Geology

Underwater Volcanoes, Musicians Ridge Do The Hawaiian Bend

Some of the ocean's underwater volcanoes did not erupt from hot spots in the Earth's mantle but instead formed from cracks or fractures in the oceanic crust, which would help explain the spectacular bend in the famous underwater range known as t ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 29 2015 - 7:36am

Young Earth Creationism Ignores Basic Geology- And Christian Theology

In the ongoing conflict between science and young Earth creationism, evolution is usually a main point of contention. The idea that all life on Earth evolved from a common ancestor is a major problem for young Earth creationists.  As a geologist, though, I ...

Article - The Conversation - Apr 28 2015 - 12:00pm

Why Are Earthquakes Still So Hard To Predict?

Can earthquakes ever be predicted? This question is timely after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal recently. If authorities had more warning that the earthquake was coming, they may have been able to save more lives. While Nepal is a document ...

Article - The Conversation - Apr 28 2015 - 2:00pm

How The Nepal Earthquake Looked On Radar

On April 25th, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, claiming over 5,000 lives and affecting millions more. Relief efforts are under way and satellite imagery is helping to visualize the damage but radar images from the ESA Sentinel-1A satellite showed ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 29 2015 - 10:55am

Groundwater Detected Under Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys?

Antarctica's Dry Valleys may not be so dry. A helicopter-borne sensor that penetrates below the surface of large swathes of terrain has found compelling evidence that ice-free McMurdo Dry Valleys may be hiding a salty aquifer. Brines, or salty water, ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 30 2015 - 8:37am

Chicxulub Asteroid Impact And Deccan Eruptions In India Linked

In a new paper, researchers address the "uncomfortably close" occurrence of the Chicxulub impact in the Yucatán and the most voluminous phase of the Deccan Traps flood basalt eruptions in India.  Specifically, the researchers argue that the impa ...

Article - News Staff - May 11 2015 - 10:30am

Explosive Volcanoes Fueled By Water

A new analysis of water and other elements contained in olivine-rich basalt samples gathered from cinder cone volcanoes that surround Lassen Peak in Northern California, at the southern edge of the Cascade chain, shows water is key for how magma forms dee ...

Article - News Staff - May 11 2015 - 9:24am

Crazy Crater On The Lake Bed

Anna Reusch, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich's Geological Institute, was making a routine research vessel run on Lake Neuchâtel when she noticed an unusual shape on the control panel screen. At a depth of over 100 mettrs, she found something no one ...

Article - News Staff - May 21 2015 - 9:08am

Natural Gas Seeps- “Eternal Flames” Of Ancient Times Interest Modern Geologists

New natural gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has been the biggest reason American CO2 emissions have dropped but it is not without controversy. Environmentalists have taken to videos showing 'flaming tapwater' and seek to blam ...

Article - News Staff - May 18 2015 - 12:09pm

Satellites Catch Birth Of Two Volcanic Islands In Yemen

The birth of a volcanic island is a potent and beautiful reminder of our dynamic planet’s ability to make new land. Given the destruction we’ve seen following natural events like earthquakes and tsunamis in the past few years, stunning images of two islan ...

Article - The Conversation - May 26 2015 - 3:16pm