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Kenya
Finding Magma Systems in African Rift
November 19, 2009 | University of Miami RSMAS

For the past 10 years, satellite images have been used to study active magma systems in the East African Rift. Activity has been recorded at 4 Kenyan volcanoes: Paka, Longonot, Menengai, and Suswa.

Related: East Africa’s Great Rift Valley: A Complex Rift System.

Related stories.
Lightning
Lightning Affected by Sun’s Rotation?
November 18, 2009 | Tel Aviv University

It appears that lightning patterns on Earth may fluctuate in sync with the sun’s rotation. This discovery could warrant further research in the fields of astronomy, meteorology and “space weather”.

Where does lightning strike most? World Lightning Map.

Related stories.
South Africa
Dinosaur Walked Upright and on All Fours
November 18, 2009 | University of Witwatersrand

A unique dinosaur species has been discovered in South Africa. Aardonyx celestae apparently walked upright on two legs most of the time, but sometimes used all four.

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Angola
The Future of Oil in Angola
November 17, 2009 | Reuters

Oil production in Angola is expected to surge over the next few years. Rich offshore oil fields could considerably increase the country’s production.

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Kenya
Flooding in Kenya
November 9, 2009 | Reuters

In the coming weeks, flooding and landslides are predicted to endanger hundreds of thousands of people in Kenya. A large percentage of the people in vulnerable areas are Somali refugees.

Related stories.
Dust Plumes Over the Mediterranean Sea
November 6, 2009 | NASA Earth Observatory

NASA’s Aqua Satellite captured this spectacular image of dust plumes streaming from the desert of Egypt out over the Mediterranean Sea on October 4, 2009.

Egypt Dust Storm

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Ethiopia
Beginnings of New Ocean in Ethiopia
November 4, 2009 | University of Rochester

A large rift in Ethiopia’s Afar desert may be the beginnings of a new ocean. An eruption from the Dabbahu volcano triggered the rift’s formation, when the ground split about 6 meters (20 feet) in the course of a few days.

Related: East Africa’s Great Rift Valley: A Complex Rift System

Related stories.
Kilimanjaro Glaciers Are Melting
November 3, 2009 | CNN Tech

An article on the CNN website reports that the glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are retreating and could be melted away within 20 years.

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Zimbabwe and Kimberly Process Standards
November 2, 2009 | ZimOnline

The Kimberly Process is a set of standards that a diamond-producing country must meet to assure that the stones are produced legally and without human exploitation. Zimbabwe could be told to stop exporting diamonds until it complies with the KP standards.

Related stories.
The Only Volcano Crisis Response Team
November 2, 2009 | USAID

“Every year an average of 50 volcanoes erupt worldwide, putting lives, economic productivity, and homes in danger. USAID is responding to that risk with the world’s only volcano crisis response team. ” Quoted from the USAID press release.

Related article: Volcanic Hazards by Jessica Ball

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Cape Verde Landslides and Flooding
October 6, 2009 | On the Slide

Photos and commentary on rainfall-triggered landslides and flooding damage that occurred in the Cape Verde islands on September 22.

Related stories.
Evolution of Human Ancestors in Ethiopia
October 1, 2009 | Los Angeles Times

A 4.4 million-year-old fossil found in Ethiopia has changed many ideas about the appearance and behavior of human ancestors. The Los Angeles Times website has an article, photos of the fossil and a sketch of Ardipithecus ramidus.

Related stories.
Diamond
Cullinan Diamond Mine Yields a 507-Carat White Stone
September 29, 2009 | Telegraph.co.uk

One of the largest diamonds in history was discovered at the Cullinan Diamond Mine in South Africa. The 507-carat white stone is one of many spectacular gems from the Cullinan Mine.

Related: World Diamond Production Map

Related stories.
Highest Mountain On Each Continent
September 28, 2009 | Geology.com

A Google map with a pushpin marking the location of the highest point on each continent. Do you know the name of the mountain that has the highest elevation in Europe? Zoom in for a satellite view.

Related stories.
Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano: Eruption Effects
September 22, 2009 | NASA Earth Observatory

Explosive eruptions at Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano in 2008 built a cone over 100 meters (330 feet) high with a steep-walled crater. This NASA image shows the gray ash-covered landscape and other eruption effects.

Related stories.
More Pythons in Florida
September 17, 2009 | National Geographic

National Geographic reports that Africa’s largest snake, the African rock python is reproducing in the wild in Florida. This is a 20-foot-long ill-tempered snake.

Related stories.
East Africa Rift System
September 15, 2009 | Geology.com

Learn some basics about the East Africa Rift System from this article by James Wood and Alex Guth of Michigan Technological University.

