August 2015 on EARTH Magazine

Arctic climate change marked by warmer, wetter conditions

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:00:14 -0400

New satellite data show that the skies over the Arctic Ocean are warming, which is increasing humidity and cloud cover over the region. Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen

At least since satellite observations began four decades ago, climbing temperatures have chipped away at Arctic sea ice, causing earlier spring melting and later autumn freezing. Because ice reflects more sunlight than water does, shrinking sea-ice cover means that Arctic waters soak up more solar energy, which affects climate both regionally and globally. Now, a new study has documented how Arctic warming leads to wetter air and increased cloud cover, particularly during autumn and winter, which spurs even more warming in a self-reinforcing cycle.

Hazardous Living: Maps, according to geologists

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 19:04:17 -0400

Credit: Kent Ratajeski and Callan Bentley

If you have geologist friends, you may have run across some humorous world maps on social media lately. These maps have garnered lots of attention — both positive and negative, the latter especially from those living in Kansas. Italian geologist Samuele Papeschi started the trend by making the map of “Europe according to a geologist,” as seen from a European geologist’s point of view. EARTH’s cartoonist-geologist Callan Bentley (a professor at Northern Virginia Community College) and Kent Ratajeski, a geologist at the University of Kentucky, followed up with a map of the U.S. as seen by American geologists. Bentley then created South America (according to an American geologist), and Papeschi created Antarctica and Asia (both according to a European geologist). As Bentley and Papeschi told me, these maps are intentionally vague (especially Antarctica and South America) and humorous. As far as I know, no one has done an Australian or African one yet.

Snake forebear had two back legs but no front legs

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 12:32:06 -0400

This artist's rendering of the common ancestor of modern snakes shows it with two small hind legs. Credit: Julius T. Csotonyi.

The more than 3,400 species of snakes alive today may have descended from one ancestor that lacked forelimbs, but which had small vestigial hind limbs complete with ankle bones and toes, according to a new study published in BMC Evolutionary Biology.

Sea-level rise accelerating

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 12:16:47 -0400

Sea-level rise has been accelerating around the planet, which has been more precisely measured by correcting for vertical land movement. Credit: ©Andjam79, CC BY 2.0.

Studies tracking sea-level rise over the past few decades have been all over the map, with reports variously indicating that the rate of rise has accelerated, stayed constant or declined. Now, a new GPS-based study published in Nature Climate Change indicates that sea-level rise has indeed been accelerating over the last decade.

Ocean 'sneezes' spread algae-infecting virus

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:56:13 -0400

A scanning electron micrograph of the common coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Credit: Elena Kartvelishvily and Daniella Schatz.

Microscopic phytoplankton, or microalgae, permeate ocean surfaces, sometimes forming huge blooms visible from space. Nutrient concentrations in seawater are known to regulate such blooms, which play a major role in oceanic food chains and carbon cycling, and occasionally prove harmful to other marine life as well as humans. Less understood are the other factors that influence a bloom’s onset and demise. New research sheds light on one such influence, demonstrating that an algae-infecting virus can become airborne and travel long distances, potentially infecting and eradicating parts of a bloom hundreds of kilometers away.

Seismometers listen for falling rocks

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:48:06 -0400

Fresh debris lines part of Yosemite Valley after a rockfall. Credit: National Park Service.

Scores of natural rockfalls occur in California’s Yosemite Valley every year, often with little or no advance warning, posing hazards to people and infrastructure. In 1980, for example, a fall near Yosemite Falls killed three people and injured 19. Efforts to record and document rockfalls are rudimentary, relying only on eyewitness accounts and after-the-fact observations of fresh talus piles, which means many events are likely going unreported. In a new study, however, researchers interested in whether there’s a better way to monitor these events propose that seismic and infrasound sensors can help keep tabs on the granite slabs dropping from Yosemite’s cliffs.

Oldest birds unearthed in China

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:39:12 -0400

Two specimens of the oldest- known ornithuromorph yet discovered, Archaeornithura meemannae, thought to have been a wading bird, were recently found in China. Credit: Zongda Zhang.

The discovery of two well-preserved fossils in the Sichakou Basin of northeastern China has pushed back the known evolutionary record of birds by as much as 6 million years, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.

