(Claw of Baryonyx walkeri) Baryonyx means 'heavy claw'. Unusually for a carnivorous dinosaur we know it ate fish as scientists have found fish scales and teeth with its fossil where its stomach would have been.

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Earth Today and Tomorrow

How does the way we live affect our planet? Earth Today and Tomorrow provides some sobering food for thought and looks at how development can be made more sustainable.

Please note the Earth Today and Tomorrow gallery is closed from 1 – 5 June for essential work. It re-opens on 6 June. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

: The top few layers of a soil profile.

Managing soil effectively is essential to our survival. Maintaining a balance between human needs and the effect on the environment is essential, not just in agriculture but in the way we use energy, create living space and dispose of waste.

Drill used to create the Museum borehole.

Our need of food and water is a basic fact of life. Look at the impact of farming methods, and how water is distributed. You can inspect a section of the 150-metre borehole that the Museum has drilled down to tap the water source that lies deep in the chalk below the building.

Every day objects.

Every day we use and throw away hundreds of objects made from the Earth’s raw materials. We explore how much we consume and how we can manage resources and waste more effectively.

Building materials.

With demand for living space growing, how can we exploit resources with less impact on the environment and make best use of the land we have available for building homes?

Part of the energy display.

Solar, geothermal, wind and wave energy are just a few of the sources that offer an alternative to oil in the face of climate change. We look at how earth scientists are working to harness these alternatives.

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