The shapes and colors that you see in an aerial fireworks display do not happen by chance. They are deliberately produced by clever people who apply principles of art, chemistry, physics and math.
This article from the University of Michigan discusses the occurrence of lightning, in conjunction with dust storms, on Mars. The lightning has apparently occurred in the absence of rain.
It is predicted that the Mississippi River Delta may be inundated in less than a century. The major problem is that there is not enough sediment accumulating in the delta.
The particles ejected from the Sarychev Peak eruption are making their way around the world. The light that is scattered through the particles causes sunsets to appear with a more purplish hue.
Several years ago, geologist Eli Raz fell into a sinkhole near the Dead Sea. Today, he is mapping the locations of sinkholes in the area. The pits are probably caused by the receding coastline.
Los Angeles is turning its attention to renewable energy resources, while also making an effort to reduce their usage of coal. This may cause an increase in peoples’ electricity bills; however, there are benefits to this change as well.
The EPA has created a list of over 40 coal ash waste sites that are potentially hazardous. The list was made in response to a dam failure at a Tennessee facility in December 2008.
Geologists constantly deal with fragmentary data. It’s what we are supposed to be good at. One drill hole per mile, a liter of water from a river, a bag of coal from a mine…. A post on QuoteSnack.com features an interesting quote from Charles Darwin on the relationship between confidence and knowledge. If you enjoy quotes you will like this one.
Every year, thousands of people all around the world participate in Earth Science Week events and contests. You can view photos of these activities at the Earth Science Week Photo Gallery. If you have participated in an activity in the past or plan one for this year you can submit a photo for possible use in the gallery.
About seventy paleontologists attending the North American Paleontological Convention at the University of Cincinnati took a field trip to the Creation Museum, just across the Ohio River in Petersburg, Kentucky. An article in the New York Times describes their visit.
Diamonds are composed of carbon and many people wonder if diamonds can be burned. Here is a video from The Open University. It shows a diamond being heated with a torch then dropped into liquid oxygen where it burns to produce carbon dioxide gas.
Why do hurricanes tend to occur in some coastal areas but not others? This image from Earth Observatory shows the relationship between ocean temperature and hurricane risk.
It is thought that there may be an ocean beneath the surface of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus. The salty water is ejected from a geyser near the moon’s south pole.
NASA has a new satellite image of Sarychev Peak volcano acquired after the June 12, 2009 eruption. This image shows the northwest half of the island covered with new volcanic rock.
With the difficult economy only a few state geological surveys are being well supported by their state budget process. Many are suffering large cuts in state appropriations. One state survey has been told that their appropriation will be zeroed out next fiscal year.
This weekend Americans will be able to observe the International Space Station as it orbits 220 miles above Earth. Many locations will have unusually long sighting opportunities of as much as five minutes, weather permitting, as the station flies almost directly overhead.
Can a home buyer hold her real estate agent liable if she buys a property and it is damaged by a natural hazard? How about if there were public meetings, state real estate bulletins and government publications that announced and explained the hazard? Here’s a case from Arizona.
The National Park Service, an Earth Science Week Partner, has an interactive “Web Ranger” program that helps people of all ages learn about the National Parks. Learn about Earth science in the National Parks at their website.
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Hobart King
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