Interesting Earth

Stromboli Volcano is the world’s most active volcano.
Contrary to popular belief, of course, as historically, Kilauea—in Hawaii—has been recorded as such. But it’s not true. Located off the coast of Italy, the aptly-named Stromboli Volcano has been non-stop erupting for more than 2,000 years.

Rocks have been known to “walk” at The Racetrack Playa, Death Valley.
In a specific part of Death Valley National Park in California—known as The Racetrack Playa or The Racetrack—rocks have been known to “walk” on their own. According to NASA, these ice-encrusted “sailing stones” as they’re called retain meltwater from the hills above, allowing the wind to pick them up and throw them around. This phenomenon has been known to leave “racetrack” imprints on the ground—hence its moniker.

One stroke of lightning heats the air to about 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
That translates to 30,000 degrees Celsius. In other words, hot!

Humans tend to live near the coastline.
What can we say? We love a coastal view. In fact, coastlines are where 40 percent of the U.S. population makes their home, according to NOAA.

Earth is actually sprinkled with “cosmic dust.”
As in, interplanetary material. According to Astronomy Magazine, as much as 100 tons of said cosmic dust sprinkle down onto Earth. Where does this dust come from? As a comet comes in close contact with the sun, its ices vaporize, releasing tiny particles into space that then float down onto Earth’s surface.

The first-ever Earth Day was instituted in 1970.
Wisconsin Senator Ga***rd Nelson founded Earth Day with the hopes of increasing public awareness of environmental concerns. The date April 22 was chosen to maximize students’ involvement as it served as a mid-point between students’ Spring Break and final exams of the year.

Asia is the largest continent.
Asia spans 1,7139,445 square miles and is home to some of the most densely populated countries in the world (China, India, and Indonesia—to name a few).

Sixty percent of Earth’s population lives in Asia.
With more than 40 countries through the continent of Asia—some of which are the most populated countries of all—it’s not hard to wrap your head around the fact that 60 percent of the world lives there.

The driest place on Earth sits adjacent to the biggest body of water.
The Atacama Desert in Chile is known as the driest place in the world, but despite it being dry-to-the-bone, the desert is actually right next to the biggest body of water on Earth—the Pacific Ocean. Though it’s hot in the Atacama Desert, its temps average at about 63°F.

NASA actually studies the Atacama Desert for insights on other planets.
The Atacama Desert is one of the most extreme climates there is on Earth, so of course, it makes sense that NASA uses it as a tool, studying it to find further insight as to how life may be able to exist on other planets with such extreme climates.

Quiz: How well do you actually know sharks? Scientists are still making surprising discoveries about these fascinating creatures. Test your knowledge ahead of National Geographic’s SHARKFEST.