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Geology News
Alabama Current Events

NASA is gearing up for their 2010 “Great Moonbuggy Race” next month in Huntsville, Alabama. High school and college students can compete in races and win prizes for vehicle designs. This page has links with more details.

“The Geological Survey of Alabama has maintained an active research program in carbon sequestration since 2000. This research includes assessing the potential of geologic formations, identification of risks associated with geologic sequestration, and the implementation of sequestration technology. Research activities have spanned the full range of potential geologic sinks in Alabama.” Quoted from the GSA website.

The Alabama State Oil and Gas Board has an online GIS that allows you to view the geographic distribution of oil and gas wells and perform functions such as query for wells, fields and print the data.

A small portion of a screenshot showing a well query is shown below.

“To assist in the development of emerging gas shale plays in Alabama, the Geological Survey of Alabama is conducting a three-year study on the geology and development potential of gas shale in the Black Warrior basin and Appalachian thrust belt of Alabama. These areas contain a diversity of emerging gas shale plays in Cambrian through Mississippian strata.”

Plumes of sediment clouded the Gulf of Mexico on November 10, 2009, when NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this photo-like image. Much of the material that colors the water is likely resuspended sediment dredged up from the sea floor in shallow waters. Other sediment was washed into the Gulf by rivers.

As Tropical Storm Ida approached the Gulf coast energy companies began shutting down drilling platforms and other facilities to avoid damage during the storm.

Tropical Storm Ida is heading to the US Gulf coast where it is expected to dump up to eight inches of heavy rain. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Grand Isle, Louisiana to the Aucilla River of Florida.

Hurricane Ida is moving north through the Gulf of Mexico and a hurricane watch has been issued for Gulf coast areas between Grand Isle, Louisiana and Mexico Beach, Florida. The National Hurricane Information Center will be updating maps of the storm’s projected path on their website.

This image shows estimates of rainfall for the southeastern United States from September 14–21 produced by the near-real-time, multi-satellite precipitation analysis at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The highest rainfall amounts—more than 300 millimeters —appear in blue. The lightest amounts appear in pale green. Especially intense rainfall occurred in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and northern Florida. Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.

Scott Kleine of Great Basin Minerals shares a few photos from his 2005 trip to numerous mineral collecting sites in Alabama and Arkansas. You might not believe the diversity of rocks and minerals that can be found at the locations he visited on this trip… rutile, cacoxenite, rockbridgeite, wavellite, beraunite, dufrenite, strengite, syenite, natrolite, apophyllite, pegmatite, joaquinite, narsarsukite, stilbite, chabazite, orthoclase, analcime, aegirine, rhodochrosite, carbonatite, brookite, cacoxenite, rockbridgeite and more.

The 2009 hurricane season is off to a slow start but Tropical Storm Claudette is about to be the first storm that makes landfall in the United States – near the Florida-Alabama border. From the National Hurricane Center…

“A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER EASTWARD TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER FLORIDA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS.”

Stormwater runoff and sewage contaminate many US beaches. A study done by the Natural Resources Defense Council sampled, tested and rated 200 of the most popular beaches in the United States – both ocean and freshwater beaches were included in the study. Some of them had consistently high water quality and some had consistently low. You can view the report and a listing of the beaches on their website.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program released a report that explains how climate change might impact Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Stronger hurricanes, drought, heat waves and crop losses are a few of the featured problems.

Raven Maps are the most beautiful state wall maps that I have ever seen. They show the elevation and relief of a complete state through a skillful use of vibrant colors and topographic shading. Maps are available for individual states, the Conterminous United States, North America, Mexico and the world.

The-Vug.com has a comprehensive listing of mineral and lapidary clubs from across the United States. It could be the most complete and up-to-date listing on the web. Included are hundreds of clubs and organizations located in all 50 states.

The-Vug.com has a list of mineral shows being held across the United States in late May and June. Included are shows in Virginia, Nebraska, Montana, Ohio, California, Colorado, Alabama, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Connecticut, Oregon, Indiana and other states.

This article recounts the largest earthquake in the recorded history of Alabama. It was a 5.1 magnitude event epicentered near Irondale on October 18, 1916. What would happen today if a similar earthquake occurred?

Last month the Department of Interior failed to honor exploration leases on Utah oil and gas parcels that were won in a December lease sale. Many natural resource companies spent a lot of time preparing to bid in that sale. On March 18th important Gulf of Mexico leases will be up for bid in another DOI sale. A lot more than oil and gas properties are at stake in this sale.

Earth Observatory has a high resolution satellite image of snow cover from last week’s snowstorm in the deep south. Several inches of wet snow fell across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama on Thursday, December 11, closing schools and businesses in a part of the country where accumulating snow is a rare event.

Some livestock emit gases that contribute to air pollution. The EPA has filed a proposal that would require farmers to pay a fee for raising these animals. Farmers are strongly opposed to this idea.

Hurricane Gustav hit this morning as a Category 2 storm. Fortunately the intensity fell from the previous level of Category 4. Early news reports say that levees in New Orleans are holding up.

The National Hurricane Center maintains a map of the predicted path of Hurricane Gustav at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?5day. It is expected to make landfall on the Louisiana coast at about 8:00 AM Monday.

The National Hurricane Center has a storm surge probability map for Hurricane Gustav. This map shows color-coded probability areas where surges could be greater than 5 feet above normal tide levels during the next 3 days.

New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, says that Hurricane Gustav could be the “Storm of the century” and Alabama Governor, Bob Riley declared a mandatory evacuation for much of his state.

Tropical Storm Fay stalled today over the east coast of Florida, dumping heavy rain on many coastal cities. Fay is expected to make a third landfall with the state and track west over Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.