Feed aggregator

Hurricane Irene: Coastal Change Aerial Images

Geology.com - K, 09/07/2011 - 07:24

Pre- and post-storm photo comparisons between Cape Lookout, NC and Oregon Inlet, NC. ”

The barrier island coast between Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras has a very different orientation than the coast between Cape Hatteras and Oregon Inlet; in fact, together, they form nearly a right angle. This difference in orientation has contributed to differences in impact on each coast during the passage of Hurricane Irene.” Quoted from the USGS news release.

Halliburton Could Hire 11,000

Geology.com - K, 09/07/2011 - 07:19

Halliburton says that they expect to hire about 11,000 oil field service people in 2011. Many of the jobs will be in North Dakota.

Mount St. Helens Landslide Assessment

Geology.com - K, 09/07/2011 - 07:07

The United States Geological Survey has a helicopter flying instruments at low altitude over Mount St. Helens. They are collecting moisture data that will be used to assess the potential for landslides.

Massive Landslide in Taiwan

Geology.com - K, 09/07/2011 - 07:05

Dave Petley has posted several images of a massive landslide in Taiwan caused by typhoon Nanmadol.

Did Life Begin on a Pumice Raft?

Geology.com - K, 09/07/2011 - 06:17

“Floating rafts of volcanic pumice could have played a significant role in the origins of life on Earth, scientists from Oxford University and the University of Western Australia have suggested.” Quoted from the University of Oxford news release.

Bedrock Nitrogen and Forests

Geology.com - K, 09/07/2011 - 03:44

“For the first time, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have demonstrated that forest trees have the ability to tap into nitrogen found in rocks, boosting the trees’ growth and their ability to pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.” Quoted from the University of California – Davis news release.

United Kingdom Oil and Gas Report

Geology.com - K, 09/07/2011 - 03:33

“The United Kingdom (U.K.) is the largest producer of oil and second-largest producer of natural gas in the European Union (E.U.). After years of being a net exporter of both fuels, the U.K. became a net importer of natural gas and crude oil in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Production from U.K. oil and natural gas fields peaked in the late 1990s and has declined steadily over the past several years, as the discovery of new reserves has not kept pace with the maturation of existing fields.” Quoted from the EIA country analysis report.

Keystone XL Pipeline: Support and Opposition

Geology.com - T, 09/06/2011 - 23:11

The Keystone XL Pipeline is a project that would transport crude oil produced from oil sands in Alberta, Canada to refineries on the US Gulf of Mexico coast. The project has oil industry support and significant environmental opposition.

Hurricane Katia – Category 3

Geology.com - T, 09/06/2011 - 21:26

“LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY KATIA WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MOST OF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES…BERMUDA…THE GREATER ANTILLES…AND EAST-FACING BEACHES OF THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS. PLEASE CONSULT PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.” Quoted from the National Hurricane Center.

Argo Floats Monitor Ocean pH and Carbon Dioxide

Geology.com - T, 09/06/2011 - 08:07

Scientists can now remotely monitor the ocean’s changing chemistry with help from some of the five-foot-tall Argo floats that drift with deep ocean currents and transmit data via satellite back to land.

Pennsylvanians: Favorable View of the Natural Gas Industry

Geology.com - T, 09/06/2011 - 07:47

In a poll by Franklin & Marshall College, two-thirds of Pennsylvanians surveyed reported a favorable view of the Natural Gas Industry.

Geology Field Camp in New Zealand?

Geology.com - T, 09/06/2011 - 07:40

An opportunity to attend a December-February field camp located on the Indian-Australian/Pacific plate boundary. The course provides training in basic through to more advanced field geological methods, with applications to geological problems in the varied structural and geomorphic settings of New Zealand. Many students from the USA have completed the course.

NASA satellites 'eyes' changes in Hurricane Katia

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - T, 09/06/2011 - 06:00

(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Major Hurricane Katia continues to approach the US East coast and stir up rough surf. Meanwhile two NASA satellites have provided a look at the changes in organization and cloud patterns over the last several days.

NASA spacecraft images offer sharper views of Apollo landing sites

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - T, 09/06/2011 - 06:00

(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured the sharpest images ever taken from space of the Apollo 12, 14 and 17 landing sites. Images show the twists and turns of the paths made when the astronauts explored the lunar surface.

Peer pressure? It's hardwired into our brains

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - T, 09/06/2011 - 06:00

(University of Southern California) A new USC study explains why people take stupid chances when all of their friends are watching that they would never take by themselves. According to the study, the human brain places more value on winning in a social setting than it does on winning when you're alone.

USGS research frontiers on fish at the American Fisheries Society Conference

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - T, 09/06/2011 - 06:00

(United States Geological Survey) The 141st annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society will take place in Seattle from Sept. 4-8, 2011. The theme of this year's conference is "New Frontiers in Fisheries Management and Ecology: Leading the Way in a Changing World." For more information, visit http://afs2011.org/ All talks will be at the Washington State Convention Center.

Neutron analysis reveals unique atom-scale behavior of 'cobalt blue'

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - T, 09/06/2011 - 06:00

(DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Neutron scattering studies of "cobalt blue," a compound prized by artists for its lustrous blue hue, are revealing unique magnetic characteristics that could answer questions about mysterious properties in other materials.

Poor outlook for water quality in Germany

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - T, 09/06/2011 - 06:00

(Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres) The good chemical and ecological status of water bodies as defined by the EU Water Framework Directive is unlikely to be attained in Germany by 2015. This is the conclusion of a study in which data from the four largest rivers in northern Germany - the Elbe, Weser, Aller and Ems - were analysed over ten years. The study was carried out by the University of Koblenz-Landau, the UFZ and Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, and published in the international scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Circadian clocks in a blind fish

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - T, 09/06/2011 - 06:00

(Public Library of Science) Do animals that have evolved underground, completely isolated from the day-night cycle, still "know" what time it is? Does a normal circadian clock persist during evolution under constant darkness? A new study tackles these questions by investigating a species of cavefish which has lived for 2 million years beneath the Somalian desert, finding that it has an unusual circadian clock; it ticks with a period of up to 47 hours, and is completely blind.

2011 Balzan prizewinners announced today in Milan

EurekAlert Earth Sciences - E, 09/05/2011 - 06:00

(Gold Communications) The Balzan Prizewinners 2011 were announced today in Milan by the Chairman of the Balzan General Prize Committee, Salvatore Veca, together with the President of the Balzan “Prize” Foundation, Ambassador Bruno Bottai, at the Corriere della Sera Foundation.