Geology News - Earth Science Current Events

PBS Frontline and PBS Nova have posted one hour programs on the web for public viewing. "The Storm", a Frontline program, examines what can be learned from the failures in preparedness, leadership, and communication during the Katrina disaster and features interviews, analysis, a timeline of events, and personal stories. "Storm That Drowned A City", a NOVA program, focuses on the science of Hurricane Katrina and what made New Orleans so vulnerable.

Screenshot from PBSView these programs: The Storm --- Storm That Drowned A City

Labels: Hurricane-Katrina

---

New at Geology.com is a series of Google maps that show the distribution of water falls throughout the United States. State-by-state, these maps allow you to see the geography of waterfalls and then zoom in using your choice of maps, satellite images or a hybrid "satellite" map for a detailed location.

Screenshot from Geology.com

United States Waterfalls
Alabama	Hawaii	Massachusetts	New Mexico	South Dakota
Alaska	Idaho	Michigan	New York	Tennessee
Arizona	Illinois	Minnesota	North Carolina	Texas
Arkansas	Indiana	Mississippi	North Dakota (none)	Utah
California	Iowa	Missouri	Ohio	Vermont
Colorado	Kansas	Montana	Oklahoma	Virginia
Connecticut	Kentucky	Nebraska	Oregon	Washington
Delaware (none)	Louisiana	Nevada	Pennsylvania	West Virginia
Florida	Maine	New Hampshire	Rhode Island	Wisconsin
Georgia	Maryland	New Jersey	South Carolina	Wyoming

Labels: Maps

---

The State of California Seismic Safety Commission has released a report titled "The Tsunami Threat to California". This report includes a summary of the tsunami threat, findings related to the tsunami hazards of California and a list of recommended actions. Here is an excerpt of the tsunami situation from the report.

"Damaging tsunamis are rare but potentially catastrophic events that present a danger to the people and economy of California. Over 80 tsunamis have been observed or recorded along the coast of California in the past 150 years, 9 causing minor damage in ports and harbors and 2 with major impacts. Four events caused deaths; the worst occurred in 1964 when 12 people died in California from the tsunami generated by the Great Alaska earthquake. Local earthquakes can produce damaging tsunamis that will provide very little warning time...


Report cover from CSSCRead the entire California Tsunami Report (PDF document).

Labels: Tsunamis

---

The US Geological Survey (USGS) now offers, at no cost, selected Landsat 4, 5 and 7 satellite data. Orthorectified Landsat data are available for free download from the Global Visualization Viewer (GloVis) at http://glovis.usgs.gov.

The Landsat Orthorectified data collection is a global set of high-quality, relatively cloud-free Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) imagery. Selected and generated through NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program, the datasets provide two full sets of global coverage over an approximate 10-year interval (circa 1990 and circa 2000) and total nearly 16,000 scenes. Other data sets will be added as they become available, including the Landsat Orthorectified Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data set (circa 1975).

The Landsat Program is the longest running program providing vital images of the Earth’s surface from space. The first Landsat satellite was launched in 1972 and since then, Landsat satellites have been providing a constant stream of moderate-resolution images. In 1999, the Landsat Program took a giant leap forward technologically with the launch of Landsat 7. The instruments on the Landsat satellites have acquired millions of images of the surface of the planet, providing a unique resource for scientists who study agriculture, geology, forestry, regional planning, education, mapping and global change research.


Image by USGS

Labels: Satellite-Images

---

Earth and Sky has posted an interview with Paul Spudis, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore, Maryland. His specialty is the geology of the Moon. He has also studied the geology of Mars, Mercury, and many other worlds. Dr. Spudis was Deputy Leader of the science team for the Clementine lunar mission in 1994, and has participated in NASA and National Academy of Sciences committees that helped shape future space exploration.

The interview begins with how he became interested in planetary science and includes details on how the concept of lunar ice produced a turn-around in his thinking. Stories on how great scientists have the courage and wisdom to change their minds are always interesting.

Read more at Earth and Sky.

Labels: Astronomy-Planets

---

An article by Ben Parfitt at straight.com speculates about how a volcanic eruption at Mount Cayley or another volcano in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt could cause problems for the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia. The article is not a prediction and it does not provide a technical analysis of this situation. However, it is an interesting read because it includes comments from several volcanologists and a non-technical survey of the impacts of previous eruptions in Canada and worldwide. Perhaps the most interesting is a story of an eruption that coincided with the arrival of the first European explorers to the coastal waters of northern British Columbia.
Read more at straight.com.

