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Insurance for Beachfront Properties in Australia
October 27, 2009 | The Sydney Morning Herald

An article in The Sydney Morning Herald reports that insurance against coastal erosion and other coastal hazards is getting difficult to obtain for beachfront homes in Australia. Insurance providers are becoming increasingly concerned about sea level rise and powerful storms.

In the United States, homeowners insurance does not cover damage from a number of natural hazards.

Related stories.
South Carolina
Coastal Erosion at Myrtle Beach
October 27, 2009 | USGS

The USGS has conducted a seven-year study on the coastal erosion of South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach. This report discusses how and why the sand is displaced, and what can be done to preserve the beaches.

Related stories.
Florida Offshore Drilling Debate
October 22, 2009 | Jacksonville.com

Should Florida allow oil and gas drilling in their offshore waters? It could bring in a lot of revenue but it could also have an environmental impact. How much money and how much impact are key questions.

Related stories.
Diverting Mississippi Sediment to Build Land
October 21, 2009 | NSF

Diverting sediment-rich water from the Mississippi River below New Orleans could generate new land in the river’s delta in the next century. The land would equal almost half the acreage otherwise expected to disappear during that period, a new study shows.

Related stories.
The Next Big Oregon Earthquake
October 16, 2009 | KVAL.com

The Cascadia Subduction Zone parallels the Pacific coast of Oregon and has produced five massive earthquakes in the past 1400 years. This article explores the geology of these earthquakes and mitigation strategies.

Related stories.
Samoan Islands Tsunami Damage
October 15, 2009 | NASA Earth Observatory

NASA’s Earth Observatory has before and after satellite images that show obvious damage that occurred on September 29, 2009, when a tsunami struck the southern shoreline of Upolu, the easternmost of the Samoan islands.

Related stories.
Pacific Tsunami Threat from Alaska Earthquake
September 30, 2009 | Durham University

The potential for a huge Pacific Ocean tsunami on the West Coast of North America may be greater than previously thought. The new study of geological evidence along the Gulf of Alaska coast suggests that future tsunamis could reach a scale far beyond that suffered in the tsunami generated by the great 1964 Alaskan earthquake.

Related stories.
What Causes a Tsunami?
September 29, 2009 | Geology.com

A tsunami is a large ocean wave that is caused by sudden motion of the ocean floor. This sudden motion could be an earthquake, a powerful volcanic eruption, or an underwater landslide. The impact of a large meteorite could also cause a tsunami…. more

Related stories.
Brazil
Petrobras Wants 28 New Deepwater Drill Rigs
September 14, 2009 | Reuters

Optimistic about recent offshore oil and gas discoveries, Petrobras, Brazil’s state-run oil company, has called for the construction of 28 new deepwater drilling rigs.

Related stories.
Sea Level Rise of Two Feet on the East Coast?
September 11, 2009 | National Geographic

This summer NOAA received reports from many east coast residents that sea levels were much higher than normal. The sea level rise was real but not related to climate change. What could it have been? See the National Geographic article to find out.

Related: New York City, Long Island and Newark Sea Level Rise Map.

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.
Commercial Ships in Russia’s Northeast Passage
August 26, 2009 | EcoWorldly.com

The first commercial ships to attempt a crossing of Russia’s Northeast Passage without the aid of icebreakers left Vladivostok last week. This route saves them 4000 nautical miles in their trip between South Korea and the Netherlands. A small upside to global warming.

Related article: What is the Northwest Passage?

Related stories.
Tropical Storm Danny Projected Path
August 26, 2009 | NOAA National Hurricane Center

Tropical Storm Danny is slowly moving northwestward about 300 miles east of The Bahamas with sustained winds of about 45 miles per hour. It is expected to slowly strengthen over the next few days with a projected path that travels north along the United States coastline.

Related stories.
Energy Portfolio of the Continental Shelf
August 25, 2009 | Reuters

Liz Birnbaum, head of the U.S. Minerals Management Service, has a goal to promote the development of oil, gas, wave and wind power in the US offshore areas using environmentally responsible methods.

