Geology News - Earth Science Current Events

Image by USGS

The major earthquake that occurred off the coast of Taiwan on December 26 fortunately did not cause an extreme amount of damage on the island. USGS reports that the 7.1 magnitude earthquake and its many aftershocks (one a 6.9) killed at least one person, injured at least three, and destroyed or damaged several buildings in the P'ing-tung area.

A big casualty from this earthquake was the undersea fiber-optic cables that carry voice and data communications both to and from the island. Even though wireless forms of communication are possible a majority of transmissions still flow through cables. The cables are normally extremely reliable but this event demonstrates a vulnerability.

Phone companies, banks, news agencies, currency traders, credit card processors, brokerages and millions of internet users were abruptly cut off when the cable was damaged. Repairs are expected to take a few weeks. Fortunately some of the traffic was able to be rerouted after several hours of outage, however, access is very slow because of congestion.

The only way to prevent this type of disruption is to have multiple cables taking separate routes which do not cross the same hazardous area. This is especially important for island nations such as Taiwan and Japan who depend upon cables to deliver electronic communications and are located where undersea cables must cross the earthquake-prone areas of active plate boundaries.

A good report on this situation is an article titled Taiwan quake shakes confidence in undersea links at Yahoo News.

Labels: Earthquakes

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Map of the Oil Shale Basins in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

The Bureau of Land Management issued leases for five oil shale research projects. These are the first federal oil shale leases issued in over thirty years. Increasing demand for energy and increasing oil prices have spurred a renewal of interest in oil shale.

Oil shale is a rock that is rich in an organic material known as kerogen. If it is heated in the absence of air the kerogen will yield liquid oil. The Green River Formation, which underlies large portions of Wyoming, Utah and Colorado contains the world’s largest oil shale resource. According to BLM this deposit could contain over 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil - more equivalent oil than the Middle East. However, this resource has not been developed because the cost of extracting oil from the shale has historically been too high.

Oil Shale - Image by US DOE.

Recent increases in oil prices and demand have spurred a renewed interest in oil shale research. These new BLM leases grant rights to develop the oil shale on 160-acre tracts for a period of ten years. The leases can be extended in time and expanded to up to 5000 acres if specific commercial production levels have been met.

There are two different approaches to extracting oil from the shale. One process involves mining the shale, crushing it and running it through a heat treatment process. The other heats the shale while it is still in the ground and produces the oil through wells. This in-situ conversion is currently favored by many industry experts. Challenges which accompany the development of an oil shale resource include: greenhouse gas emissions, mined land reclamation, disposal of spent shale, and water use.

An interesting article: The Cautious U.S. Boom in Oil Shale can be found at the New York Times website.

Labels: Fossil-Fuels, Global-Warming, Minerals

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NASA has produced an animated map that illustrates changes in global temperatures between meteorological years 1891 and 2006. This animated map is an .mp4 file that can be viewed using a QuickTime player. Each frame in the animation represents a one year increment of the ten year mean temperature anomaly. This animation begins with a historic ten year (1891-1900) mean meteorological year temperature anomaly map and ends with a recent (1997-2006) ten year mean meteorological year temperature anomaly map. The animation clearly illustrates a global warming trend over the time interval.


First Frame of the Global Warming Map Animation by NASA

Last Frame of the Global Warming Map Animation by NASA
You can view the animation or read details at the NASA website.

Labels: Global-Warming, Meteorology

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The Kansas Geological Survey has published Public Information Circular 23 - Drilling a Water Well on Your Land: What You Should Know. This circular explains some basic hydrology, beginning with the hydrologic cycle and some basic information about aquifers. However, the most useful part of the publication is a seven-step guide on "Evaluating the Potential for a Water Well". A brief summary of the seven steps is listed below, however, there is much more detail in the publication.

1. Determine the specific location of the property.
2. Determine what wells have been drilled in your area in the past and their results.
3. Consult available geologic, topographic and aquifer maps.
4. Talk to your neighbors to get information on their wells.
5. If more information on local water wells is needed, consult with the Kansas Geological Survey.
6. Select a reputable and responsible driller.
7. Check with local and state regulatory agencies about drilling permits needed.

Drilling a Residential Water Well - Image by USGS
The publication also compares the benefits, risks and costs between drilling a well and connecting to a public water supply.

See the full text of Drilling a Water Well on Your Land at the KGS website.

Labels: Books-Publications, Ground-Water

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Yellowstone National Park is located above one of the largest active volcanic systems in the world. USGS has monitored the area for many years and has published a monitoring plan for 2006-2015 which includes new instrumentation to monitor new locations, collect new types of data and upgrade the current monitoring effort.