Ancient marine reptiles born alive and ready to hunt

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:36:28 -0400

An artist's interpretation of an adult mosasaur giving birth to live young. Credit: Julius T. Csotonyi.

Mosasaurs, giant marine reptiles found in all the world’s oceans during the Late Cretaceous, may have reached up to 18 meters in length, and they were fearsome predators. Little is known, however, about newborn, or neonate, mosasaurs because very few have been found. Now, new research describing a rare fossil find from Kansas reveals that mosasaurs likely gave birth to live young that were born swimming and able to survive alongside the adults.

Earth-like atmosphere enough to set some exoplanets spinning

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:30:21 -0400

An illustration of Kepler-62f, an exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of its local star, Kepler-62, which is thought to be about 70 percent as massive as our sun. Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech.

Earth is “Exhibit A” in showing that planetary rotation — which moderates global climate, keeps a lot of water in liquid form and generally makes the place more livable — is a plus when it comes to sustaining life. But scientists have thought that many of the rocky, Earth-like exoplanets discovered recently, which might otherwise be considered potentially hospitable to life, aren’t so fortunate. On these unlucky worlds, unable to rotate because they’re held too tightly by their parent stars’ gravity, one half of the planet is perpetually roasted by stellar radiation while the other is left frigid and dark. Now, however, a new study suggests that a little atmosphere can go a long way toward helping exoplanets rotate.

Map shows where lightning zaps most

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 09:14:55 -0400

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/ Joshua Stevens.

Lightning strikes far more often over land than sea and is more concentrated closer to the equator — both testaments to the greater atmospheric instability over those parts of the planet. These are just two observations evident from a global map of lightning strikes produced recently by NASA based on nearly two decades of data from the OrbView-1/Microlab satellite and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. The new map color-codes Earth by the average number of lightning flashes seen annually per square kilometer — brighter colors mean more lightning — and refines earlier efforts based on fewer data. So where on Earth does lightning strike most? That would be in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is struck roughly 150 times per square kilometer each year, followed by the area near Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. If you look closely, you can also see the contributions of certain orographic features like the Himalayas and the Rockies on lightning-strike patterns.

De-evolving the bird beak

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 09:07:16 -0400

An illustration highlighting the premaxillary and palatine bones in the nonavian dinosaur Anchiornis (rear) and a modern tinamou, which belongs to one of the most ancient living orders of birds. Credit: John Conway.

The transition from dinosaurs with snouts to birds with beaks was a pivotal change in the evolution of dinosaurs into birds during the Late Mesozoic. Now, biologists have partially reversed this process by transforming chicken embryos into specimens with snout and palate configurations similar to those of small dinosaurs like Velociraptor and Archaeopteryx.

Energy Notes: February 2014-2015

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 13:05:31 -0400

Credit: The American Geosciences Institute.

U.S. Oil & Petroleum Imports (million of barrels per day)

' Oil and petroleum imports data are preliminary numbers taken from the American Petroleum Institute’s Monthly Statistical Report. For more information visit www.api.org.

Down to Earth With: Engineer Jeffrey Bielicki

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 12:02:32 -0400

Jeffrey Bielicki is an assistant professor of energy policy at Ohio State University. Credit: Ohio State University.

With degrees in mechanical engineering, business administration and public administration from a variety of prestigious universities, one might get the impression that Jeffrey Bielicki is an inveterate academic with his head buried in books. And, indeed, Bielicki has spent most of his career in research, looking into solutions for problems in engineering, energy and policy. But far from narrowing his focus, Bielicki’s schooling in multiple disciplines has given him the desire and ability to see issues from a range of perspectives, thus informing and broadening his approaches to solving them.

Volcanic lightning turns ash into glass

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 10:30:39 -0400

Within the ash plumes of explosive volcanic eruptions, collisions among countless pyroclastic particles sometimes lead to the buildup of static charges that discharge dramatically as volcanic lightning. In a new study, researchers have found that this lightning can, in turn, melt and fuse ash particles into distinctive glassy grains called spherules. Identifying and studying these spherules could help scientists better understand past and future eruptions, the study’s authors suggest.

