Buried more than a kilometer beneath the East Antarctica Ice sheet, the Gamburstev Subglacial Mountains have proven to be a geological puzzle for more than 5 decades. How did these mountains form? When did they form? And what makes this ancient mountain range one of the least-understood tectonic features on Earth?

What would you do if you found out that the roads you drive on could cause cancer? This is the reality that residents face in Dunn County, North Dakota. For roughly 30 years, gravel containing the potentially carcinogenic mineral erionite was spread on nearly 500 kilometers of roads, playgrounds, parking lots, and even flower beds throughout Dunn County.

Humans produce over 260 million tons of plastic each year. Almost a third of that plastic goes into disposable, one-time-use items, and only about 1% of it is recycled globally. Where does the rest of the plastic go? How does it interact with our environment? And how will it impact us in the future? In this month's issue of EARTH Magazine, follow the fate of many plastics as they make their way from our homes to our planet's oceans.

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) in coordination with the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) presents the second webinar as a part of the Geoscience Online Learning Initiative (GOLI). The webinar, entitled Critical and Strategic Minerals: Concepts and Status will air on February 1, 2012 at 2:00 pm EST.

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce that the theme of Earth Science Week 2012 will be "Discovering Careers in the Earth Sciences." This year's event will boost awareness about the geosciences and the many exciting career and job opportunities in the field.

Supervolcanoes are one of nature's most destructive forces. In a matter of hours, an eruption from a supervolcano can force thousands of cubic meters of molten rock above ground, and scar landscapes with massive calderas and craters. These catastrophic eruptions have a global impact, and yet scientists still do not fully understand them. Today, a team of scientists studying Bolivia's Uturuncu volcano are trying to shed some light on how supervolcanoes can become so powerful.

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) have teamed up to launch the Geoscience Online Learning Initiative (GOLI). This joint effort seeks to build a portfolio of online learning opportunities to help support the professional development of prospective and early-career geoscientists as well as addressing topics of interest to the broader geoscience profession.

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI), in collaboration with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), is hosting a professional development workshop for underrepresented, early-career minorities interested in careers in research and academia. The workshop, entitled Developing a Diverse Professoriate: A Professional Development Workshop for Underrepresented-Minority, Early-Career Faculty in the Geosciences, will be held in the Washington D.C. area from Wednesday, April 4 through Friday, April 6, 2012.

What is the lifespan of a natural gas deposit? How quickly is our planet's permafrost melting? And does life exist on other planets? Although seemingly unrelated issues, the answers to these questions are linked. And in this month's issue of EARTH Magazine, scientists show that we may be closer to answering them than we think.

Geologists carrying rock hammers and accompanied by Marines traverse the rugged expanse of the Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, searching for untold mineral wealth. Although the nature of Afghanistan's mineral deposits is not unique in the world, the country's deposits are largely untouched. Will Afghanistan be able to utilize these minerals to rebuild the war-torn nation? Join EARTH Magazine in our January issue as we examine Afghanistan's mineral wealth and the implications it holds for the country's future.