Geology and Earth Science News and Information

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

Gifts That Rock - What are the most popular gift items in the Geology.com store?

Fossils are remains, traces or imprints of ancient life. They reveal Earth's biological history.

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

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

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

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

Lab-Grown Diamonds? What are they? Can people really make diamonds? Are they real?

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

Types of Maps - Explore some of the most popular types of maps that have been made.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where is Israel? On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In the Middle East.

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

Rocks on Mars Many of the rocks found on Mars are not very different from Earth rocks.

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

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

The Green River Formation is one of the most famous rock units in the world for its fossils.

Life on Europa (a moon of Jupiter) could exist in a salty ocean below its frozen surface.

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

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

Angel Falls in Venezuela is the tallest waterfall in the world - it is 3212 feet tall.

Geology News including: Earth science, mining, gemology, maps, metals, archaeology, and more.

Spatter Cones are small, steep, volcanic cones built of welded basaltic lava.

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

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

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

Copper is a metal used in coins, electronics, pipes, wiring, motors, alloys and many other products.

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

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

Charoite is a purple silicate mineral, found only in Russia, used as a gem material.

Hawaii Delorme Atlas - Get detailed topo maps in the new Second Edition (2023).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hawaii*s Next Island could be growing in the Pacific Ocean right now. Its name is Lo*ihi.

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

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

What Is Luster? Luster is the light-reflecting characteristics of a mineral specimen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 Gemmy Facts About Spinel - Is spinel the world*s most overlooked gem?

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

Great Lakes : Map of the Great Lakes with surrounding states and provinces.

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

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

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

Morganite is an orange to pink gemstone, a variety of beryl, that is growing rapidly in popularity.

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

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

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

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

Sand from Around the World . A photo gallery showing the diversity of the material we call "sand".

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

Birthstones are gems assigned to the month of a person*s birth. They are popular gifts in the U.S.

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

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

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

Novarupta - The most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century occurred in the U.S.A.

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

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

Deepest Point in the Ocean The deepest point in the ocean is in the Mariana Trench.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mars Meteorites Mars rovers have found dozens of meteorites while exploring the red planet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strawberry Quartz is a red to pink quartz with inclusions that look like strawberry seeds.

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.

Dig for Gems at dozens of sites across the United States. Keep what you find at most locations.

Crystal Habit is the external shape displayed by a crystal or an aggregate of crystals.

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

Grape Agate is a popular mineral specimen with the color and the shape of a bunch of grapes.

Rock Salt is a sedimentary rock composed of the mineral halite. It has many uses!

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

The Science of Fireworks Learn how the colors and shapes are created.

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

Horizontal Drilling has opened new resources and significantly improved productivity.

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

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

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

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

Cinnabar - the only important ore of mercury. Used in pigments until its toxicity was realized.

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

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

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

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

Andalusite is a metamorphic mineral and a strongly pleochroic gem material.

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

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

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

The Doorway to Hell is a flaming sinkhole seeping natural gas that has been burning for decades.

Map of the Oceans - showing the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans.

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

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

What is LNG? Liquefied Natural Gas. The gas is condensed into a liquid for efficient transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tourmaline - an extremely colorful mineral and gem material.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cinder Cones are the smallest, simplest, and most common type of volcano.