Geology and Earth Science News and Information

Coquina - A porous limestone composed almost entirely of fossil debris.

Meteorites - Rocks that were once parts of planets or large asteroids.

Frac Sand - A specialty sand used to maintain porosity in hydraulic fracturing.

Topo Maps - The DeLorme Atlas is an entire state of topo maps in one convenient book.

Rock & Mineral Kits The best way to learn about rocks and minerals is with specimens!

Variscite is a yellowish green to bluish green mineral. It is similar to turquoise and cut as a gem.

The Many Uses of Gold - Unique properties make gold one of the most useful metals.

Diamonds - Learn about the properties of diamond, its many uses, and diamond discoveries.

Storm Surge can be the most damaging and deadly aspect of a hurricane.

Utica Shale is a major source of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids in PA, OH and WV.

Hardness Picks - Test for hardness with precise and easy-to-use hardness picks.

What is the San Andreas Fault? Map, photos and description of the fault.

How Are Hurricanes Named? There is a plan for naming tropical storms.

Largest Earthquake ever recorded - Magnitude 9.5. Chile, 1960.

Wall Maps - Wall maps of the world, continents, states and the USA.

California Earthquake Maps - A collection of isoseismal maps for earthquakes in California.

Mined in America - Small mines in the United States produce a diversity of beautiful gemstones.

Geology Tools Rock hammers, field bags, hand lenses, maps, hardness picks, gold pans.

Homeowners Insurance might not cover earthquake, hurricane and other geohazard damage.

Fool*s Gold is a name used for pyrite when its brassy color fools people looking for gold.

Free Google Earth software allows you to browse seamless world satellite images. Free.

Ruby and Sapphire are the 2nd and 3rd most popular colored stones in the United States.

Solar System Volcanoes - Earth is not the only location of volcanic activity.

Range of Bear Species - Where you might encounter different types of bears.

Rock Tumblers - All about rock tumblers and rock tumbling. Read before you buy a tumbler.

Tallest Mountain - Everest has rivals in tallness, altitude and distance to the center of Earth.

Minerals - Descriptions, photos, articles, properties and uses for common minerals.

Know the Rules before removing rocks, fossils or minerals from public or private property.

What is a Geyser? Photos and information about geysers in many parts of the world.

Sunstone - A gem feldspar with aventurescence caused by light reflecting from platy inclusions.

Geology Dictionary - contains thousands of geological terms with their definitions.

Mineraloids are amorphous naturally-occurring inorganic solids that lack crystallinity.

The Rock Used to Make Beer - Geologists are beer experts and should know about this rock.

Geodes look like ordinary rocks on the outside but can be spectacular inside!

Rock-Forming Minerals - most of Earth*s crust is made-up of a small number of minerals.

June 6, 1912 - The most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century occurred in Alaska.

What is LNG? The use of LNG as an energy source is growing rapidly. Learn more about LNG.

Rhodochrosite - a manganese mineral used as an ore, a pink gem and an ornamental stone.

What is a Maar? The second most common volcanic landscape feature on Earth.

Obsidian - the volcanic rock that cools so quickly that it becomes a natural glass.

The East Africa Rift System - The extensive fault system that is tearing Africa apart.

Emerald is the most popular green gemstone in the United States and most of the world.

Granite - The intrusive igneous rock that underlies continents and countertops.

Bear Attacks - Knowing how to react to a bear encounter or attack could save your life.

US Diamond Mines - Did you know that diamonds have been mined in the United States?

Geology Books - A variety of books for reference, field trips, reading and more.

Gemstones - Colorful images and articles about diamonds and colored stones.

Crater of Diamonds - The only diamond mine in the world where you can be the miner.

Ethiopian Opal - The new opal heavyweight that might give Australia a run.

Corundum is the third hardest mineral. It is also the mineral of ruby and sapphire.

Expansive Soil causes more damage than floods, hurricanes & tornadoes combined.

Hematite - The most important ore of iron. A source of mineral pigment since prehistory.

Portable UV Lamp - Short and long wave UV for fluorescent mineral viewing.

Diamond Misconception - Many people think that diamonds form from coal. Not True!

Sliding Rocks Mystery - What causes these rocks to slide across a playa in Death Valley?

Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in MRI.

Tourmaline - an extremely colorful mineral and gem material.

100+ Gems - Photos of over 100 beautiful gems ranging from the popular to the obscure.

Shale - The rock that has quickly transformed the oil and gas industry.

The Next Hawaiian Island could be growing in the Pacific Ocean right now. Its name is Lo'ihi.

Names Used for Great Britain, British Isles, United Kingdom, and Ireland. What they mean.

Tallest Tsunami - A wave with a run-up height of 1720 feet occurred in Lituya Bay, Alaska.

What is Geology? The study of Earth materials, structures, processes and life over time.

World*s Largest Diamonds Records for the largest rough, faceted and carbonado diamond.

Turquoise - A bluish-green gem material that has been used for over 6000 years.

Quartzite is metamorphic rock formed when sandstone is subjected to heat and pressure.

Salt Domes - Salt structures that are often associated with oil and natural gas accumulations.

Extraterrestrial Gems - A number of materials from space are used as attractive gems.

Diamond Production leaders include: Botswana, Russia, Angola and Canada.

Rock Art - People have been marking on rocks for thousands of years.

