Geology News
Massachusetts Current Events

Since 1972 the “Roadside Geology” series has provided introductory information on the geology of states and small regions of the United States.

The books provide a combination of maps, travel logs, photos and commentary for the geology that can be seen along highways or visited at parks and public viewing areas. They are popular with geologists, teachers, students and others who are interested in the Earth.

The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps; large enough make a huge 8′ x 5′ (or 5′ x 8′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool.

We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.

Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.

In the eastern United States the natural gas rush has focused on the Appalachian Basin. However, there are over a dozen minor basins along the east coast that have received very little attention.

USGS has published “Simulation of groundwater and surface-water interaction and effects of pumping in a complex glacial-sediment aquifer, east central Massachusetts“.

The effects of groundwater pumping on surface-water features were evaluated by use of a numerical groundwater model developed for a complex glacial-sediment aquifer in northeastern Framingham, Massachusetts, and parts of surrounding towns.

A German submarine damaged by depth charges was found on the sea floor about 70 miles east of Nantucket. Researchers discovered the sub after a long search using side-scan sonar.

“To keep pace with the growing demand for the latest map coverage of the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been building a national map series named the US Topo. Nearly 690 revised digital maps covering Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont have been added to approximately 51,000 maps currently covering the lower 48 states and are available for free download from the website.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

The natural gas industry has prepared a movie, “Truthland”, that responds to the HBO movie “Gasland”.

The Energy Information Administration has identified three “bottleneck” areas where new natural gas pipeline capacity is urgently needed. These include the Marcellus producing region of northeastern Pennsylvania the consuming regions in New York City and New England.

“Rates of sea level rise are increasing three-to-four times faster along portions of the U.S. Atlantic Coast than globally, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report published in Nature Climate Change.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

Related: Sea Level Rise Map

Mountain Press Publishing has released a new book by Albert B. Dickas titled: 101 American Geo-Sites You’ve Gotta See.

It provides a two-page presentation on each site that features photos, text and a map. It is a good way to get a quick glimpse of these 101 fantastic sites. It sells for $23.99.

See a table of contents.

“Since about 1990, sea-level rise in the 600-mile stretch of coastal zone from Cape Hatteras, N.C. to north of Boston, Mass. — coined a “hotspot” by scientists — has increased 2 – 3.7 millimeters per year; the global increase over the same period was 0.6 – 1.0 millimeter per year.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

Related: Sea Level Rise – New York, Washington DC

The United States Geological Survey has published Fact Sheet 2012–3075…

Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the East Coast Mesozoic Basins of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge Thrust Belt, Atlantic Coastal Plain, and New England Provinces, 2011.

The-Vug.com has an impressive listing of mineral clubs organized by state. You might be surprised at how many clubs are listed and there is probably one that meets within a short drive of your home.

Shallow wells drilled outside of the geology building as part of an upper-level hydrology course have launched Tufts University into a geothermal heating and cooling program.

“The U.S. Geological Survey deployed a temporary monitoring network of water-level sensors at 212 locations along the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Maine during August 2011 to record the timing, areal extent, and magnitude of inland hurricane storm tide and coastal flooding generated by Hurricane Irene. ” Quoted from the USGS publication release.

USGS has released a large number of coastal topography data sets for the eastern coast and Gulf of Mexico acquired using lidar technology.

Natural gas in the Northeast trades at premium prices compared to the rest of the United States due to pipeline constraints during periods of high demand in the winter. Liquefied natural gas has met over 25% of New England’s average daily natural gas demand since November 2010.