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Geology News
Idaho Current Events

The books in the Roadside Geology series will help you learn about the geology of your favorite state. These books are great to take on a trip but they work even better if you use them in advance to plan your trip wisely.

NASA Image

This NASA satellite image shows the Craters of the Moon lava fields in Idaho. The dark basaltic lava flows are between 2,100 and 15,000 years old.

Image by U.S. Geothermal, Inc.

University of Utah researchers will use a method similar “hydraulic fracturing” done by the natural gas industry to stimulate the yield of a geothermal well at a US Geothermal, Inc site near Malta, Idaho. Increasing the number of fractures in the rock should enhance its ability to deliver steam.

Scott Kleine of Great Basin Minerals shares a few photos from his 2005 trip to collect pink heulandite at the Rats Nest Mine in Custer County, Idaho.

This is a gallery showing the natural beauty of Yellowstone National Park. Included are photos of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a Fountain Paint mudpot in the Lower Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic Spring, Rustic Falls, Old Faithful, the Morning Glory Pool, and more.

Learn More About Geysers.

The United States Government is looking for a place to store thousands of tons of mercury. There are suitable locations in Washington, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, South Carolina, Nevada, and Texas – but not surprisingly, most people don’t want a toxic substance in their area.

USGS has released Open File Report 2009-1140: “Evaluation of Hazardous Faults in the Intermountain West Region”. “This region contains thousands of faults that have moved in Cenozoic time, hundreds of which have evidence of Quaternary movement, and thus are considered to be potential seismic sources.”

The U.S. Global Change Research Program released a report that explains how climate change might impact Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Western Montana. Wildfires, stressed water supplies, sea-level rise and stress on fish species 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.

Learn about the geology of your favorite state as seen along the highway. This series of books by Mountain Press are filled with maps, photos, park locations and detailed descriptions. Get one before your next trip.

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.

President Obama signed legislation that will protect about 2 million acres in nine states (California, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia, New Mexico and Michigan) from oil and gas drilling and certain other activities.

Last week marked the anniversary of the United States’ only fatal nuclear accident. Almost 50 years ago, three men were killed while doing maintenance work at the Idaho National Laboratory.

A strong earthquake shook a sparsely populated area in northeast Nevada this morning. The “did you feel it” map on the USGS website shows intensity VI effects felt near the epicenter with reports of ground shaking in adjacent areas of Utah, Idaho and Oregon. Early news reports include some damaged buildings but no casualties.

“Fish tissue samples taken from rainbow trout collected from four Idaho and Nevada reservoirs revealed elevated concentrations of methylmercury, according to data released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.”

USGS Image

USGS has published: Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Rocky Mountain States of the United States (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming). USGS Open File Report 2007-1182 can be downloaded as a PDF document.