Taxonomy term

geologic column

Geologic Column: The notion of mantle plumes

EARTH’s feature on mantle plumes in the January/February issue reminded the author of his own evolving trip along the plate tectonic road.

01 Sep 2016

Geologic Column: Editia elegantis: A story of science, discovery and the elegance of a wife's contribution

A simple disagreement between the author's parents — one a graduate student and the other a young wife and mother — resulted in an article in the Journal of Paleontology and a collection in the Smithsonian National Musuem of Natural History. 

15 Aug 2016

Geologic Column: The dog days of July

As months go, July has some distinctive qualities. In particular, it’s when the so-called dog days of summer begin. Today, we tend to think that dog days refers simply to the hottest part of summer, but the ancient civilizations of Europe had a more astronomically based understanding.

13 Jul 2016

Geologic Column: Geology for the people: Finding new paths to public outreach

The authors suggest novel ways to reach and share geologic knowledge with constituencies in your community who may not otherwise be exposed to geology.

28 May 2016

Geologic Column: May: Nature's forces in collision

Throughout history, May 1 has probably had more festivals and events associated with it than any other day of the year, from celebrations of spring and fertility to a day of protest for workers’ rights.

29 Apr 2016

Geologic Column: At the end of the Earth

A trip to Land’s End in Spain with some old friends spurs the author’s thinking about the tectonics of Iapetus, peat bogs that hold clues to ancient climate, and the futility of tilting at windmills.

13 Apr 2016

Geologic Column: Blockbuster solutions

Science makes leaps forward when practitioners take unconventional approaches to problem-solving, such as that in the movie “The Imitation Game.” Could such unconventional steps help us solve some of today’s biggest problems?

14 Mar 2016

Geologic Column: A Jurassic romance

What do "Jane Eyre," Bevin Boys and icthyosaur-hunting paleontologists have in common? Reader, I’ll tell you.

12 Feb 2016

Geologic Column: Decades later, Mr. Keene's earth science class sticks with me

The author's 1959 earth science class changed her life, despite not starting out as well as she would have hoped. 
13 Jan 2016

Geologic Column: The beginning of "time" as we know it

We have many methods for measuring things — volumes, lengths, areas, for example — but we have only one system to measure time. It's based on three astronomical cycles: a day is based on one rotation on our axis; a month is based on one orbit of the moon around Earth; and the year is based on one orbit of Earth around the sun. Our calendar has changed some over the millennia but has remained remarkably constant. 
13 Dec 2015

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