Proposed new stream monitoring, gas sampling, GPS, tilt, seismic and strain monitoring instruments to be added to the Yellowstone volcano and earthquake monitoring network. Thick black line is the boundary of the Yellowstone Caldera. Thin black lines are roads. Gray outline is park boundary. Red regions are thermal areas. Image by USGS
Yellowstone earthquake monitoring will be upgraded to modern standards and five new seismograph stations will be added to increase the observation density. Five borehole strainmeters and two tiltmeters will be installed to measure crustal movements. New stream gages, and gas-measuring instruments will enable scientists to compare geophysical phenomena, such as earthquakes and ground motions, to hydrothermal events, such as anomalous water and gas discharge. In addition, USGS hopes to characterize the behavior of geyser basins to detect any precursors to hydrothermal explosions and to monitor earthquakes related to fluid movements. Finally, a secure system for real-time transmission of data will ensure that important data is not lost at critical times.

Read the entire 17-page report: Volcano and Earthquake Monitoring Plan for the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, 2006-2015

Related Article on Geology.com - Uplift at Yellowstone Caldera

Labels: Earthquakes, Geothermal, Volcanoes

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Imagine you are buying a home in Arizona that has a private water supply. Wouldn't you like to get an unbiased and fact-filled report on that well from a reliable source? SAHRA, a multidisciplinary hydrology program of the University of Arizona, has a website that allows you to query multiple databases and retrieve a variety of types of water well information. The website uses a Google pushpin map to give the public easy access to water well information.


Screenshot of the Arizona Wells Website
The screen shot above shows the results of a query based upon the name of the well owner. I searched for wells with owners named "Johnson" and the satellite image map of Arizona on the website pictured above shows 839 push pins centered on wells meeting that criteria. I could have searched for wells by keyword, latitude/longitude, cadastral location, township-range system, or well ID.

Clicking on any of those pushpins - or on a tabular listing that was shown below the satellite image would open a window with a wealth of information about the well. Information on past and current well ownership, historic water levels, water quality information, well construction information and numerous other parameters are available. The website allows you to rapidly search through thousands of well records for free.


Water Level History Graph - Click Image for More Detail
The image above (click it for more detail) shows historic water levels for one of the Johnson wells. Many wells in the database have dozens of water level measurements over a several decade history of the well. Imagine what kinds of studies could be done with this easy access to water level information!


Well Completion Data
This is one of the best public information projects related to hydrology that I have seen. You can visit the Arizona Water website and try it out. Every state should have a website like this.

Labels: Ground-Water

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Photo of the discovery site on a cold, rocky, windswept slope on Vega Island, Antarctica. Photo by James Martin, used with permission.

Paleontologists from the United States and Argentina discovered one of the most complete plesiosaur skeletons ever found. (A plesiosaur is a swimming marine reptile that lived about 70 million years ago. At that time the waters of what is now Antarctica were much warmer than they are today.) The fossil plesiosaur was discovered during a 2005 expedition to Antarctica. The fossil goes on display today at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's Museum of Geology.

This plesiosaur specimen is a juvenile of about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length. An adult plesiosaur is about 32 feet (10 meters). It was perfectly articulated and complete, except that the skull had been lost to erosion. The plesiosaur was excavated from deposits of shallow marine sands covered by volcanic ash. Paleontologists speculate that the volcanic blast or debris thrown into the ocean was responsible for the plesiosaur's death.


Researcher carefully excavates the fossil plesiosaur. Photo by James Martin, used with permission.
Excavation of the fossil was extremely difficult because of weather conditions. The paleontolgists had to contend with 70 mile per hour winds sweeping the excavation site, low temperatures and frozen ground. Transporting the specimen to the Herbert Sound camp would have been extremely difficult but the researchers were fortunate to get helicopter support from the Argentine air force.


Artist's impression of the plesiosaur and environment. Painting by Nicolle Rager, National Science Foundation.
James Martin (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology), Judd Case (Eastern Washington University), Marcelo Reguero (Museo de La Plata, Argentina) and J. Foster Sawyer (South Dakota Geological Survey and the School of Mines) were among the participants in the discovery.

Read more about the Fossil Plesiosaur at the National Science Foundation website.

Labels: Fossils

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Image by California Geological Survey

The California Geological Survey has published a few landslide inventory maps for selected 7.5 minute quadrangles in the state. Supervising Geologist Chuck Real, a program head at CGS, says that the maps are produced under the idea that “The most likely places for landslides to occur are the places where they’ve happened in the past." Thus, an inventory of historic landslide activity is logical. These maps should also help avoid property development on ancient landslides. Landslide areas on the maps have been placed into four different categories:

Active or Historic Landslides: The landslide appears to be currently moving (at the time the aerial photograph was taken or field observation occurred) or to have moved within historic time.

