks.

Origins Explore the places, people, tools, and ideas behind the origins of matter, the universe, and life itself.

Ice Stories: Dispatches from Polar Scientists There are about 500 dispatches from scientists working in the Arctic and Antarctica, along with original videos, photos, webcasts, and articles.

Outdoor Exploratorium at Fort Mason Visit the Outdoor Exploratorium at Fort Mason to explore the science behind wind, waves, and more.

Antarctica: Scientific Journeys from McMurdo to the Pole Follow our crew as they visit the Dry Valleys and hike the slopes of volcanic Mt. Erebus.

Science from the Poles Learn how global climate change is affecting the arctic and antarctic regions.

Faultline: Seismic Science at the Epicenter Commemorate the 1906 quake! Rummage through live earthquake data, subductive science, and more. Learn about earthquakes in "Faultline: Seismic Science at the Epicenter"

Global Climate Change: Research Explorer Discover how researchers study climate change and examine the latest scientific data.

ECHO Climate Change Symposium In 2009, the ECHO (Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations) Partners hosted a national symposium held at the Exploratorium to discuss the effects of climate change on the planet. You can watch archived webcasts of the symposium.

El Niño: Early Warning In September 2004, the Exploratorium covered a conference in the Galapagos Islands, organized by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, that considered the implications of El Niño forecasting.

Graphing Stratospheric Ozone Learn valuable graphing skills and learn about ozone chemistry.

Light and Landscape: The Science and Art of Perception Explore the mysterious interactions between light and geography through the eyes and works of artists Charles Ross and James Turrell.

La Niña Summit 1998 Dispatches from the La Niña Summit of 1998.

Internet 2 Gateway Browse advanced network web resources for research and education using the Internet 2 Gateway.

Eyeing the Storm: Science and Art of Visualization From May 20 to June 5 1997, we presented a webcast series exploring the art and science of severe storm visualization.