Vital articles is a list of subjects for which Wikipedia should have corresponding high-quality articles. It serves as a centralized watchlist to track the status of Wikipedia's most essential articles. This is one of the sub-lists of the fifty thousand article Vital articles/Level 5 and is currently under construction.
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Former featured articles
A-class articles
Good articles
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The progress bar is auto-updated via category count, and the symbols and article counts are updated daily by User:cewbot. Please read the FAQ before modifying the article list.
Total articles: 1,046/1,200
For specific geographical objects see Geography
Earth science basics (173/175 articles)
General (44 articles)
Earth science (Level 3)
Biogeochemical cycle
Environment
Figure of the Earth
Gaia hypothesis
History of Earth (Level 3)
Natural disaster (Level 4)
Natural resource (Level 4)
Planetary boundaries
Biomes (49 articles)
General (13 articles)
Forests (17 articles)
Grasslands (9 articles)
Grassland (Level 3)
Llanos
Meadow (Level 4)
Montane grasslands and shrublands
Prairie (Level 4)
Savanna (Level 4)
Steppe (Level 4)
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Wetlands (10 articles)
Wetland (Level 4)
Bog (Level 4)
Fen
Flooded grasslands and savannas
Mangrove (Level 4)
Marsh (Level 4)
Mire
Riparian zone
Salt marsh
Swamp (Level 4)
Climatology (67 articles)
General (5 articles)
Climatology (Level 4)
Climate system
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (Level 4)
Köppen climate classification (Level 4)
Microclimate
Climates (15 articles)
Climate (Level 2)
Alpine climate
Desert climate
Polar climate
Semi-arid climate
Subarctic climate
Temperate climate (Level 4)
Tropical climate (Level 4)
Climate change (47 articles)
Climate change (Level 3)
Climate change in Africa
Climate change in Antarctica
Climate change in the Caribbean
Climate change denial
Climate change in Europe
Climate change feedback
Climate change and fisheries
Climate change in the Middle East and North Africa
Climate change mitigation
Climate change in South Asia
Climate change vulnerability
Climate variability and change (Level 4)
Deforestation and climate change
Economics of climate change
Effects of climate change
Greenhouse effect (Level 4)
Greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas emissions
Politics of climate change
Solar activity and climate
Seasons (13 articles)
Air (130/150 articles)
Atmosphere (24 articles)
General (11 articles)
Atmosphere of Earth (Level 3)
Air mass (Level 4)
Atmospheric pressure (Level 4)
Atmospheric science (Level 4)
Ozone depletion (Level 4)
Atmospheric optics (13 articles)
Aurora (Level 4)
Glory
Halo
Haze
Heiligenschein
Light pillar
Mirage (Level 4)
Rainbow (Level 4)
Sky (Level 4)
Sun dog
Sunlight
Meteorology (106 articles)
General (12 articles)
Meteorology (Level 4)
Weather (Level 3)
Weather front (Level 4)
Weather forecasting (Level 4)
Humidity (Level 4)
Low-pressure area (Level 4)
Indian summer
Clouds (23 articles)
Cloud (Level 3)
Cirrus cloud (Level 4)
Cumulonimbus cloud (Level 4)
Cumulus cloud (Level 4)
Fog (Level 4)
Mist
Diamond dust
Funnel cloud
Cirrostratus cloud
Nimbostratus cloud
Fractus cloud
Stratus cloud
Altostratus cloud
Stratocumulus cloud
Altocumulus cloud
Cirrocumulus cloud
Noctilucent cloud
Polar stratospheric cloud