Geomedia: Toys: LEGO® geoscientists break through the brick ceiling

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 10:50:10 -0400

Ellen Kooijman, a Dutch geochemist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, won a LEGO Group design contest with her kits featuring female scientists — a first for the toy company — including an astronomer, a paleontologist and a chemist. Credit: Ellen Kooijman/LEGO Ideas.

Many adults probably remember the childhood fun of LEGO® toys, the plastic bricks from which you could build forts, cars, houses, planes, cities and even whole universes. The few simple shapes and colors encouraged unlimited creativity, limited only by the number of LEGO pieces you had, which could total in the thousands.

Fate of atolls not necessarily tied to sea-level rise

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 10:31:06 -0400

The island of Funagogo on the eastern side of Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu. Credit: Paul Kench.

The western Pacific Ocean is home to many atolls: rings of low-lying islands built from calcite sands and the erosional remnants of coral reefs. This region is also home to some of the highest rates of sea-level rise in recent decades — an unsettling fact for the atolls’ inhabitants and others worried that rising waters will eat away at the islands and evict residents for good. But according to a new study documenting long-term change at one Pacific atoll, the future for such islands might not be so bleak.

Thorny plant marks West African diamond deposits

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 10:24:56 -0400

Credit: ©Callan Bentley.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Oct. 9, 2015, to fix an error in the size of the kimberlite pipe. West Africa is famous for diamonds, brought up from the depths of Earth’s mantle eons ago during explosive volcanic eruptions. On the surface, the eroded remains of these eruptions, known as kimberlite pipes, are infamously hard to find under the thick jungles of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and only a few of the deep, narrow pipes contain profitable diamonds. Now, a researcher has identified an unusual feature that might point the way toward such pipes, and possibly revolutionize the search for diamond-rich deposits: a tall, thorny palm-like plant that seems to only grow atop kimberlites.

Trip-planning resources

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 10:17:30 -0400

Shannon Falls can be seen from the Sea-to-Sky Highway, along which many of the field trip stops were located. Credit: International Association for Geoscience Diversity.

If you are thinking of making one or more of your field trips accessible, the International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD), an organization charged with advocating for students and geoscientists with disabilities, can help. The IAGD is establishing a consortium of accessible field courses, specifically developed to accommodate students with disabilities who are working to complete the field-based learning requirements of an undergraduate geoscience degree program. The IAGD can connect you with experienced students and faculty who can help you plan your accessible field course, design a new course or retrofit an existing one based on the diverse physical needs of your students. If you are interested in learning more about modifying or developing an accessible field course, or in promoting an accessible geoscience field course through the consortium, contact the IAGD at info@theiagd.org.

Geology for everyone: Making the field accessible

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 09:43:35 -0400

The design of this field trip at last year's Geological Society of America meeting in British Columbia created the opportunity for all participants to engage in the field activities that best suited their abilities. Credit: International Association for Geoscience Diversity.

On Oct. 18, 2014, at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA) in Vancouver, British Columbia, the society hosted, for the first time, a field trip that was fully accessible to geoscience students and faculty with disabilities. The trip, which we led, is bringing attention to an often-ignored issue in the geosciences. Many students with sensory, physical or intellectual disabilities may be potentially discouraged from pursuing geoscience degrees when faced with course requirements that involve physically rigorous field-based learning.

Where on Earth? - August 2015

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 15:30:25 -0400

Scroll down for the answer

Clues for August 2015:

The well-weathered granite on this craggy (and definitely not “smooth”) hilltop is part of a batholith formed near the end of the Paleozoic Variscan Orogeny.
At about 400 meters, the peak is the second-highest point — after a neighboring prominence called Brown Willy — in a region comprising the far southwestern part of its host nation, and which is known for its beaches and chickens (although not the “game hen” variety popularized in the U.S.).

Getting there and getting around Texas' Trans-Pecos

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:30:46 -0400

West of the Pecos Museum. Credit: ©Kent Kanouse, CC BY-NC 2.0.

If you’re driving through West Texas on Interstate 10, which runs from Jacksonville, Fla., to Santa Monica, Calif., you’ll pass right through the Trans-Pecos region. Commercial air service is also available into El Paso International Airport, located about 170 kilometers west of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. A car is necessary to get around the area; you can rent one at the airport if you choose to fly in. Fall is a great time to visit the region, once the summer heat has waned.

