General Geology Articles and Information

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

Diamonds from Coal? They form under several conditions that rarely involve coal.

What is a Geyser? Photos of geysers from around the world. Causes, height and more.

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

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

Igneous and Volcanic Features an introduction to how these rocks occur below and above ground.

Spectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world\'s best fossil fish.

Bubbles in Amber Cretaceous oxygen levels determed from air bubbles trapped in amber.

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

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

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

Diamonds - All about their geology, gemology, natural and lab-grown origins.

Divisions of Geologic Time USGS periodically revises rock unit names and age estimates.

Land Below Sea Level - Did you know that dozens of land locations are below sea level?

Plate Tectonics Articles, theory, plate diagrams, plate maps and teaching ideas.

Pangaea Maps A sequence of maps shows how a large supercontinent fragmented.

Roadside Geology Guides Explain the Geology of your state as seen from the road.

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

Sliding Rocks - How these rocks slide across a dry lake bed is a mystery.

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

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

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

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

What Does a Geologist Do? Information and two videos about the relevance of geology today.

Gold A history of gold uses, mining and prospecting over thousands of years.

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

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

REEs Special metals used in cell phones, DVDs, batteries, magnets & many other products.

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

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

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

How Old is the Grand Canyon? Wayne Ranney explores the Canyon*s age.

The East Africa Rift System Learn about the complex East Africa Rift Valley system.

Rock Glaciers - Masses of ice, snow, rock, mud and water that slowly flow down slope.

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

The Geology of Bottled Water It costs 1000x as much as tap water. What are you getting?

Salt Glaciers are masses of salt that flow downslope under their own weight.

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

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

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

Take Great Cell Phone Photos - Low-cost, easy-to-use lenses will improve your photos.

Yosemite Glaciers There are two active glaciers in Yosemite - both slowly melting away.

The Selenga River delivers most of the water to Lake Baikal, the largest lake in the world.

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

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

What is a Hydrograph? Charts that display the change of a hydrologic variable over time.

Stream Gaging Stations Used by hydrologists to monitor streams or other water bodies.

Yosemite Rock Fall Photos A photo sequence of a rockfall and debris avalanche by Herb Dunn.