Back in the mid-1980s, the perceived major disruption to the geologic time scale wasn't climate change, but all-out nuclear war (which still would be, of course, rather disruptive). Geology published a serious and yet somewhat tongue-in-cheek article discussing the effects of nuclear war on stratigraphic nomenclature. Here's the abstract from Postapocalypse stratigraphy: Some considerations and …
Category: Geology
The geologic time scale — What comes next?
Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, Holocene. These are the epochs of the Cenozoic Era (which is also divided into three periods: the Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary). Due to rapid changes on Earth caused by humans, some British geologists suggest that we are transitioning into a new epoch, the Anthropocene. Here's the story as reported …
Planet Earth — Caves
Living in Romania, I didn't see the "Planet Earth" series on television. It may have been on TV here, but if so I missed it. I am doing a unit on groundwater in Earth science, and was looking for video clips to show in class. I found the introductory scene of the Planet Earth episode …
The price of oil
Geology.com has a link to a prediction (The coming oil crash) that the price of crude oil will plunge down to $30 a barrel. The current high prices have sparked a good amount of exploration, which should lead to a greater supply, which should lead to lower prices. Others point to instability in the oil-producing …
Mass Movement Videos
I'm doing a section on mass movement in Earth Science, and showed a couple videos to introduce the topic: Landslide -- someone knew this one was coming, and were ready with cameras. Colorado debris flow -- a mixture of rock, soil, and water after heavy rains. Grace and Peace
Woolly Pocket Change?
A few weeks ago I noted that the Royal Canadian Mint is issuing a series of $4 coins for collectors featuring dinosaurs (click here). They have also minted a one ounce platinum coin with a face value of $300 with a picture of a woolly mammoth. You better order it soon, however, as they only …
Giant’s Causeway
A cool geology picture: Giant's causeway is a feature along the coast of Northern Ireland with hexagonal columns of basalt. Columnar basalt is common, and forms when a lava flow contracts as it cools, forming polygonal columns. These are usually six-sided, but the columns can have anywhere from four to eight sides. Wikipedia article on …
Geologic Map of Montana
The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology has produced a new geologic map of the state. I own a very worn-out copy of the previous edition, which was published in 1955. The geology of the state hasn't changed since then, but our understanding of the state's geology has grown considerably in a half century. The …
Kimberlite Pipe Animation
Diamonds are formed in the Earth's mantle at a depth of 150 to 200 km, and brought to the surface rapidly in a volcanic vent that forms what is called a kimberlite pipe. No one has ever witnessed a kimberlite volcanic eruption, but it is believed that the magma travels at several hundred kilometers per …
Dinosaur Coins
The Royal Canadian Mint has released a commemorative $4 coin featuring a parasaurolophus, a Late Cretaceous dinosaur found in Alberta: This is the first of a four-coin "Giants of Prehistory" series, with a triceratops coin scheduled for 2008, a T. rex scheduled for 2009, and a dromeasaur in 2010. The mint has produced 20,000 of …
The Paleomap Project
Welcome to The GeoChristian. Out of over 600 posts on my blog, this one on the Paleomap Project is in the top five in terms of how many people view it. The purpose of The GeoChristian is twofold: 1. To enhance science literacy within the Evangelical Christian community. 2. To present a Biblical Christianity that …
Tungurahua Revisited
Back in December, I had a short entry about the Tungurahua Volcano, Ecuador. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day has an incredible picture from last year's eruption: photo by Patrick Taschler The description from APOD: Explanation: Volcano Tungurahua erupted spectacularly last year. Pictured above, molten rock so hot it glows visibly pours down the sides …
Earthquakes in the News
It has been a year of mega-earthquakes. From today's US Geological Survey home page: Sumatra Earthquake—Largest in 2007 The magnitude-8.4 earthquake that struck Sumatra, Indonesia, on Sept. 12, 2007, was the largest of four magnitude~8 earthquakes that have occurred worldwide since January. It is also the largest earthquake in Indonesia since the magnitude-8.6 "Nias" earthquake …
Strange Bedfellows?
This month's Geotimes magazine has a "science and faith" theme. I haven't seen the hard copy yet, but some of the articles are available online. One of the articles is called Strange Bedfellows? Evangelicals and Scientists Join Forces on Climate. It starts with: Global warming is melting permafrost around the world, but earlier this year …
Geology Jobs and Christian Colleges
From geology.com/news: The number of professional jobs in the oil and gas industry exceeds the number of qualified and available workers. In 1982, enrollment in the geosciences hit an all time high of 35,000 students but today the number has dwindled to about 5,000. Salaries are generous, however the industry does not have a rosy …
USGS topographic maps available as PDF files
The U.S. Geological Survey has put its entire current topographic map collection on the internet as PDF files. The maps are available at scales of 1:24,000 (1 inch = 2000 feet), 1:100,000 (1 cm = 1 km), and 1:250,000 (approx. 1 inch = 4 miles). There are other sites (such as TopoZone) that offer a …
Continue reading USGS topographic maps available as PDF files
Megadisaster type #3
When I think of natural catastrophes on a massive scale (continent- or world-wide impact) that can kill millions of people, I usually think of: Meteorite impacts -- Asteroids of greater than one kilometer diameter that either kick up sun-obscuring dust in the atmosphere, or, if they hit the oceans, cause massive tsunamis 35 meters (about …
Geologic Maps
A few weeks ago I posted a map showing shifting meander patterns for the lower Mississippi River. Here are a few more geologic maps that are artistic masterpieces. The first is the geologic map of Colorado, compiled in the 1970s by the US Geological Survey: The colors indicate rocks of various ages and types, and …
Volcano blows a smoke ring?
This isolated volcano (Klyuchevskoy) on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia looks like it is blowing a smoke ring! Here's a few more images of the eruption: More great images of the eruption can be found here. I got the link from Geology.com News. Grace and Peace
Shrinking Dead Sea
Fresh water is a limited resource. It is constantly renewed, but it is not unlimited. This is especially an issue in arid and semiarid areas, such as in the area of Israel and its neighbors. One of the concerns that triggered the 1967 Six Day War, in which Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria, …
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