Geology News And Research Archives Page 6

Would You Like a Large Shake with that Little Mac? (3/27/2008)

Researchers Turn SeisMac Feature on Apple Laptops into an Innovative Learning Tool ...> Full Article

New findings from Tibetan Plateau suggest uplift occurred in stages (3/26/2008)

The vast Tibetan Plateau--the world's highest and largest plateau, bordered by the world's highest mountains--has long challenged geologists trying to understand how and when the region rose to such spectacular heights. New evidence from an eight-year study by U.S. and Chinese researchers indicates that the plateau rose in stages, with uplift occurring first in the central plateau and later in regions to the north and south. ...> Full Article

Current Major Flooding in U.S. a Sign of Things to Come (3/24/2008)

Major floods striking America's heartland in March offer a preview of the spring seasonal outlook, according to NOAA's National Weather Service. Several factors will contribute to above-average flood conditions, including record rainfall in some states and snow packs, which are melting and causing rivers and streams to crest over their banks. The week of March 15, more than 250 communities in a dozen states are experiencing flood conditions. ...> Full Article

Using Ground Penetrating Radar to Observe Hidden Underground Water Processes (3/22/2008)

researchers present applications of radar technology for exploring the properties and movement of water beneath our feet ...> Full Article

How Iron Gets into the North Pacific (3/21/2008)

Is the Dust-Storm Theory Overblown? ...> Full Article

Researchers say Arctic sea ice still at risk despite cold winter (3/19/2008)

Using the latest satellite observations, NASA researchers and others report that the Arctic is still on "thin ice" when it comes to the condition of sea ice cover in the region. ...> Full Article

Prestigious science prize awarded for 800,000 year old ice core (3/17/2008)

Ice core scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are joint winners of a major European science prize. The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) - which retrieved two deep ice cores that have revealed how Earth's climate behaved over the last 800,000 years - is one of three projects to be awarded the 2007 Descartes Prize for excellence in collaborative research. Three winning trans-national research teams share this year's Descartes Prize of 1.36 million Euros. The prize is awarded annually to teams which have achieved outstanding scientific or technological results through collaborative research in any field of science. ...> Full Article

Seismologists set up telemetry system in wake of Wells earthquake (3/16/2008)

Even now, several days after traveling to Wells, Nev., to set up a telemetry network to gain a better understanding of the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that rocked the rural Nevada community last month, Nathan Edwards shakes his head with a sense of amazement. ...> Full Article

Glacier Melt Impact on Sea-Level is Underestimated (3/15/2008)

Global sea level has been climbing steadily over the past 80 years-and the contribution from melting ice has been more substantial than previously estimated, according to new research in Science Express. ...> Full Article

10 questions shaping 21st-century earth science identified (3/14/2008)

Ten questions driving the geological and planetary sciences were identified today in a new report by the National Research Council. Aimed at reflecting the major scientific issues facing earth science at the start of the 21st century, the questions represent where the field stands, how it arrived at this point, and where it may be headed. ...> Full Article

Are existing large-scale simulations of water dynamics wrong? (3/13/2008)

Researchers find that a much smaller spatial resolution should be used for modeling soil water ...> Full Article

Mediterranean 'due a tsunami' research suggests (3/12/2008)

Studying an ancient earthquake has enabled researchers to quantify the likelihood of a tsunami in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...> Full Article

Researchers find a new mineral (3/11/2008)

Mineralogists recently discovered Xieite, a chromium-iron oxide in its natural state ...> Full Article

Researchers confirm discovery of Earth's inner, innermost core (3/11/2008)

Geologists have confirmed the discovery of Earth's inner, innermost core, and have created a three-dimensional model that describes the seismic anisotropy and texturing of iron crystals within the inner core. ...> Full Article

This is not a drill: The earth actually is moving beneath western Washington (3/10/2008)

While the annual Sound Shake exercise on Wednesday produced a simulated magnitude 6.7 earthquake on the Seattle fault, a real though unfelt seismic event is taking place beneath western Washington. ...> Full Article

New Method to Estimate Sea Ice Thickness (3/9/2008)

Scientists recently developed a new modeling approach to estimate sea ice thickness. This is the only model based entirely on historical observations. ...> Full Article

Warming climate may cause arctic tundra to burn (3/8/2008)

Research from ancient sediment cores indicates that a warming climate could make the world's arctic tundra far more susceptible to fires than previously thought. The findings, published this week in the online journal, PLoS ONE, are important given the potential for tundra fires to release organic carbon - which could add significantly to the amount of greenhouse gases already blamed for global warming. ...> Full Article

Key component of Earth's crust formed from moving, molten rock, researchers discover (3/7/2008)

Granulite formed by melt migration ...> Full Article

Two Oxygenation Events In Ancient Oceans Sparked Spread Of Complex Life (3/7/2008)

The rise of oxygen and the oxidation of deep oceans between 635 and 551 million years ago may have had an impact on the increase and spread of the earliest complex life, including animals, according to a new study. ...> Full Article

Old fault zone could be to blame for earthquake (3/6/2008)

An old fault zone could be to blame for the earthquake that shook the UK early today, according to a Durham University expert. ...> Full Article

New Seafloor Cores Show Tight Bond Between Dust And Past Climates (3/5/2008)

Researchers hope to shed light on proposed manmade climate 'repairs' ...> Full Article

Tiny pieces of 'deep time' brought to the surface (3/4/2008)

New discovery of 'old growth' crystals provides new record of planetary evolution ...> Full Article

Earthquake predictions prove accurate for researchers (3/3/2008)

Two large earthquakes have occurred in quick succession in Sumatra, Western Indonesia, only months after University of Queensland researchers publicly identified the area as a high-risk zone for seismic activity. ...> Full Article

Large Source of Nitrate, a Nutrient and Potential Water Contaminant, Found in Near-Surface Desert Soils (3/3/2008)

Disruption of desert soil surface could result in wind erosion of nitrate-rich soil ...> Full Article

Researchers make geothermal discovery in Mineral County, Nevada (3/2/2008)

Researchers recently discovered the existence of direct evidence of an active geothermal system in the Teels Marsh area of Mineral County in rural Nevada. ...> Full Article

Rock studies help crack questions of glacier thinning in West Antarctica (3/2/2008)

Boulders the size of footballs could help scientists predict the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's (WAIS) contribution to sea-level rise according to new research published this week in the journal Geology. ...> Full Article

'Lost' Sediments Show Details of Polar Magnetic Field (3/1/2008)

Researchers studying cores of sediment collected 40 years ago have found evidence for magnetic field vortices in the Earth's core beneath the South Pole. The results contrast with earlier studies at lower latitudes, and could lead to a better understanding of processes in the core. ...> Full Article

Drained lake holds record of ancient Alaska (2/29/2008)

Not too long ago, a lake sprung a leak in the high country of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains. The lake drained away, as glacier-dammed lakes often do, but this lake was a bit different, and seems to be telling a story about a warmer Alaska. ...> Full Article

Studying Rivers for Clues to Carbon Cycle (2/28/2008)

In the science world, in the media, and recently, in our daily lives, the debate continues over how carbon in the atmosphere is affecting global climate change. Studying just how carbon cycles throughout the Earth is an enormous challenge, but one Northwestern University professor is doing his part by studying one important segment -- rivers. ...> Full Article

Supercomputer Unleashes Virtual 9.0 Megaquake in Pacific Northwest (2/27/2008)

Simulation May Help Big Cities Develop Early Warning Systems ...> Full Article