Space.com has an interesting article about a tiny galaxy (only about 1000 stars) that is the smallest ever found. Most galaxies are orders of magnitude larger.
The most recent issue of Pennsylvania Geology has an article titled: “The Role of Geology and Terrain in the Defeat of Stuart East of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863″.
Mineral hardness picks are pencil-like tools that have points made from materials that match the hardness of minerals in the Mohs Hardness Scale. With them you can easily test the hardness of mineral grains in a rock and test the hardness of small-size specimens. In our opinion they are easier to use than pieces of minerals and allow you to obtain more accurate results.
“USGS hydrologic researchers have found that the movement of nitrate through groundwater to streams can take decades to occur. This long lag time means that changes in the use of nitrogen-based fertilizer — whether the change is initiation, adjustment, or cessation — may take decades to be fully observed in streams.” Quoted from the USGS press release.
Earth Science Week 2013 Toolkits are available for advance orders now! The kit contains everything you need to prepare for Earth Science Week (October 13-19, 2013), which celebrates the theme “Mapping Our World.” Quoted from the AGI announcement.
USGS has published: “Landscape Consequences of Natural Gas Extraction in Fayette and Lycoming Counties, Pennsylvania, 2004–2010″ as an open file report.
The University of Tennessee is seeking bids from companies interested in leasing the natural gas rights on 8,600 acres it owns in Morgan and Scott counties.
NASA’s Earth Observatory has interesting satellite images of lava flows on Tolbachik, a volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The images use visible light and shortwave infrared and near-infrared to enhance the visibility of volcanic features.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has an article about how they moved a small population of endangered Columbian white-tailed deer from Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (both sites in Washington).
They needed a helicopter to get some of the deer out.
Archaeologists have discovered nearly 5,000 paintings in a small group of caves in northeastern Mexico. The paintings are pre-Hispanic, more accurate dates are being determined.
Over hundreds of thousands of years the Arctic permafrost has accumulated an enormous store of organic carbon. As it thaws from climate change the plant debris will decay and carbon dioxide and methane will be release into the atmosphere. Permafrost contains at least 4x more carbon than fossil fuel burning has produced since 1850.
“The “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”—a purported island of trash twice the size of Texas floating in the Pacific Ocean—receives a lot of media attention. [...] However, based on research we know that the name “garbage patch” is misleading and that there is no island of trash forming in the middle of the ocean.” Quoted from the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration article.
* Joe Bardswich – Moss Gold Mine
* Jerry Aiken and Matt Monte – Holbrook Potash Mine
* David Newlin – community response to potash mining at Holbrook
* Niemuth – mining news
* Kim Patten and Christy Caudill – National Geothermal Data System
The folks at MyTopo.com are offering 20% off on their custom-printed topographic maps and aerial photos. This discount is good until June 19, 2013.
With their easy-to-use website you can center the map anywhere you want in the 48 states, have it printed in vertical or horizontal format, and they will promptly ship it to your door. Try their TopoPhotos – an aerial photo lightly overprinted with contour lines.
We are affiliates of MyTopo and receive a commission on sales.
The Mars Rovers have helped identify a number of different types of rock on Mars. Many of the planet’s rocks are similar to the shale, conglomerate, basalt and scoria found on Earth.
Scientific American has a new article titled “June 8, 1783: How the “Laki-eruptions” changed History”. The volcano may have been responsible for short term climate variations that caused years of crop failure in Europe.
The Energy Information Administration has published: “Technically Recoverable Shale Oil and Shale Gas Resources: An Assessment of 137 Shale Formations in 41 Countries Outside the United States“.
“Statistical data update for 2012 on drilling, mining, production, shipments, sales, facilities, employment, expenditures, and reserve estimates in the U.S. uranium production industry. A new Table 10 includes uranium reserve estimates for mines and properties by status, mining method, and State.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration website.
Researchers operating a remote control diving vehicle in the Gulf of Mexico captured several minutes of video of a rare, deep-sea oarfish – the largest bony fish in the ocean. Video on NationalGeographic.com.
“In this report we briefly review the geology of the Mancos Shale in Arizona and consider its potential to yield hydrocarbons with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.” Quoted from the Arizona Geological Survey document repository.
After starting a rapid activity decline in 2010, the Haynesville Shale which spans between northeast Texas and northern Louisiana is starting to heat up.
CavingNews.com has a video about Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, the deepest cave in the UK. The video takes you through some interesting stream and through some high gymnastic passages. Includes a few unique speleothems.
A 306 carat black Australian opal of amazing quality is going to be sold by a Santa Fe jewelry designer. Experts believe that it will bring at least $3 million.
“Stanford scientists have identified key acoustic characteristics of the 2011 Japanearthquake that indicated it would cause a large tsunami. The technique could be applied worldwide to create an early warning system for massive tsunamis.” Quoted from the Stanford University press release.
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Homeowners Insurance usually does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, earthquakes and other geohazards.
Frac Sand is a high-purity silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance the flow of oil and gas from tight rock units.
Diamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
Fluorescent Minerals glow with spectacular colors when illuminated in the dark with an ultraviolet lamp.
Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Canada Diamond Mines: Canada is the third largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in the world.
Utica Shale: New wells in eastern Ohio prove that the Utica Shale will be a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
Spectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world's best-preserved fossil fish from an intermountain lake.
Opals: Gem quality opal is one of the most spectacular gemstones. A single stone can flash with every color of the spectrum.
