Geology and Earth Science News and Information

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pyroxene Minerals are a group of chain silicate minerals found in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diabase - the rock selected for Stonehenge and transported 240 miles in 2100 BC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Horizontal Drilling has opened new resources and significantly improved productivity.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tourmaline - an extremely colorful mineral and gem material.

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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