Nearly every scientific and social issue confronting us today involves change: climate change, ecological change, cultural change. What forces drive these changes? What is the tempo and mode of these changes? Are these changes natural or the result of human tampering? Are they to be feared or welcomed? How do we - and all life on this planet - adapt to these changes? Come and explore the answers to these and other important questions with us.
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 On May 7, dust hovered in the skies over the Persian Gulf. Learn about the impact of airborne dust at our Change is in the Air exhibit.
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Join a team of explorers as they travel to Earth's extreme polar regions. Learn about the Arctic and Antarctic from the perspective of this amazing group of scientist storytellers.
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An exhibit that explores Earth's Atmosphere - a thin envelope that surrounds us and makes Earth habitable for life.
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An online exhibit that explores changes in the Arctic, the Earth’s northernmost region, and how they are monitored by scientists and polar residents alike.
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We are building an exhibit about soil - a world under our feet and teeming with life! Opening to the public July 19, 2008 at the Natural History Museum.
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May 2, 2008
After more than 9,000 years of silence, Chaitén Volcano in southern Chile erupted on May 2, 2008. A pulsating white ash plume and steam rose at least 21 kilometers into the atmosphere, reported the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program. According to news reports issued by the AFP news service, ash blanketed the town of Chaitén, 10 kilometers away, forcing the local population to evacuate by boat. By May 6, the eruption became more forceful and a darker gray ash plume rose upwards of 30 kilometers into the atmosphere. Five shallow focus earthquakes (10 km depth), larger than magnitude 4, accompanied the eruption. Visit Change is in the Air to learn more about the effects of volcanic eruptions on Earth's atmosphere.
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