Precipitation (14 articles)
Precipitation (Level 4)
Rain (Level 3)
Snow (Level 3)
Hail (Level 4)
Dew (Level 4)
Frost (Level 4)
Ice pellets
Rain and snow mixed
Graupel
Drizzle
Cloudburst
Rain shadow
Atmospheric circulation (7 articles)
Atmospheric circulation (Level 4)
Anticyclone (Level 4)
Cyclone (Level 4)
Extratropical cyclone (Level 4)
Hadley cell (Level 4)
Polar vortex (Level 4)
Walker circulation (Level 4)
Storms (37 articles)
Storm (Level 4)
Winter storm
Whirlwind
Tropical cyclone (Level 3)
Dust storm (Level 4)
Atmospheric electricity
Geomagnetic storm
St. Elmo's fire
Winds (13 articles)
Geology (547/575 articles)
General (11 articles)
Geochemistry (14 articles)
Geochemistry
Isotope geochemistry
Geochemical cycle
Igneous differentiation
Trace element
Biogeochemistry
Metamorphic reaction
Recrystallization
Geophysics (60 articles)
Geophysics (Level 4)
Computational geophysics
Earth's internal heat budget
Earth's magnetic field (Level 4)
Forensic geophysics
Geodesy (Level 4)
Geodynamics
Geomathematics
Geophysical fluid dynamics
Geothermal gradient
Gravimetry
Isostasy
Mantle convection
Near-surface geophysics
Soil liquefaction
Theory of tides
Seismology (32 articles)
Seismology (Level 4)
Seismic wave
Seismic intensity scales
Seismic magnitude scales
Seismic refraction
Seismic tomography
Seismic zone
Shadow zone
Elastic-rebound theory
Earthquake (Level 3)
Ground motion
Historical geology (90 articles)
Basics (3 articles)
Geochronology (13 articles)
Geochronology (Level 4)
Absolute dating
Relative dating
Detrital zircon geochronology
Monazite geochronology
Paleomagnetism
Thermochronology
Paleoclimate (4 articles)
Events (21 articles)
Late Heavy Bombardment
Great Oxidation Event (Level 4)
Snowball Earth
Cambrian explosion (Level 4)
Late Ordovician mass extinction (Level 4)
Andean-Saharan glaciation
Late Devonian extinction (Level 4)
Late Paleozoic icehouse
Permian–Triassic extinction event (Level 4)
Triassic–Jurassic extinction event (Level 4)
Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (Level 4)
Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum
Quaternary glaciation
Last Glacial Period
Quaternary extinction event
Paleogeography (16 articles)
Paleocontinent
Supercontinent
Iapetus Ocean
Paleo-Tethys Ocean
Panthalassa
Rheic Ocean
Tethys Ocean
Western Interior Seaway
Geological timescale (33 articles)
Geologic time scale (Level 4)
Precambrian (Level 4)
Phanerozoic (Level 4)
Terrestrial geology (372 articles)
General (1 article)
Geologic features (21 articles)
Algoman orogeny
Andean orogeny
Belt Supergroup
Central Asian Orogenic Belt
Columbia River Basalt Group
Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary
Deccan Traps
Diapir
Dike
Geology of the Appalachians
Geology of the Himalayas
Hawaii hotspot
Hydrothermal vent
Laramide orogeny
Siberian Traps
Sill
Slave Craton
Slickenside
Terra Australis Orogen
Yellowstone hotspot
Minerals (92 articles)
Mineral (Level 3)
Mineralogy (Level 4)
Carbonate mineral
Earth pigment
Gemstone (Level 4)
Halide mineral
Mineral physics
Native element mineral
Oxide mineral
Phosphate mineral
Silicate mineral
Sulfate mineral
Sulfide mineral
Petrology (63 articles)
Petrology (Level 4)
Rock (Level 3)
Bowen's reaction series
Igneous rock (Level 4)
Metamorphic rock (Level 4)
Sedimentary rock (Level 4)
Meteorite (Level 4)
Porosity
Sedimentology (43 articles)
Sediment (Level 4)
Grain size
