Geology and Earth Science News and Information

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Geology.com News contains news about geology and earth science from around the world.

Hardness Picks - Mohs hardness testing with precise and easy-to-use hardness picks.

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

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

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

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

Republic of North Macedonia is the new name of what was formerly Macedonia.

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

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

Steamboat Geyser - The world*s tallest geyser has erupted three times this year.

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

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

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

Crushed Stone - About four tons per person is used each year in the United States.

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

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

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

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

Phytoplankton Blooms from space. Images of spectacular blooms from NASA satellites.

Mineral Rights - Who owns the minerals under your land? Who wants to buy them?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Homeowners Insurance might not cover the types of damage that you think it should.

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

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

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

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

552 Carats - Dominion finds the largest diamond in North American history at Diavik.

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

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

Dowsing is a method used to find underground water that is rejected by most geologists.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ammolite is a fossil and a gemstone. It is shell material from fossil ammonites.

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

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

What are Glaciers? Learn how glaciers form, flow, advance, retreat, and change over time.

Canadian Diamond Mines produce some of the largest and highest quality diamonds!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rhodonite - a manganese silicate used as a minor ore of manganese and as a gemstone.

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

Azurite Granite ? A white granite with blue orbs of azurite. A new material from Pakistan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

United States Gemstones Small mines in the U.S. produce a diversity of gemstones.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tourmaline - an extremely colorful mineral and gem material.

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

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

Horizontal Drilling has opened new resources and significantly improved productivity.

Utica Shale is confirmed as a major source of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Troglobites are creatures that have adapted to a permanent life in the darkness of a cave.

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

Pele*s Hair and Pele*s Tears are two unusual types of lava found at Kilauea and other volcanoes.

The Richest Meteorite Field - More meteorites found here than anywhere else on Earth.

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

Kilauea Eruption - photos of the 2018 eruption in the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano.

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

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

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

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