Dormant - Young Landslides: The observed landforms related to the landslide are fresh or uneroded, but there is no evidence of historic movement.

Dormant - Mature Landslides: The observed landforms related to the landslide have been smoothed and subdued by erosion and vegetation.

Dormant - Old Landslides: The observed landforms related to the landslide have been greatly eroded, including significant gullies or canyons cut into the landslide mass and/or main scarp by small streams.


Landslide Map by California Geological Survey

The map above shows locations of dormant landslides in color with movement directions shown by arrows. From this sample map it is clear to see that some development has occurred directly upon dormant landslides. This type of mapping will inform of current problems and help development and home purchase decisions to be made with improved information.

More information about these maps and access to the .pdf documents can be obtained at the CGS Landslide Inventory Map webpage.

Labels: Landslides, Maps

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Volcano Image by NASA Click Image for More Detail

One of the best satellite images of a volcano that I have ever seen is now on display at NASA's Earth Observatory website. Tungurahua Volcano in Ecuador has been erupting or restless for the past several months. Lava flows and pyroclastics have blanketed much of the surrounding landscape, forced evacuations of many villages, dammed the Chambo River and caused numerous fatalities and injuries.

Tungurahua is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador, but many people decide to live on its flanks because of the rich soils and mild temperatures. The price for this has been abandonment of property and the risk of injury or death.

Visit the Earth Observatory website to see this great Volcano Image.

Labels: Satellite-Images, Volcanoes

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Gregory Webb has written an interesting article titled "Growth in Mining Hampered by a Lack of Geoscientists" that is available at OnlineOpinion.com.au. In this article he discusses the current shortage of geologists in Australia and how this shortage of educated workers is impacting the mineral industries and the environmental and construction industries. There is also a shortage of academic geologists and many university geology programs are being closed because of low or falling enrollments.

In the past year there have been many articles on the web and in print that detail the shortage of geology graduates and the retirement of a very large number of senior geologists who were hired during the "Energy Crisis" of the 1970s. Some schools report students getting very high salaries for summer employment and getting multiple job offers upon graduation. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists reports these same facts and documents sharply increased salaries for geologists in the petroleum industry.

If industries want to sustain a steady flow of geologists, this may be the time to support university geology departments with endowed professorships and attract geology students with generous scholarship programs.

Read more at OnlineOpinion.com.au.

Labels: Employment

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GeoCorps America has announced that 40 jobs will be available this summer for work with the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. These are paid geoscience positions at many interesting locations. GeoCorps Positions pay a $2,500 stipend for 10-12 weeks of duty and free housing is provided. The positions are open to students, teachers, professionals and retirees.

Field Paleontologist / Education	BLM Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon NCA
Soil Scientist	BLM Butte Falls Resource Area
Geologist	BLM California Coastal National Monument
Paleo Technician (2 Positions)	BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Geologist / Education	BLM Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
Education Development Coordinator	BLM Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
GIS Tech / Specialist	BLM New Mexico State Office
Natural Resource Specialist / GIS	BLM National Landscape Conservation System
Resource Protection Specialist (2 Positions)	BLM Nevada, Winnemucca District
Hydrogeologist	Huron-Manistee National Forest
Field Geologist	Klamath National Forest
Lead Paleontologist / Stratigrapher (2 Positions)	Kaibab National Forest
Field Geologist	Lewis and Clark National Forest
Environmental Geologist / GIS	Ozark-St. Francis National Forest
Geologist	Sierra National Forest
Soil Scientist	Sierra National Forest
Geologist / Physical Scientist (2 Positions)	White River National Forest
Park Guide - Geology	White Sands National Monument
Karst Management Technician	Antietam National Battlefield
Geology Education / Research	Craters of the Moon National Monument
Park Guide / Natural Resource Assistant	Capulin Volcano National Monument
Field Geologist / Paleo Technician (2 Positions)	Denali National Park
Park Guide - Geology	Bryce Canyon National Park
Paleo Technician	Bryce Canyon National Park
Paleo Assistant / Park Guide	Fossil Butte National Monument
Park Guide - Geology	Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim)
Geomorphologist	Gateway National Recreation Area
Park Guide - Geology (2 Positions)	Oregon Cave National Monument
Field Paleontologist	Petrified Forest National Park
Education / Geologist	Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument
Geology Education Specialist	Rocky Mountain National Park
Geoscience Research Assistant	Rocky Mountain National Park
Park Guide – Geology (2 Positions)	Mount Rainier National Park

Learn more about GeoCorps America Jobs.

