Home » Geology News

Geology and Earth Science News


Explore the Washington, D.C. Science Scene
EOS Science News
Earth and space science hot spots are sprinkled throughout the D.C. metro region. This is a list of great places to visit.
How Steam From a Wisconsin Glass Factory Fueled a 100-Mile Band of Snow
Gift Article from the Washington Post
The band of snow produced by the emissions landed right on top of Interstate 94 - where low visibility and a rapid change in road conditions might have contributed to accidents.
De Beers Lowers Rough Diamond Prices by 10% to 15%
JCKonline
Some Agates Display Scenes Painted by Nature
Gift Article from the New York Times

Landscape Agate: A polished slab of landscape agate that exhibits a "Monument Valley" scene. Interesting landscape agates are prized by collectors. This specimen is about 50 x 20 x 3 millimeters in size.

Norway Hits Pause on Controversial Deep-Sea Mining Plans
CNBC
From the article: "Norway has shelved plans to open a vast area at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean for commercial-scale deep-sea mining."
Vast Oceans of Water May Be Hiding Within Uranus and Neptune
Gift Article from the New York Times
From the article: "A scientist simulated the contents of the ice giant worlds, and found that a fluid layer may explain each planet's strange magnetic field."
China Bans Exports of Gallium, Germanium and Antimony to the United States
Associated Press
They also tightened exports of graphite and many other materials. Gallium, germanium and antimony are important in the production of semiconductors.
Why China's Ban on Exports of Gallium, Germanium and More Could Cost the US Bbillions
USA Today
From the article: "China banned exports of critical minerals gallium, germanium and antimony - elements considered essential by many tech and defense industries - to the U.S. on Tuesday."
Maps Show Just How Much Snow Was Dumped on the Great Lakes Region
Gift Article from the Washington Post
From the article: "Places that had below-average snowfall before this lake-effect event saw significant accumulations."
What We Know About the 7.0 Earthquake That Struck Northern California
Gift Article From the New York Times
7.0 M Earthquake Off the Coast of Northern California. Tsunami Warning Canceled
ABC News
From the article: "The biggest earthquake in decades struck off the coast of northern California, sparking a brief tsunami warning and urgent evacuations. The quake was felt as far south as San Francisco."
The San Andreas Fault
Geology.com

San Andreas Map: The red line on this map follows the surface trace of the San Andreas Fault across California. Areas to the east of the fault are on the North American tectonic plate. Areas to the west of the fault are part of the Pacific tectonic plate. The arrows show the directions of relative motion along the fault. Map and article copyright by David Lynch, author of SanAndreasFault.org".

California Earthquake Maps
Geology.com

A collection of maps showing the geographic distribution of ground shaking for 12 major California earthquakes.

Look Up for a Dazzling View of Jupiter This Weekend as It Shines Its Brightest of the Year
Smithsonian
From the article: "On December 7, the "king of planets" will line up with the Earth and sun in an event known as opposition. It will be visible all night and offer prime viewing, especially through binoculars or a telescope."
Did Venus Have Oceans? A Theory That Could Upend the Search for Extraterrestrial Life.
Smithsonian
oceans on Venus
Observations suggest Venus may have had water oceans in its distant past. A land-ocean pattern like that above was used in a climate model to show how storm clouds could have shielded ancient Venus from strong sunlight and made the planet habitable. The image is an artist's impression of how Venus might have looked during its "oceans stage". Image and caption by NASA.

Discovery of a Volcanic Landscape on Venus
Geology.com

Volcanoes on Venus: A simulated color image of the volcanic landscape of Venus created by NASA using radar topography data acquired by the Magellan spacecraft in 1990. Image by NASA.

A Boy Found a Strange Stone on a Beach. Archaeologists Say It Is a Neanderthal's Hand Ax
Smithsonian
The article has a great photo of this interesting flint artifact, found in southern England. Experts estimate that it was made between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago.
What is Flint?
Geology.com

Flint is a hard, tough chemical or biochemical sedimentary rock that breaks with a conchoidal fracture. It is a form of microcrystalline quartz that is typically called "chert" by geologists. The specimen in the photo above is about four inches (ten centimeters) across and is from Dover Cliffs, England.

Frequently asked: Is this Rock Flint? Chert? or Jasper?

What Sounds the Alarms at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
United States Geological Survey

From the article: "The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory keeps its eyes on active volcanoes in many ways. While old fashioned eyes and a notebook are used when field teams are near a volcano, modern volcano observatories also utilize rapidly collected data and computers to support monitoring." The graphs above are examples. See the article for interpretations.