Labels: Volcanoes

---

New on geology.com is a Google Mash-up Map that allows visitors to go on a self-guided satellite image tour of the Sahara Desert. Zoom in on sand dunes, irrigation projects, shrinking lakes, volcanoes, meteor impact craters and more.

Image by USGSCheck out the Sahara Desert Map!

Labels: Maps

---

An interesting article in the Jackson Hole Star Tribune by Jack Cox explains why meteorites are so hard to find - even when their fall is witnessed by many people. Also provided are references to additional websites where meteorite information can be seen.

Image by NASA - fragment of the Murchison Meteorite which fell in Austrailia, 1969Read about How To Find Meteorites at jacksonholestartrib.com.

Labels: Meteor-Meteorite

---

A U.S. District Court has ruled that requiring the teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in a public school classroom is unconstitutional.
Read more about the Intelligent Design Ruling at the Geotimes website.

Labels: Teaching-Science

---

USGS and the Geological Survey of Japan have prepared a report that ties a tsunami disaster that struck Japan in 1700 with an earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone of North America. Here is a quote from a USGS news release about this report:

At approximately 9 p.m., January 26, 1700, a gigantic earthquake ripped across the west coast of Canada and the United States along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, more than 600 miles from Vancouver Island to Cape Mendecino. The magnitude of the earthquake ranged from 8.7 to 9.2. At that time there was no written documentation of the event, however, the large tsunami it triggered hit Japan approximately 10 hours later, and that information was recorded. Learn more about what USGS scientists and the Geological Survey of Japan have learned after meticulously researching this event.

Image by USGSRead the report: The Orphan Tsunami of 1700—Japanese Clues to a Parent Earthquake in North America

Labels: Earthquakes

---

A map showing the distribution of lightning across the Earth has important economic and safety implications. Each year lightning kills many people, farm animals and wild animals. Lightning causes thousands of fires and millions of dollars in damage to buildings, communication systems, power lines and electrical systems. A map showing its distribution across the Earth should be of significant interest. That is why NASA has prepared the map below.

The black area in Central Africa is where the greatest lightning activity occurs. Reds, oranges and yellows are areas of high activity while areas in white or blue have low activity.

Image by NASA - High Resolution Lightining Map
NASA also has lightning mapping satellites which provide real time data and images of lightning activity. This information is useful for:

• Severe storm detection and warning (lightning, flash floods, tornadoes, hailstorms, and downbursts).
• Convective rainfall estimation.
• Storm tracking.
• Aviation hazards (terminal and en route use).
• Hazard warnings: Power companies, fuel depots, golf courses, etc.
• Algorithms for forest fire likelihood forecasting (uses location, frequency, and duration of flashes).
• Can be used as an indicator of cyclone development and evolution.
• Improvement of long-term forecasting by quantifying lightning activity for the time of day, season, location, and storm type.
• Improvement in the understanding of the physics of the Global Electric Circuit.
• Increased understanding of lightning interactions with the magnetosphere and the ionosphere.
• NOx generation studies.
• Studies of whistler and other wave propagation phenomena.
• Magnetospheric-ionospheric research.
• Solar-tropospheric studies.

Read more at NASA Lightning & Atmospheric Research Center.

Labels: Maps, Meteorology

---

Researchers are learning about the sounds beneath the Southern Ocean which surrounds Antarctica. A team from the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center will record sounds in an area of the Bransfield Straight, between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. Their hope is to record moving ice sheets, undersea earthquakes and volcanoes, and vocalizations of baleen whales.

Southern Ocean Map by CIA Factbook.Read more about this Southern Ocean research at the Newport News-Times website.

Labels: Arctic-Antarctic, Volcanoes

---

An interesting article at Kansas.com describes how Steve Arnold, the meteorite hunter who recently found a 1400 pound meteorite, prospects for them. Arnold pays farmers up front for the right to go meteorite hunting on their fields.
Read this article on Meteorite Hunting at Kansas.com.

Labels: Meteor-Meteorite

---

USGS has shown that the 3D structure of the Earth has a significant impact on how strongly an earthquake is felt at different locations. They have employed earthquake fault maps and seismic data to produce the "3D Geologic and Seismic Velocity Model of the San Francisco Bay Region". This model is based upon the idea that the amount of ground shaking at a site depends on the local rock formations, soil conditions, and the subsurface structure along the path of the seismic waves.