Labels: Employment

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Mineral products are the secret to colorful Christmas lights! Image by Angela King.

Colored lights have been used as Christmas decorations for over one hundred years and billions of colorful Christmas lights are purchased every year. Each of these brightly colored bulbs is produced using a number of different minerals. The glass bulbs are made from quartz sand with small amounts of sodium carbonate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide and aluminum oxide added. The metal fitting is often made of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc. The filament within the bulb is typically made of tungsten.

Colored lights are made by adding small amounts of special mineral materials to the glass or placing a thin mineral coating on the inside of the bulb. Yellow light can be produced using cadmium sulfide, ruby red from gold chloride, blue-violet from cobalt oxide, amethyst purple from manganese dioxide, violet from nickel oxide, yellow-amber from sulfur, and emerald green from chromic oxide. Fluorescent yellows and greens have been produced using uranium. These are just a few examples of the mineral materials that can be used to color the glass.

Sources: USGS, cmog.org

Labels: Minerals

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Images by USGS

Most of the evidence presented to document climate change is quantitative. However, sometimes visual evidence is more convincing or makes a more memorable impact. USGS scientists are creating a photographic documentation of climate change by repeat photography of glaciers in Glacier National Park.

Since 1997, project scientists have been rephotographing the Park's glaciers from the exact location that historic photos of the same glaciers were taken. So far over sixty repeat photographs have been taken of seventeen different glaciers. Thirteen of those glaciers show obvious signs of retreat and some of them are significantly smaller.

Documenting these glaciers properly now is important. In 1850 there were 150 named glaciers in this area and today only 26 of them are still present. Some researchers predict that all of the park's glaciers will melt away by 2030 - just 24 years from now.

Glaciers rephotographed as part of this project include: Agassiz, Boulder, Weasel Collar, Vulture, Shepard, Chaney, Swiftcurrent, Grinnell, Piegan, Sexton, Sperry, Blackfoot-Jackson and Grant.

USGS has created side-by-side historic/recent photo pairs for many of the repeat glacier photos and has them on display at the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center Website.

Labels: Glaciers, Global-Warming

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CIA Image

Flooding and mudslides have severely damaged many areas in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Durian. The areas hardest hit are in the vicinity of the Mount Mayon volcano. There, several hours of steady rain has caused flooding and triggered countless mudslides on the steep landscape. Hundreds of people have drowned in the floods or have been killed by the slides. Entire villages close to the volcano have been wiped out or severely damaged. Winds of over 100 MPH have also done significant damage. The storm is now moving toward Vietnam.

This comes after a summer of volcanic activity for the Mount Mayon Volcano.

Read a recent news story about Philippines Floods and Mudslides at the MSN website.

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The first Canadian diamond mine came into production in 1998 and in less than ten years Canada is already one of the top producers of gem-quality diamonds. The first Canadian mine, the Ekati Mine, located near Lac de Gras in Northwest Territories, is owned by BHP Billiton, LTD and produces a few million carats of diamonds each year.

Canadian diamond production was 11.2 million carats in 2003, placing it as the fourth most productive nation, after Botswana (22.8 million), Australia (14.9 million) and Russia (12 million). This top producer ranking has been supported by only two mines - the Ekati Mine which produces about 5 million carats per year and the Diavik Mine (owned by Diavik Diamond Mines and Aber Diamond Mines), also located in Northwest Territories and designed to produce at a rate of about 7.5 million carats per year.


Production of Canadian Diamonds - 1998 to 2005 (estimated) - USGS data.

Canada's diamond production should continue to rise because three new diamond projects are moving toward production: 1) The Snap Lake Project, owned by De Beers, located in Northwest Territories and designed to produce about 1.5 million carats per year starting in 2007; 2) the Jericho Project, owned by Nunavut Tahera Diamond Corporation, located in Nunavut and designed to produce about 350,000 carats per year starting in 2006; and, 3) the Victor Project, owned by DeBeers, located in northern Ontario and designed to produce about 600,000 carats per year starting in 2008.


Map of Canadian Diamond Mines
It is very likely that additional discoveries will result in even greater Canadian diamond production. Today an estimated $200 million to $300 million dollars (US) per year is being spent on diamond prospecting in Canada. This is thought to be about one half of the worldwide diamond exploration expenditure. Over 100 companies are involved in this exploration effort which occurs in Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Ontario.

A couple more great discoveries could advance Canada to the top worldwide producer of gem-quality diamonds.

Sources: USGS Minerals Yearbook, Canadian Minerals Yearbook

Labels: Diamonds, Minerals

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