Related stories.
Fertilizer and Sewage Runoff Enhance Algae Growth
August 22, 2009 | CNN

This video shows an area along the southern coast of England where sewage discharge and runoff rich in dissolved fertilizer produces a rich growth of algae in the intertidal zone.

Related stories.
Hurricane Bill is “Extremely Dangerous”
August 19, 2009 | CNN

CNN has a report on Hurricane Bill in which they call the category storm “extremely dangerous”. The storm is moving northward in the Atlantic and is expected to cause swells and dangerous currents along the east cost of the United States.

Related stories.
Understanding Extreme Ocean Waves
August 11, 2009 | San Francisco State University

Large waves can suddenly rise from the ocean, without warning or obvious reason. An SFSU professor has created a simulation that may help people better understand these extreme “freak” waves.

Related stories.
USGS
E. coli Bacteria in Beach Sand
August 10, 2009 | USGS

“USGS scientists have discovered that concentrations of E. coli bacteria in beach sand are often much higher than those in beach water. Although beach water is monitored for E. coli as mandated in the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act 2000), beach sand is not currently monitored for contamination.”

Related stories.
Microfossils and Changing Climates
August 9, 2009 | Basque Research

Lots of information can be gleaned from studying microfossils such as ostracods and foraminiferes. The fossils can be used to determine what kind of climate existed in the area long ago.

Related stories.
Cleaning Up Puget Sound
August 4, 2009 | CNN

$5 million in stimulus money is being used to remove abandoned fishing nets from Puget Sound. The coastal waters contain about 3,000 nets, which pose a hazard to fish, birds, and humans.

Related stories.
Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Leasing
July 30, 2009 | Reuters

In response to a federal appeals court decision the Department of Interior is preparing to lease offshore tracts in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and natural gas drilling at an August 19 sale.

Related stories.
NOAA
2009 Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone
July 30, 2009 | NOAA

A survey of the Gulf of Mexico shows that this year’s “dead zone” covers an area smaller than anticipated. However, the level of hypoxia is more extreme than usual.

Related stories.
Water Quality at Popular Vacation Beaches
July 29, 2009 | Natural Resources Defense Council

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.

Related stories.
Sedimentary Structures – Photo Collection
July 27, 2009 | About Geology

Andrew Alden has a nice gallery of sedimentary structure photos. Ripple marks, foreset beds, flame structure, imbrication, graded bedding, lamination, load casts, mudcracks and more. Don’t miss the gas-escape structures.

Related stories.
Delta Front Drilling Reveals Age of the Amazon River
July 23, 2009 | University of Amsterdam

Drilling in sediments off of the front of the Amazon River Delta has revealed the minimum age of the river and gives insight into the development of the Amazon River and the Amazon deep sea fan.

Related stories.
NOAA
Detecting Toxic Algal Blooms
July 22, 2009 | NOAA

The NOAA and MBARI have teamed up to test a device that can remotely observe coastal conditions and identify potentially toxic algae. The Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) can be used to help monitor domoic acid contamination in California’s Monterey Bay.

Related stories.
Humans’ Effect on Coastal Regions
July 16, 2009 | University of California, Santa Barbara

A University of California, Santa Barbara press release discusses the results of a study performed to determine which coastal regions are most affected by humans’ inland activities. The mouth of the Mississippi River is the # 1 most affected area in the world.

Related stories.
Sun
Climate Change in the Northeast
July 13, 2009 | U.S. Global Change Research Program

The U.S. Global Change Research Program released a report that explains how climate change might impact Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusettes and Rhode Island. Flooding of coastal property, diminished fisheries, damaged winter tourism, impact on crops and livestock, heat waves and heavy precipitation are a few of the featured problems.

Related stories.
Beach Deposits: 2001 Peru Tsunami
July 10, 2009 | USGS

USGS has an interesting presentation of how sedimentary deposits were used to learn about the tsunami that hit the Pacific coast of Peru in 2001.

What causes a tsunami?

Related stories.
Photos: Colored Sand Beaches
July 10, 2009 | Uptake.com

A few photos of beaches in various parts of the world with colored sand. Minerals, source areas, currents, weathering and drainage systems combine to determine the color of a beach.

Photomicrographs of colored sand by Dr. Garry Greenberg.

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.


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


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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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