Energy Notes: January 2014-2015

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 10:01:47 -0400

Credit: The American Geosciences Institute.

U.S. Oil & Petroleum Imports (million of barrels per day)

' Oil and petroleum imports data are preliminary numbers taken from the American Petroleum Institute’s Monthly Statistical Report. For more information visit www.api.org.

Mineral Resource of the Month: Gemstones

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 09:58:34 -0400

U.S. Geological Survey mineral commodity specialist Donald W. Olson has compiled the following information on gemstones, which are prized above other minerals for their beauty, rarity and worth.

Red beryl, also known as scarlet or red emerald, is one of the rarest gemstones in the world, selling for as much as 0,000 per carat. Credit: ©Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Gemstones have been treasured objects throughout history, often serving as symbols of power and status for rulers and the wealthy. Stones used in early jewelry-making include amber, amethyst, coral, diamond, emerald, garnet, jade, jasper, lapis lazuli, pearl, rock crystal, ruby, serpentine and turquoise.

Ice (Re) Cap: August 2015

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 09:47:48 -0400

An eerie red ooze, rich in microbes and iron oxides (hence the color), issues from Blood Falls at the toe of Antarctica's Taylor Glacier. Credit: National Science Foundation/Peter Rejcek.

From Antarctica to the Arctic; from polar caps, permafrost and glaciers to ocean-rafted sea ice; and from burly bears to cold-loving microbes, fascinating science is found in every nook and crevasse of Earth’s cryosphere, and new findings are announced often. Here are a few of the latest updates.

Hurricane wrath may be reduced by rainfall

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 09:41:11 -0400

Data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission show Hurricane Isaac dropping heavy rainfall over the Gulf of Mexico. A new study shows that rainfall can reduce a hurricane's intensity on its way to making landfall. Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce.

Meteorologists have gotten better and better at forecasting the paths of hurricanes and tropical storms, but predicting how intense a storm will be when it makes landfall has proved more difficult. Now, a new study offers a detailed look at how the energetic contributions of rain — once thought to be a trivial factor in such systems — can dramatically affect storm windspeeds and intensity.

Early Earth enriched by iron rain

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 09:35:31 -0400

The Z machine in Albuquerque is roughly 30 meters across and is used to generate electric currents of up to 20 million amps. Credit: Randy Montoya.

Iron is one of the most common elements in the Earth’s mantle and core, most of it having come from massive collisions with asteroids and other would-be planets as the early solar system took shape. But why our planet’s rocky mantle contains so much of the metal, which theory suggests should have sunk to the core, has left researchers stumped. Now, with the help of the world’s largest radiation source, scientists have replicated the conditions of early planetary formation to take a closer look at how Earth’s iron-rich mantle — and the moon’s conversely iron-poor mantle — came to be.

A terribly low voice for a new terror bird

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 09:31:09 -0400

A nearly complete skeleton of Llallawavis scagliai is on display at the Lorenzo Scaglia Municipal Museum of Natural Sciences in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: M. Taglioretti and F. Scaglia.

A recently discovered fossil skeleton is giving paleontologists a nearly complete look at a new species in the family of big-beaked giants known as “terror birds.” Thought to have grown as tall as 3 meters, these flightless birds roamed South America as apex predators before going extinct about 2.5 million years ago.

Southbound icebergs off the hook for ice-age cooling

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 09:27:00 -0400

A new study suggests that southbound icebergs probably arrived too late to be the trigger for Pleistocene cooling events in the North Atlantic. Credit: ©kaet44, CC BY 2.0.

During the Late Pleistocene, changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation triggered abrupt changes in global climate: In some locations in the Northern Hemisphere, average temperatures dropped by as much as 10 degrees Celsius within a few decades. Scientists have long thought that freshwater from melting icebergs traveling south from the Arctic may have instigated the circulation shifts that contributed to cooling feedback loops. But now, scientists looking at seafloor sediments collected near Iceland have found that pulses of icebergs typically arrived after the onset of cooling episodes, too late to be primary drivers of climate change.

