HowStuffWorks Earth Science Guide  Tags: science_explanations science_questions science earth_science solar_system animals animal_facts howstuffworks space videos history earth_beginning history_of_earth rocks minerals gems weather natural_disasters disasters atmosphere water_cycle  

Think you know all there is to know about rocks and minerals? Take this quiz to find out!

Dating sedimentary rock is done by measuring the age of igneous rock layers nearby. Learn how bracketing can determine the age of sedimentary rock.

The Grand Canyon's beauty and magnitude make it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. But how was the largest gorge in the world actually formed?

This diamond quiz will test your knowledge about the world's most valuable mineral. Know your jewels? Prove it by taking the diamond quiz.

Remember the thrill of discovering that one-of-a-kind rock in the sandbox when you were a child? Gem hunting provides that same excitement, except these treasures may be worth thousands.

Diamonds are beautiful and popular - but not everyone can afford these gems. While man-made versions are less expensive, most lack the luster and brilliance of the real thing, except moissanite. See how it compares!

One grows from the ground and one from the ceiling, but sometime's it's hard to remember which is the stalactite and which is the stalagmite. How do they get there, anyway?

Abandoned mine shafts may look romantic with their clapboarded entrances and rusting pickaxes, but they can be deadly. So who ensures that these dangerous sites are properly closed up? You may find the answer a little unsettling.

Ride alongside Stacy, one of the lucky people, who works within Australia's largest gold mine, the Super Pit.