Olivine - Abundant in Earth*s mantle. A constituent of meteorites. The gem peridot.

Methane Hydrate deposits contain more fuel value than all other fossil fuels combined.

Herkimer Diamonds Doubly-terminated quartz crystals used as specimens and gems.

Eagle Ford Shale - One of the most prolific oil and gas producers in the United States.

Ant Hill Garnets - tiny gems that ants haul to the surface and discard on their anthill. Honest!

What Is Earth Science? The study of Earth and its neighbors in space. Learn more!

Volcanic Explosivity - Rating volcanic eruptions based upon the volume of tephra ejected.

Ticks are a problem for geologists in some areas. Learn to recognize and avoid them.

Volcanoes - Articles about volcanoes, volcanic hazards and eruptions past and present.

Tanzanite was unknown until a few decades ago but it has erupted into wide popularity.

Debris Flows are moving masses of loose mud, sand, soil, rock and water.

Lightning Strikes Map by NASA shows the worldwide distribution of lightning activity.

Peridotite is a chromite host rock, a source of diamonds and a possible carbon dioxide sink.

Pictures of Opal - A collection of different types of opal from all around the world and Mars too!

Gem Silica is a blue chalcedony colored by copper. It is the rarest and most valuable chalcedony.

Cave of the Hands is a cave where ancient people painted hands about 9000 years ago.

Gold Pans and Panning Kits - classifiers, snuffer bottles. Learn how to pan for Gold.

Garnet is best known as a red gemstone. It occurs in any color and has many industrial uses.

Coal Through a Microscope - Coal is more than a black rock. It is THE most interesting rock.

Horizontal Drilling has opened new resources and significantly improved productivity.

Hand Lens A 10-power folding magnifier in a metal case. A frequently used lab and field tool.

Fluorescent Minerals and rocks glow with spectacular colors under ultraviolet light.

Facts About Copper - Information about copper uses, production, resources and more.

Abandoned Mine Accidents kill several people every year. Education can prevent deaths.

Petrified Wood is a fossil that forms when silica replaces and infills the cavities of wood.

Moldavite is a gem material born about 15 million years ago when a pair of asteroids struck Europe.

What Is The Moho? The Mohorovicic Discontinuity is the mantle/crust boundary.

Blue Flames and the largest highly acidic lake in the world at Kawah Ijen Volcano.

The Acid Test - Geologists use dilute hydrochloric acid to identify carbonate minerals.

Colored Diamonds are diamonds with a noticeable body color. They can sell for over $1M/carat.

Waterproof Paper - Don't take chances with your field notes and maps. Use waterproof paper.

Fire Opal is a transparent to translucent opal with a yellow, orange or red background color.

Teacher Resources - K-12 resources for teaching about earth science.

Chalcopyrite - The most important ore of copper for over five thousand years.

Rocks - Galleries of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock photos with descriptions.

Sand is a diverse material. This gallery includes photos of sand from around the world.

Arctic Ocean Seafloor Map - The ridges, basins, shelves and rifts defining the Arctic seafloor.

Labradorite is a feldspar mineral that sometimes exhibits an iridescent play-of-color.

Largest Volcano - That title is shared by Tamu Massif, Mauna Kea and Ojos del Salado.

Field Courses - Over 80 field courses for undergraduate geology students.

Green Diamonds - one of rarest and most valuable diamond colors.

How did the Hawaiian Islands Form? The power of a moving plate over a stationary hot spot.

Rare Earths - Special materials used in electronics, defense, medical & many other products.

The Uses of Marble are numerous and diverse. You will be surprised by how it is used.

Azurite - Used as an ore of copper, a pigment, ornamental stone and gem material.

Mount Vesuvius - geology, history, maps, facts and more about the Vesuvius eruptions.

Lapis Lazuli - a metamorphic rock and the most popular blue opaque gemstone in history.

Soapstone is a metamorphic rock with properties that make it suitable for a variety of projects.

Hydraulic Fracturing increases well yield by fracturing the reservoir rock with fluid injection.

Talc is a soft mineral used in cosmetics, paper, paint, ceramics and many other products.

Molybdenite is the primary ore of molybdenum which is used in superalloys and as a lubricant.

Ilmenite - The primary ore of titanium and source of most titanium dioxide.

The Unsung Mineral Hero - and the commodity upon which almost everything is built.

Kyanite is a metamorphic mineral used to make porcelain, abrasive products and gems.

Oil Fields from Space - Night views of Earth show the distribution of oil field activity.

Types of Volcanic Eruptions - A description of the most common eruption types.

Mount Etna - The most active volcano in Europe continues an eruption that started in 2001.

Zircon is the primary ore of zirconium and a gemstone that is available in many colors.

Rhyolite An extrusive igneous rock with a high silica content, produced from granitic magma.

Plate Tectonics - Articles and maps about plate tectonics and the interior of Earth.

World Record Lightning - this lake has more lightning than any other place in the world.

Largest Hurricanes Are they determined by wind speed, value of damage, most deaths?

Landslides A USGS fact sheet about landslides and events that trigger them.

Chalk is a variety of limestone formed from fine-grained marine sediment known as ooze.

Mount Cleveland is an active volcano in the Aleutian Islands and a threat to air traffic.

Mohs Hardness Scale is a set of reference minerals used for classroom hardness testing.