From fearsome predator to filter feeder

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:31:04 -0400

This reconstruction of the giant filter- feeding anomalocaridid, Aegirocassis benmoulae, from the Early Ordovician of Morocco shows it feeding on a cloud of plankton. Credit: Marianne Collins, ArtofFact.

Early in the Paleozoic, giant arthropods known as anomalocaridids were the largest predators in the sea. A collection of finely preserved fossils, described in a new study in Nature and belonging to the Early Ordovician Fezouata Biota of Morocco, is now giving paleontologists a more detailed look at a 2-meter-long variety called Aegirocassis benmoulae. The fossils seem to suggest that at least this species wasn’t a predator after all.

Stalled slabs sometimes stopped by mineral strengthening

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:23:14 -0400

In some subduction zones, the downgoing slabs get stuck at depths of about 1,000 kilometers, held up by some unseen barrier that might be related to high-pressure-induced strengthening of minerals in the rocks surrounding the subducting slabs. Credit: K. Cantner, AGI.

Subduction of tectonic plates into the mantle functions as an eons-long recycling system for Earth’s crust and lithosphere. But in some subduction zones, the downgoing slabs seem to get stuck at depths of about 1,000 kilometers, held up by some unseen barrier on their journey deeper into the lower mantle. Now, scientists propose that this barrier might be related to high-pressure-induced strengthening of minerals in the rocks surrounding subducting slabs at these depths.

Bark beetles not to blame for big fires?

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:19:11 -0400

Bark beetles flourish in warm, dry conditions and have killed millions of hectares of pine forests in the western U.S. Credit: Don Becker, USGS.

Since the mid-1990s, outbreaks of voracious bark beetles have devastated more than 71,000 square kilometers of forests in the Rocky Mountain West. Contrary to popular belief, however, the huge swaths of standing dead trees left behind don’t necessarily pose an increased fire hazard, according to a new study. The finding calls into question the efficacy of recently enacted policies entailing the thinning of beetle-killed forests.

Nonnative plants not a problem in Britain

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:14:04 -0400

Japanese knotweed has been classified as a destructive invasive species in several countries, including the U.K. and the U.S. Credit: ©MdE, CC BY-SA 3.0 de.

In many places in the world, nonnative plants are epidemic, outcompeting local flora for space and resources and sometimes leading to extinctions of native plants. But a new study finds that, in Britain at least, foreign plants don’t seem to be negatively impacting the natives after all.

Makeovers for two popular dinosaurs

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:01:37 -0400

An artist's rendering of two Daspletosauruses in combat. Credit: Luis Rey.

Two of the most recognizable dinosaurs are getting image makeovers. According to recent research, tyrannosaurs weren’t only fearsome predators with a taste for other species, but also may have been cannibals; and Brontosaurus, long thought to be obsolete — as a distinct genus at least — may be making a comeback.

Meteorite reveals rare irregular crystals

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:44:46 -0400

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals the structure of the new quasicrystal, which exhibits a 10-fold symmetric pattern Credit: Paul Steinhardt et al.

Scientists have found naturally occurring quasicrystals for the second time in a meteorite recovered from eastern Russia, according to a new study in Scientific Reports. Some of the researchers, including the lead author, Luca Bindi of the University of Florence in Italy, reported the discovery of the first natural quasicrystal, a mineral called icosahedrite, in the same meteorite in 2012. The researchers say that both quasicrystals probably formed under the high temperatures and pressures of a violent cosmic collision about 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after the formation of the solar system.

As an aerosolizer, dust devils demoted

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:41:05 -0400

Dust devils look fierce, but don't lift much dust into the atmosphere, according to new research. Credit: ©Noel Feans, CC BY-2.0.

Dust is an inescapable byproduct of a rocky planet reworked by tectonic forces, extraterrestrial impacts and human activities. And though it may seem like a nuisance, airborne dust plays an integral role in the Earth system, fertilizing downwind ecosystems and influencing climate. But just how dust gets lofted into the air has long puzzled scientists. Previous studies have suggested that dust devils could stir up as much as a third of the atmosphere’s dust budget, but new work reveals these twisters contribute just a tenth of that amount.

