“Algeria is an important oil and natural gas producer and a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Algeria’s hydrocarbons sector accounted for 60 percent of its budget revenues, 36 percent of its GDP, and over 97 percent of its export earnings in 2010.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country report.
“The Ouarkziz Impact Crater is located in northwestern Algeria, close to the border with Morocco. The crater was formed by a meteor impact less than 70 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era, or Age of Dinosaurs.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.
Four geologic provinces along the east coast of Africa recently were assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids resources as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) World Oil and Gas Assessment. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimated mean volumes of 27.6 billion barrels of oil, 441.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 13.77 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.
“This brief report, drawing from a multi-year effort by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), examines recent trends in March-June, June-September, and March-September rainfall and temperature, identifying significant reductions in rainfall and increases in temperature over time in many areas of Ethiopia.” Quoted from the USGS Fact Sheet.
“The South Africa Coastal Province along the South Africa coast recently was assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids resources as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s World Oil and Gas Assessment. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimated mean volumes of 2.13 billion barrels of oil, 35.96 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1,115 million barrels of natural gas liquids.”
“The Omo Delta, at the north end of Lake Turkana, a lake now located mainly in Kenya. Left: February 1, 1973. Right: January 24, 2005 to February 12, 2006. In 1973, the delta was contained entirely within the boundaries of Ethiopia. By 2005-2006, the southernmost point of the delta had moved roughly 12 kilometers (7 miles) to the south, and had crossed the Ethiopia-Kenya border.” Quoted from the NASA image release.
Rio Tinto is looking for buyers for three diamond mines. A 100% stake in the Argyle Mine in Australia that is famous for its pink diamonds, a 60% interest in the Diavik Mine in the Norwest Territories of Canada that is famous for it’s extremely high ore grade, and the smaller Murowa Diamond Mine in Zimbabwe.
South Sudan shut in its oil production just six months after gaining independence, as a result of an ongoing dispute with Sudan over transit fees and other post-independence issues. Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country analysis report.
“The dust storm that started on March 17 continued its southward movement two days later, drifting off the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula and over the Gulf of Aden.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.
Pale green patterns tinted the water along the Namibian coast in late February 2012. But unlike other bright hues that occasionally show up in the ocean, these colors didn’t result from a phytoplankton bloom. [...] The sediments in the local seafloor are also rich with organic matter. When organic matter decays in an oxygen-poor environment, hydrogen sulfide emissions can result.
“Volcanic activity in the Zubair Island Group appears to have ceased. On December 19, 2011, satellites detected sulfur dioxide and a small volcanic plume in the area, and by December 23 a new island had formed in the Red Sea. The island continued to grow in early January, but stopped by January 15th.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.
“Equatorial Guinea became a significant oil and natural gas exporter with the discovery and development of large offshore oil reserves in the 1990s. As production increased, the country grew by an average real annual growth rate of 26.2 percent from 2001 to 2005, according to the World Bank. Hydrocarbon production is the basis of the country’s economy and consists of crude oil, condensate, natural gas plant liquids, and dry natural gas.
“In 1986 Lake Nyos, in the volcanic region of Cameroon, suddenly released a cloud of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, killing 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock in nearby towns and villages. [...] But since then, to prevent Lake Nyos from exploding again, an international team of scientists and engineers has developed and implemented a program to artificially remove gas from the lake through piping.” Quoted from the USGS press release.
In the United States and other developed countries, fluoride is often added to drinking water and toothpaste to help strengthen teeth. But too much naturally occurring fluoride can have exactly the opposite effect.
Over many generations the Amhara people of the Ethiopian Highlands have adapted to living at high-altitude. Now researchers are determining how their genes convey a survival advantage from one generation to the next.
In July, 2011 a meteor broke-up during its descent through Earth’s atmosphere, dropping debris on the Moroccan desert. Fragments of the meteorite were recovered and NASA has confirmed that they are fragments of Mars.
“Gabon is an established oil producing country in West Africa and has enjoyed decades of economic growth and political stability in comparison to other countries in the region. Oil production undergirds Gabon’s economy, accounting for 45 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 60 percent of government revenue, according to the World Bank.” Quoted from the EIA report.