Important applications of the model include:

• Forecasting strong ground motions that may damage buildings and essential infrastructure or destroy levees in the Sacramento Delta
• Predicting where destructive liquefaction of the ground may occur
• Locating earthquakes more accurately
• Defining the extent of groundwater aquifers and modeling of subsurface transport of contaminants

Image by USGS
Learn more about 3D Earthquake Fault Maps and Modeling at the USGS website.

Labels: Earthquakes, Maps

---

A BBC News article reports on the acceleration of glaciers in Greenland. Studies on the Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier on the east coast of Greenland peg its speed at 14/KM/year. Similar increased speeds have been observed on the Helheim Glacier and others.

Landsat Satellite Image of Greenland Glaciers by Geology.com using data from NASA
Read about why these Greenland Glaciers are accelerating at BBC News.

Labels: Glaciers

---

Researchers from the United States and other countries are watching a possible rift in the Afar desert of Ethiopia. The rift was first noticed in September and has since been accompanied by numerous earthquakes and minor volcanic activity. Current size of the rift is about 13 feet in width and a length of nearly 40 miles.
Read more about Ethiopian Rift at BBC News.

Labels: Plate-Tectonics

---

The Natural History Museum has a streaming video in which museum mineralogist Andy Fleet gives a 15 minute talk on the history of diamonds. In it he traces the first uses of these stones during Roman times and traces that use up to present date. Information about the origin and geography of diamond deposits is also included. The video portion of this program is not excellent quality, however, Dr. Fleet's lecture is very well done and interesting. Definitely worth hearing if you are interested in the geology of diamonds or the history of diamonds.

Listen to the History of Diamonds Lecture. (Windows Media Player or Quicktime needed - but available at the NHM website.)

Labels: Diamonds, Fossils

---

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited will begin offering a Master of Science in Petroleum Geoscience starting in 2006. This course will be open to students worldwide.

The program will produce petroleum science professionals who have received hands-on training in the techniques used in oil and gas exploration. Experience with petroleum industry software and equipment will be strong elements of this program.

GNS Science Hydrocarbons Manager David Darby says, "The industry is recruiting aggressively and there are not enough skilled graduates to go around. This initiative will help to address this urgent problem. We have 30 world-class petroleum geoscientists from GNS and the petroleum industry contributing to the course. Very few universities would be able to draw on that level of petroleum expertise for a postgraduate course.”

Read more about this new Petroleum Geology Program at the GNS website.

Labels: Fossil-Fuels

---

Summer field camp season is just around the corner and to help those who are searching for a good camp we have created a "Summer Field Camp Directory". The directory contains information on over 60 camps. Included are references to essays and articles on how to select a field camp, the challenges that geology departments now face in maintaining a field camp program and sources of financial aid.

Labels: Teaching-Science

---

2005 was a record year for hurricanes and tropical storms. According to the National Hurricane Center the 26 named storms of 2005 broke the previous record of 21 named storms set back in 1933. One-half of the named storms (13) reached hurricane intensity.

Three Category 5 storms (Katrina, Rita and Wilma) broke the previous record of two category 5 storms set in 1960 and tied in 1961. Seven named storms made landfall on U.S. coastlines (Arlene, Cindy, Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Tammy and Wilma). Only 1916 and 2004 had a higher number of U.S. landfalls. Total U.S. damage attributed to these storms easily exceeds $100 billion.

A more detailed summary of the 2005 tropical storm season can be seen at the NOAA website.

Labels: Hurricanes

---

NASA has published a shaded relief map of North America that was generated using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Many major and minor landforms of North America are readily apparent on this image and downloading the full-resolution .jpg version (56 MB) will give you a chance to browse a highly detailed view of the continent.

Shaded Relief Map of the US by NASARead and download the full shaded relief image at NASA Shaded Relief Map of North America webpage.

Labels: Maps

---

USGS Professional Paper 1386-C is part of the "Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World". It contains numerous maps of Greenland to orient you to the geography, ice thickness, ice flow directions, seasonal ice changes and much more. After you appreciate these things the many satellite images of Greenland will be much more meaningful.

USGSIce Flow Direction Map of Greenland by USGS



Satellite Image of Greenland by USGSThe Greenland publication and others in this series can be downloaded at the USGS Glacier Studies Project website.

Labels: Maps, Satellite-Images

---