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Geology News
Europe Current Events

A German news site reports on a geothermal contractor drilling a well that would be used for a home heating system. At a depth of 130 meters the well erupted into a geyser spraying 6000 liters of water per minute.

The remnants of a giant pliosaur were found off the Jurassic Coast of the U.K. This article includes a video of a paleontologist describing the massive skull.

Researchers have found evidence of four tsunamis in the Mediterranean that occurred within the past 3500 years. One was linked to the eruption of Santorini volcano and others may have been caused by earthquakes or landslides.

Related article: What Causes a Tsunami?

The HMS E18, a British submarine, went down with all hands in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia during World War I. A Swedish survey company recently found the sub.

The oldest underwater town discovered to date is Pavlopetri, off the Grecian coast. The site was likely last inhabited around 3200 BC.

“Ida”, the primate fossil found in Germany, was surrounded by hype earlier this year. Many scientists believe that Ida is more closely related to lemurs than monkeys.

Gazprom, the largest producer of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company is building a pipeline to carry natural gas to Germany along the floor of the Baltic Sea. The sub-sea line will not cross countries who might tamper with the gas supply for political reasons.

Sea level is rising, posing a danger to coastal areas worldwide. 150 years of cumulative data indicate that the southern coast of England may experience more severe flooding in the future.

Numerous dinosaur imprints measuring up to 2 meters in diameter and covering a distance of over 100 meters have been discovered near the village of Plagne, France.

Just one mile away from the famous Stonehenge, archaeologists have discovered the site of a second stone circle – unrecognized previously because the stones were removed.

Dave Petley reviews recent landslides in Italy, India and the Philippines at his “On the Slide” blog.

Conoco plans to develop up to one million acres of gas shale in the Baltic Basin of northern Poland. The gas shales there are located near growing demand areas of the European Union.

When completed the Gotthard Base Tunnel will be the longest in the world with a length of over 35 miles. It will provide high-speed rail beneath the Swiss Alps and will replace the long switchback routes that slowly climb over the mountains. New tunneling technology enabled a breakthrough of the first tube about six months ahead of schedule. The project will not be complete until 2017.

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.

“Scientists have found the “Rosetta Stone” of supervolcanoes, those giant pockmarks in the Earth’s surface produced by rare and massive explosive eruptions that rank among nature’s most violent events. The eruptions produce devastation on a regional scale — and possibly trigger climatic and environmental effects at a global scale.” Quoted from the SMU press release.

Sixty years ago today the Beddgelert Meteorite crashed through the roof of the Prince Llewelyn Hotel in Beddgelert, Wales. You can read the full story at the BBC website.

The German Cabinet approved dedicating offshore areas of the Baltic Sea and North Sea for the development of up to 40 offshore wind farms.

Spectacular satellite images from NASA’s Earth Observatory show agricultural patterns and farming methods in various parts of the world. Scenes from Kansas, Bolivia, Minnesota, Thailand, Germany and Brazil.

Related: Beginner’s Guide to LandSat Images.

Companies drilling on the UK Shelf portion of the North Sea face higher costs and higher taxes while looking for reservoirs that are smaller in size.

Shales have been the target of intense leasing and drilling in North America and that interest is spreading to many parts of the world. ConocoPhillips plans to start drilling in Poland next year.

“Vesuvius is the only active volcano in mainland Europe, and has produced some of the continent’s largest volcanic eruptions. Vesuvius is most famous for the 79 AD eruption which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.” Quoted from the article by Jessica Ball.

On the Slide Blog has a small collection of impressive landslide images from India, Colombia, China and Spain.

Related: USGS Landslide Fact Sheet.

Rock units below British territorial waters of the North Sea are quite suitable for the sequestration of carbon dioxide. Some people think that Britain could market this storage and receive billions from other countries in Europe who have inadequate carbon storage potential.

Last month two German ships began sailing through the Northeast Passage, a normally-frozen seaway that that links the Pacific Ocean to northern Europe along the Russian Arctic coast. The ships are the first to complete this route which in the past has been considered impossible.

Related article: What is the Northwest Passage?

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.

A floating wind turbine has been built in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway. The first of its kind, the full-size turbine is somewhat of an experiment, and may serve as a prototype for future projects.

Here is a gallery of ten spectacular images of lakes at various worldwide locations. In addition to the impressive photos, each lake has at least one unusual attribute. You have probably not heard of most of these.

Ralph Harrington has a series of posts at The Volcanism Blog that feature “volcano art”. So far he has art for Mount Asama (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy), Mayon (Philippines), and others. He also has a collection of “volcanoes on matchboxes”.

An article on the Irish Examiner website explains why landslides have been labeled “Ireland’s Greatest Natural Hazard” and why so many landslides have occurred within the past few years.

You might hear about enormous oil and gas discoveries outside of the United States and think that there might be an investment opportunity out there. Jim Jubak cautions that in addition to “geological risk” you will also be facing “political risk” when you invest in some of these companies. He looks at StatoilHydro and Petrobras as contrasting examples.