This image from Earth Observatory shows the heat of an active lava flow near Nyamuragira Volcano and a lava lake within the summit crater of Nyiragongo.
“An eruption occurred in the Red Sea in December 2011. According to news reports, fishermen witnessed lava fountains reaching up to 30 meters tall on December 19.
By December 23, 2011, what looked like a new island appeared in the region.” Quote from the NASA image release.
Alex Guth of Michigan Technological University assisted National Geographic with a story about “why the rift exists and its impact on the local people — a people in crisis — and the delicate ecosystem that coexists”.
The Eruptions blog has interesting photos and commentary on the continuing subsea volcanic activity near the Canary Islands in a post titled: “Mixing Magmas at the Ongoing El Hierro Eruption“.
Anadarko Petroleum estimates that their newly-discovered natural gas field off the coast of Mozambique could be the largest discovery in company history.
Researchers have used Krypton 81 to study the flow of water through the Nubian Aquifer of North Africa. Krypton isotopes can be used to determine how long water has been underground and how fast it has moved.
TheAge.com.au has a video featuring the current eruption of Nyamuragira Volcano, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has lava fountains shooting hundreds of meters into the air.
A 110-carat vivid yellow, pear-shaped diamond that was mined in South Africa will be auctioned next week in Geneva. It is expected to bring up to $15 million. YouTube Video.
Nyamuragira is a shield volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and located on the western branch of the East African Rift. It is the most active volcano in Africa. This video reports on an eruption that began on Sunday and is threatening people who live nearby.
Anglo American has negotiated a deal that will give them 85% of the outstanding stock of De Beers, a company that has dominated the diamond industry for about 100 years.
One advantage that diamonds have held over colored stones is the ability of manufacturers to obtain a steady supply of consistent quality stones. Large mining operations in Africa are now able to promise a steady and consistent supply of emeralds, amethysts and possibly rubies.
Archaeologists in South Africa have found a cave where they believe that humans used tools and heat to manufacture pigments from ochre about 100,000 years ago.
“Analysis of fragments of the Almahata Sitta meteorite, which landed in Sudan in 2008, has shown that the parent asteroid was probably formed through collisions of three different types of asteroids. ” Quoted from the Europlanet Research Infrastructure press release.
Field investigations have confirmed that the Luizi Structure in the Democratic Republic of Congo is an impact structure. For detailed evidence see the paper by Ferriere and others.
“Oil revenues are important to the economies of North and South Sudan but the sector’s development is hindered by conflicts and sanctions. In the near-term, both countries will remain co-dependent in terms of the oil industry. The loss of oil revenues will have a serious impact on the economy of North Sudan at a time when it is still facing international sanctions – while land-locked South Sudan is dependent on the North to export its crude.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country report.
Nabro Volcano, located in Eritrea near the Danakil Depression continues to show signs of eruption. It is located in a remote, sparsely populated area where satellite monitoring is the only reliable method of monitoring. Image below acquired on June 29, 2011.
“In the center of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Unia River flows around a circular structure known as the Wembo-Nyama feature. Several things in nature leave a circular footprint such as this, including volcanoes and uplifted domes. However, Italian scientists from the University of Padova believe that the Wembo-Nyama feature is an impact crater.” Quoted from the NASA image release.
USGS has published: “Alluvial Diamond Resource Potential and Production Capacity Assessment of the Central African Republic“. “Estimates are that approximately 39,000,000 carats of alluvial diamonds remain in the eastern and western zones of the CAR combined. This amount is roughly twice the total amount of diamonds reportedly exported from the Central African Republic since 1931.” Quoted from the USGS publication release.
USGS Special Investigations Report 2010–5044: “Alluvial Diamond Resource Potential and Production Capacity Assessment of Mali” has been published. The objective of this study was (1) to assess the naturally occurring endowment of diamonds in Mali (potential resources) based on geological evidence, previous studies, and recent field data and (2) to assess the diamond-production capacity and measure the intensity of mining activity.
Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources are the mainstay of the country’s economy but development of the oil and natural gas sectors is often constrained by instability in the Niger Delta. Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country report.
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