Widening the window of human dispersal into Arabia

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:13:12 -0400

In a quarry near the city of Al Ain, in the eastern part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, scientists found evidence of recurring wet climates in the Arabian Peninsula dating back roughly 160,000 years. Credit: ©Nepenthes, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The vast sea of sand that is much of the Arabian Peninsula presents a formidable barrier to travel, even with today’s modern conveniences. How and when our ancestors crossed this dry expanse after leaving Africa — on their way to populating the rest of the world — has long been a mystery. Now, a new paleoclimate study paints a wetter picture of Arabia during the time of human expansion, and the findings may change scientists’ thinking about the route and timing of early human migrations out of Africa.

Geologic Column: Field Sketches

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 10:30:49 -0400

Field sketch from a page of, 'The Geology of New Hampshire: a report comprising the results of explorations ordered by the legislature.' Credit: Public Domain.

I’m not into camping, climbing or caving, but I like fieldwork. My mom, a science teacher, introduced me to collecting minerals and fossils. Before my senior year of high school, I followed my best friend to a 6-week summer research program at the University of Florida. When asked to choose a subject, I listed geology almost by default and was paired with a grad student studying groundwater seepage into a lake. Thirty-five years later, I’m still doing the same kind of work. I enjoy the relevance and intellectual challenge: It’s like playing MacGyver, trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces and a limited set of tools. And the aesthetic appeal of being outdoors reinforces my occasional sense of accomplishment.

Comment: Who should be worried about space weather

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 11:13:41 -0400

Forecasters in front of lots of screens inside the Space Weather Forecast Office of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado. Credit: public domain.

If you live in hurricane-prone regions, you’re probably familiar with the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale; if you’re in Tornado Alley, you probably know the Fujita scale. If a meteorologist tells you a Category-5 hurricane or an F-5 tornado is headed your way, you probably know to evacuate or take cover. But what happens if a solar storm is headed toward Earth? We’ve all likely heard from the media about the potential impacts of severe space weather events: no cellphone service, no GPS, no satellite TV, no way for airplanes to communicate, no electricity as the power grid goes down. But to whom do you turn for reliable information, and how do you know if you should worry? Scientists have now created a scaling system for solar storms like those used for hurricanes and tornadoes with the hope that such a system will help government agencies and the public prepare for and respond to space weather events.

Benchmarks: August 3, 1958: USS Nautilus crosses the North Pole

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:59:01 -0400

The USS Nautilus entering New York Harbor in May 1956, two years before its famous voyage to the North Pole. Credit: Library of Congress.

Cmdr. William Anderson (seated) and navigator Lt. Shep Jenks (standing) confer aboard the USS Nautilus during its transpolar voyage in 1958. Credit: U.S. Navy.

As the USS Nautilus glided through the black depths of the Arctic Ocean, Cmdr. William Anderson asked the crew for quiet. A tense silence hung over the dull roar of the propellers and the sharp pings of sonar as the submarine closed in on its destination. “Eight … six … four,” Williams counted down over the intercom, accelerating as they got closer, “three … two … one …”

Down to Earth With: Industrial Archaeologist Fred Quivik

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:36:58 -0400

Fred Quivik is an industrial archaeologist at Michigan Tech. Credit: Michigan Tech.

Fred Quivik is no ordinary historian. Though he likes dusty books and archives to be sure, Quivik looks at history through objects, specifically the equipment, buildings and landscapes of industrial sites. He’s an industrial archaeologist, digging into the past of former mine sites, factories and other environmentally degraded places to see how they are connected to people and companies today. Quivik has done this sleuthing as a historic preservation consultant and as an expert witness in lawsuits dealing with Superfund sites. He has looked at sites across the U.S., focusing especially on the West, and now teaches at Michigan Tech University in Houghton, Mich.

Geomedia: Books: Iceland's eruption of biblical proportions explored in 'Island on Fire'

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:23:46 -0400

"Island on Fire: The Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano That Changed the World," by Alexandra Witze and Jeff Kanipe, Pegasus, 2015, ISBN: 978-1605986746.