Pelagic sediment
Till
Alluvium
Deposition
Diagenesis
Sedimentary basin (Level 4)
Sediment transport
Aggradation
Degradation
Bioturbation
Cementation
Sedimentary structures
Graded bedding
Lamination
Bed
Roundness
Regolith
Paleosol
Loess
Soil science (26 articles)
Soil science (Level 4)
Detritus
Downhill creep
Edaphology
Humus
Soil (Level 3)
Soil chemistry
Soil classification
Soil fertility (Level 4)
Soil formation (Level 4)
Soil health
Soil horizon
Soil morphology
Soil physics
Pedology
Pedosphere (Level 4)
Plant litter
Tilth
Stratigraphy (29 articles)
Stratigraphy (Level 4)
Stratigraphic unit (Level 4)
Greenstone belt
Stratum
Marine regression
Marine transgression
Basement
Contact
Law of superposition
Facies
Stratigraphic section
System
Biozone
List of index fossils
Sequence
Parasequence
Type locality
Cratonic sequence
Past sea level
Structural geology (23 articles)
Structural geology
Boudinage
Ductility
Fabric
Fold (Level 4)
Fracture
Horst and graben
Shear zone
Strike and dip
Structural basin
Tectonics (54 articles)
Plate tectonics (Level 3)
Continental drift
Continent (Level 3)
Continental shelf (Level 4)
Continental margin
Continental rise
Abyssal plain (Level 4)
Divergent boundary
Transform fault
Convergent boundary
Passive margin
Décollement
Lithosphere (Level 4)
Upper mantle (Earth)
Lower mantle (Earth)
Asthenosphere
Shield
Triple junction
Geologic province
Transition zone (Earth)
Core–mantle boundary
Tectonic plates (14 articles)
African Plate
Arabian Plate
Antarctic Plate
Caribbean Plate
Cocos Plate
Eurasian Plate
Indo-Australian Plate
Nazca Plate
North American Plate
Pacific Plate
Philippine Sea Plate
South American Plate
Farallon Plate
Volcanology (20 articles)
Geomorphology (113/150 articles)
General (8 articles)
Landforms (105 articles)
General (14 articles)
Landform (Level 4)
Land (Level 2)
Highland
Upland and lowland
Hill (Level 4)
Valley (Level 4)
Plateau (Level 4)
Plain (Level 4)
Depression
Escarpment
Aeolian landforms (2 articles)
Artificial landforms (3 articles)
Caves (10 articles)
Fluvial landforms (15 articles)
River morphology
Alluvial fan (Level 4)
Canyon (Level 4)
Floodplain (Level 4)
Meander (Level 4)
Rapids (Level 4)
Waterfall (Level 4)
Bar
Promontory
Stream bed
- River valley
Cut bank
Glacial landforms (7 articles)
Glacial landform (Level 4)
Cirque
Esker
Fjord (Level 4)
Moraine (Level 4)
Post-glacial rebound
U-shaped valley
Montane landforms (9 articles)
Oceanic and coastal landforms (32 articles)
Oceanic basin
Archipelago (Level 4)
Bay (Level 4)
Beach (Level 4)
Coast (Level 4)
Coral reef (Level 4)
Headland
Lagoon (Level 4)
Peninsula (Level 4)
Island (Level 3)
Seamount (Level 4)
Mudflat
Isthmus
Sea cave
Shoal
Shore
Stack
Other erosional landforms (6 articles)
Volcanic landforms (7 articles)
Water (84/150 articles)
General (6 articles)
Aquatic ecosystem
Cryosphere (Level 4)
Eutrophication
Flood (Level 3)
Hydrosphere (Level 4)
Whirlpool
Oceanography (25 articles)
Oceanography (Level 4)
Marine chemistry
Marine habitats
Marine ecosystem
Marine life
Ocean (Level 4)
Ocean dynamics
Sea (Level 2)
Seabed (Level 4)
Sea level (Level 4)
Seawater
Tide (Level 4)
Tsunami (Level 4)
Turbidity current
Wind wave
Glaciology (10 articles)
Glaciology
Basal sliding
Crevasse
Glacier (Level 3)
Iceberg (Level 4)
Ice sheet (Level 4)
Ice shelf (Level 4)
Methane clathrate
Permafrost (Level 4)
Sea ice (Level 4)
Hydrology (43 articles)