Libya Annual Energy Report
Energy Information Administration

Libya is a member of OPEC and is an important producer of petroleum and natural gas. The country produced about 2.7 quadrillion BTUs of energy in 2022, which ranked it as the 32nd most important energy-producing country. Image by the Energy Information Administration.

Birthstones for the Month of December: Turquoise, Zircon, and Tanzanite
Geology.com

Turquoise is a traditional birthstone for the month of December.


Zircon replaced lapis lazuli as a modern birthstone in 1952.


Tanzanite became the newest birthstone for the month of December when it was added in 2002.

The Cost of Gold Rattles the Jewelry World
Gift Article from the New York Times
From the article: "Bold gold pieces are trendy, but makers worry that the steep price increases for the precious metal will soon deter demand."
The Many Uses of Gold
Geology.com

The most important consumptive use of gold in the world and in the United States is jewelry manufacturing. Approximately half of all gold mined is used in jewelry. Image copyright iStockphoto / Angelo Marcantonio.

What Is Fool's Gold?
Geology.com

"Fool's gold" is a common nickname for pyrite. Pyrite received that nickname because it is worth virtually nothing, but has an appearance that "fools" people into believing that it is gold. With a little practice, there are many easy tests that anyone can use to quickly tell the difference between pyrite and gold.

Has Nuclear Power Entered a New Era of Acceptance Amid Global Warming?
Los Angeles Times
From the article: "Support for nuclear energy in the U.S. has been rising since 2016."
Surfing in the Desert Comes With a Climate Cost
Bbloomberg
From the article: "As artificial wave pools proliferate around the world, surf park developers aim to go green to counter criticism over energy and water use."
How Stone Walls Became a Signature Landform of New England
Smithsonian
From the article: "Originally built as barriers between fields and farms, the region's abandoned farmstead walls have since become the binding threads of its cultural fabric."
How Burgundy Diamond Mines Is Revolutionizing the Diamond Industry (Podcast 11:23)
Burgundy Diamond Mines
Diamond Mines in Canada
Geology.com

A map of Canadian diamond mines showing the approximate location of eight mines. Since producing its first commercial diamond in 1998, Canada has become one of the world's most important producers of gem-quality diamonds. Map by Geology.com and MapResources.

NASA's Europa Clipper: Millions of Miles Down, Instruments Deploying
NASA News and Events

An artist's concept of NASA's Europa Clipper shows the spacecraft in silhouette against the surface of Europa (a moon of Jupiter), with the magnetometer boom fully deployed at top and the antennas for the radar instrument extending out from the solar arrays. Image and caption by NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Life on Europa? This Moon of Jupiter Might Have Life in a Subsurface Ocean.
Geology.com

Water from a subsurface ocean on Jupiter's moon, Europa, could reach the surface through seeps or erupt from cold water vents. This water would reveal the chemistry of the subsurface ocean and may contain microbes that live below. These vents are considered by many scientists to be "cryovolcanoes". Artist's concept image by NASA / JPL.

Oil and Gas Drilling in Canada Is Expected to Hit a Decade High in 2025
Mining.com

Most of the oil and natural gas production in Canada occurs in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin - which underlies large portions of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Northwest Territories. The map above is a public domain image produced with a vector graphic from the United States Geological Survey.

Wagner Group Linked to $2.5 Billion in Illicit Gold Trading
Mining.com
From the article: In 2023, the US Treasury Department sanctioned four companies affiliated with the Wagner Group in the United Arab Emirates, Central African Republic, and Russia.
Quantifying Corrosion of Exposed Metal Downwind of Kilauea (a volcano in Hawaii)
United States Geological Survey

From the article: "In December 2022, a team of scientists from Aotearoa New Zealand teamed up with scientists from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to carry out a small pilot study of atmospheric corrosion rates on the Island of Hawai'i." About the photo: Scientists with USGS and GNS Science install metal "coupons" at a seismic station in 2022. Photo by Carol Stewart, Massey University.

Lava Nears Iceland's Blue Lagoon
NASA Earth Observatory

After more than two months of quiet, a volcanic fissure once again burst open on the Reykjanes peninsula of Iceland on November 20, 2024. Lava from the eruption flowed across major roads and closed in on the Blue Lagoon, a popular tourist destination. NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and VIIRS day-night band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership.