For a few months in 2014–2015, a volcanic eruption in Iceland captivated many people around the world. The Holuhraun lava field produced the largest volume of lava erupted on the North Atlantic island in the past 200 years. Except for the areas plagued with acrid, sulfur-rich gas, which affected air quality, the eruption was mostly harmless and became a tourist spectacle. It was Icelandic volcanism at its finest.

Travels in Geology: Touring Texas' Trans-Pecos

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:46:38 -0400

The Trans-Pecos region, part of the Chihuahuan Desert, bears little resemblance to eastern Texas, which is flatter, wetter and more populated. Credit: ©Adbar, CC BY-SA 3.0.

When Robert T. Hill first arrived in Texas in 1874 at the age of 16, little was known about the geology of the arid, far-western corner of the state. While working at his brother’s newspaper in the frontier town of Comanche, Hill, who would come to be known as the Father of Texas Geology, became fascinated by fossils along the slopes of the region’s blocky buttes. After searching for information on the rocks he was looking at, Hill realized they’d never been formally described. With his enthusiasm growing, he returned to the eastern U.S. to pursue a geology degree at Cornell University. In the course of pursuing his thesis, Hill participated in an expedition to west-central Texas, during which he defined the “Trans-Pecos” area, the remote region of the state west of the Pecos River.

A pair of moons with underground oceans

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:34:09 -0400

Interactions between deep ocean water and hot rock on Saturn's moon Enceladus are thought to result in hydrothermal plumes that erupt through the moon's icy crust. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Jupiter and Saturn are both gas giants boasting multiple moons. Now, two separate studies have identified another similarity: Each appears to have a moon with hidden underground oceans.

The Arctic is open for research

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:28:27 -0400

Scientific cooperation is important in the Arctic. Here, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy meets with the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent. Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard.

“Science knows no boundaries, and the issues that the Arctic region faces require high-quality, trans-disciplinary and problem-based research, something which cannot be accomplished solely at the national level.” So stated Annu Jylhä-Pyykönen, Finland’s Head of Delegation to the Arctic Council’s Task Force for Enhancing Scientific Cooperation (SCTF) in an interview published on the Arctic Council’s website in March 2015.

Endangered Icebreakers: The future of Arctic research, exploration and rescue at risk

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 09:11:02 -0400

Sailing the waters of the Arctic or Antarctic requires icebreakers — ships built to withstand polar conditions and break through sea ice. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Prentice Danner.

The sun doesn't set in the Arctic summer. Credit: Piper Lewis.

The shipboard radar of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy shows a confused mass of yellow, the radar reflections of thousands of birds. Credit: Piper Lewis.

I had never seen so many birds in my life. The sunset turns the world a deep pink as auklets and murres spiral up to their nests on the Diomede Islands, two rocky outposts in the Bering Strait equidistant from the shores of Alaska and Siberia. The seabird observers count as quickly as they can; the shipboard radar of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy shows a confused mass of yellow at our location — the radar reflections of thousands of birds. Meanwhile, scientists in a lab on the Healy take samples of water collected at different depths below us from a rosette of Niskin bottles, while others on the aft deck collect plankton with giant ring nets. This is life aboard a research icebreaker in the Arctic.

Racing to the future of automotive efficiency and performance

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 11:07:30 -0400

The 24-hour Le Mans race is part of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) race series, in which prototypes of the next generation of cars test the limits of speed, endurance and safety. Credit: ©Adrian Hoskins, CC BY 2.0.

“High-performance” and “environmentally friendly” are two phrases not commonly used together to describe race cars. But at the World Endurance Championship (WEC), it’s par for the course. These prototypes are the next generation of cars, testing the limits of speed, endurance and safety. And in just a few years, they may be coming to a lot near you.

Megafloods mostly shaped Icelandic canyon landscape

Fri, 22 May 2015 11:54:45 -0400

In the 1920s, geologist J Harlen Bretz proposed that cataclysmic glacial megafloods had dramatically transformed the landscape of the northwestern U.S., leaving behind distinctive landforms like the channeled scablands in eastern Washington. Though Bretz’s notion, initially controversial, has long since been accepted, resolving how much landscapes are shaped by extreme events as opposed to the slow action of everyday erosion has nonetheless remained difficult.