Related stories.
Halliburton: 46 New Deepwater Rigs
September 14, 2009 | Halliburton

By the end of 2011, Halliburton expects to have 46 more deepwater drilling rigs on duty to service projects in Brazil, West Africa, Pacific Asia and the Gulf of Mexico.

Related stories.
Politics and Oil in Libya
September 12, 2009 | The First Post

Significant amounts of oil and natural gas are thought to be beneath Libya but they have not been aggressively explored for political reasons.

Related stories.
Interesting Petroglyph Photos
September 11, 2009 | Geology.com

Petroglyphs, sometimes known as “rock art,” are images cut into or scribed onto a stone surface by people. They are often produced as a form or art or communication. This photo gallery features petroglyphs from worldwide locations including: Arizona, British Columbia, California, Chile, Hawaii, India, Mexico, Namibia, Nevada, New Mexico, Norway, Ontario, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Utah, Virgin Islands, Washington.

Related stories.
South Africa – Geologic Hazards
September 7, 2009 | South African International Year of Planet Earth

The South African International Year of Planet Earth Website has an informative .pdf document that explains the geologic hazards in that country. Earthquakes, sinkholes, unstable soils, coastal erosion, landslides, floods and tsunamis are covered in the report. A quote that I found surprising….

“The rates of seismic activity in South Africa’s gold mining districts are higher than elsewhere in the world (even than California and Japan, which are renowned for earthquakes). A typical deep-level mine records about 1 000 seismic events each day.”

Related stories.
GDP and Light Density
September 1, 2009 | Reuters

Economists using satellite images? Researchers at Brown University are looking at changes in the density of light to estimate the growth in GDP of developing countries.

Get a closer look at an “Earth At Night Image“.

Related stories.
Africa
Lake Victoria, Africa and Climate Change
August 23, 2009 | New York Times

A New York Times article reports that Uganda and Kenya are threatening war over Migingo Island in Lake Victoria – which is crossed by their international boundary. The science story in that article is about how climate change is impacting the lake and that brings the boundary dispute into focus.

Related stories.
Solar Cell Phones
August 21, 2009 | CNN

In some countries such as Kenya, where household electricity can be a luxury, many people are buying solar cell phones. Between uses, a solar panel produces electricity that charges the phone’s battery.

Related stories.
Farming Shellfish in Zanzibar
August 12, 2009 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has an interesting video on farming shellfish in Zanzibar as a method of producing food and reducing poverty.

Related stories.
Fire on the Canary Islands
August 3, 2009 | Earth Observatory

Earth Observatory has a satellite image of a fire on La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, off the west coast of Africa. The fire this past weekend forced several thousand people to evacuate homes and tourist accommodations.

Related stories.
Green in the Sahara
August 3, 2009 | National Geographic News

National Geographic News has a short article about portions of the Sahara that show signs of increased rainfall and plant growth – a trend that has held for over 20 years.

Related stories.
Africa
Electronic Waste in Africa and Asia
August 3, 2009 | CNN

Some locations in Asia and Africa are being used as dump sites for other countries’ unwanted electronics. This is causing contamination issues in these areas, as well as health problems for people who explore the dumps in search of precious metals.

Related stories.
Earth From Space at Night
July 30, 2009 | NASA

One of NASA’s most famous images is known as the “Satellite Photo of Earth at Night.” It really isn’t a photo, instead it is a compiled image that maps the location of permanent lights on Earth’s surface. It is not a map of population, instead it is more a map of electricity use.

Shown at right is heavily illuminated Europe in contrast with the less illuminated Africa.

Related stories.
Worldwide Petroglyph Photo Collection
July 29, 2009 | Geology.com

A collection of petroglyph photos from Arizona, British Columbia, California, Chile, Hawaii, India, Mexico, Namibia, Nevada, New Mexico, Norway, Ontario, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Utah, Virgin Islands, Washington.

Related stories.
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East Africa Rift The East Africa Rift System: Learn some basics about the East Africa Rift System from this article by James Wood and Alex Guth of Michigan Technological University.


meteorites What are Meteorites? Join meteorite hunter, Geoffrey Notkin, as he begins a series of monthly articles on the topic of meteorites.


marcellus shale gas Marcellus Shale: The most overlooked resource in the eastern United States!


Mineral Rights Mineral Rights / Oil & Gas: Who owns the minerals under your land? Have they been sold? Can someone mine without your permission?


sliding rocks of racetrack playa Sliding Rocks of Racetrack Playa: How these rocks slide across a dry lake bed is a mystery. Learn what is thought to move them. © iStock / S. Hoerold


yosemite rockfall Spectacular Yosemite Rockfall:A photo sequence of the fall and debris avalanche by Herb Dunn.


coal through a microscope Coal Through a Microscope: Coal is more than a black rock. It's THE most interesting rock.



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