De Beers Anticipates Fewer Sightholders, More Involvement in Polished
JCK
Al Cook, CEO of De Beers says: "We are working with our sightholders to evolve our rough diamond sales into polished diamond sales."
Which Countries Mine the Most Gem-Quality Diamonds?
Geology.com

Once centered in Africa, diamond mining now occurs in many countries throughout the world. In recent years, Russia, Canada and Botswana have been leading producers of mined diamonds.

U.S. Criticizes Kimberley Process Inaction on Russia
JCK
The U.S. complaint is that the Kimberley Process has not examined the role that Russia's diamond revenues might play in funding the war against Ukraine.
Britain Ditched Coal. Here's What the World Can Learn From It.
Gift Article from the Washington Post
The Lithium Triangle's Rise in the EV Race
The Washington Post

Map showing the countries of the "Lithium Triangle" in western South America: Bolivia, Chile and Peru.

A Little Girl's Message-in-a-Bottle Became a Surprising Find 26 Years Later
Smithsonian
New Full Sun Views Show Sunspots, Fields and Restless Plasma
The European Space Agency

Four new images show our nearest star in dazzling detail, with each one made up of 25 shots observed by the Solar Orbiter in 2023. Images from ESA.

Glaciers Near Active Volcanoes Flow Faster
EOS Science News
From the article: A study of more than 210,000 glaciers suggests that monitoring glacier velocity could help predict volcanic activity.
Mexico's Proposed Higher Mining Royalties Could Block Nearly $7bn in Investments
Mining.com
South Africa Police Standoff with Illegal Gold Miners Escalates
Mining.com
Gold Price Rises for Third Consecutive Day on Escalating Russia-Ukraine Tensions
Reuters
From the article: "Gold prices climbed for a third consecutive session to mark a one-week high on Wednesday, as investors sought refuge in the safe-haven metal amid mounting geopolitical unease fueled by escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions."
The Many Uses of Gold
Geology.com

The United States government currently mints coins from gold and other precious metals; however, they are intended for investment and collecting. They are not intended for use as legal tender.

DNA Evidence Rewrites Stories of Victims Who Perished in Pompeii Nearly 2,000 Years Ago
Smithsonian
From the article: "A new study has shattered historians' long-held assumptions about some of the people who died in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 C.E."
Signs of Sea Level Rise in the Bahamas
NASA Earth Observatory
From the article: "Rising seas in the Bahamas have redistributed cyanobacterial mats blanketing part of Andros Island and restructured the island's marshes and mudflats."
Tracking 30 Years of Sea Level Rise
NASA Earth Observatory

From the article: "Global mean sea level has risen 101 millimeters (3.98 inches) since 1992, and it continues to do so at 3.9 mm (0.15 inches) per year." Video Image Cover by NASA with data provided by TOPEX/Poseidon.

Bans on Gallium and Germanium Exports Could Cost the U.S. Billions
United States Geological Survey
How the Suez Canal Transformed the World's Shipping Routes
Smithsonian

From the article: "The massive global shortcut linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas took ten years to dig through the Isthmus of Suez and was built on the path of an ancient canal."

Pompeii Introduces New Limits on Daily Visitors to Protect the Ancient City From Overtourism
Smithsonian
Geologic Map of the State of Hawai'i in PDF Format
United States Geological Survey

USGS has published a geologic map of Hawai'i in PDF format. The five-sheet collection is accompanied by a 72-page report that presents the geologic history of the islands with special attention given to the major volcanoes. Image by USGS.

Residents and Environmental Groups Urge New Jersey to Take Action in Water Emergency
NJ.com
Shell Wins Landmark Climate Case Against Green Groups in Dutch Appeal
BBC
Sizing Up a Greenland Tsunami
NASA Earth Observatory

Satellite data show the shape of a wave as water sloshed around Dickson Fjord - along the eastern coast of Greenland - after a rockslide triggered a tsunami in September 2023. Image by NASA Earth Observatory.

Where Is Greenland?
Geology.com

Greenland is the world's largest island. It is located between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. Most of Greenland is north of the Arctic Circle and the entire island is north of the 10 degree C isotherm and the arctic treeline. Map by the CIA World Factbook.

World's Tallest Tsunami - Lituya Bay, Alaska - a Record Run-Up Height of 1720 Feet
Geology.com

DNA Evidence Rewrites Stories of Victims Who Died in Pompeii -- 2,000 Years Ago
Smithsonian