May 2011 on EARTH Magazine

Energy Notes: January 2010-2011

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 15:24:44 -0400

Credit: The American Geosciences Institute

U.S. Oil & Petroleum Imports (millions 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: Tantalum

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 11:11:05 -0400

John F. Papp, a mineral commodity specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey, compiled the following information about tantalum, one of the most critical and strategic mineral commodities to the U.S.

Tantalite, shown here as manganotantalite from Brazil, is one of the tantalum-bearing oxide minerals that can be economically mined. Credit: ©Eurico Zimbres and Tom Epaminondas, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic

Tantalum — a rare, blue-gray, very hard transition metal — was discovered in 1801 or 1802. However, extensive use of the metal did not begin until 1940, when it became an important material for capacitors used in electronics.

Travels in Geology: Soaking up the Dead Sea: A trip to Israel's salty sea is a geological and historical delight

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 12:49:10 -0400

Salt formations rise up from the Dead Sea. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Irina Opachevsky

Almost anywhere you turn in Israel, you’re bound to find fascinating geology or the remnants of ancient human history. Some of the best of both can be found where you might least expect it — near the Dead Sea, one of the least hospitable places on Earth. Located in the western Judean Desert on the border between Israel and Jordan, the sea is an artifact of incredible tectonic activity, which also birthed the jagged mountains that surround one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water.

Getting There and Getting Around Israel

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 12:45:50 -0400

A Dead Sea resort. Credit: ©Shutterstock.com/photostockar

Flights from the United States to Israel arrive in Tel Aviv, a cosmopolitan resort city known for its restaurants, clubs and beaches roughly in the middle of Israel’s Mediterranean coast. From there it is a two-hour drive to the Dead Sea. Renting a car at the airport is the easiest way to get around, but taxis will also take you there. From Jerusalem, you can also catch a bus to the Dead Sea from the central bus station.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: Earthquakes or Volcanoes?

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 12:35:35 -0400

This salt pillar on Mount Sodom is nicknamed Lot's Wife, a reference to the biblical story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Сергей Пономарев

The name of the Dead Sea’s Mount Sodom comes from the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Old Testament says God destroyed the cities with fire and “flaming smoke” for the sins of their inhabitants. God allowed Lot and his family to flee the destruction. But Lot’s wife disobeyed God’s orders and was turned into a pillar of salt. Mount Sodom is made almost entirely of halite — sodium chloride — and among the formations near the Dead Sea is a pillar known as Lot’s Wife.

Down to Earth With: Evan Thomas

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:37:31 -0400

At age 16, Evan Thomas made a list of 100 life goals — his bucket list. At only 27 years old, he's done pretty well so far: Graduate college with a degree in aerospace engineering — check. Get a doctorate by age 25 — almost (missed by 11 days). Work for NASA — check. Start a business, help people, travel the world — check, check, check. Get a private pilot license — check. Climb the world's tallest mountains — in process. Credit: Courtesy of Evan Thomas.

At age 16, Evan Thomas made a list of 100 life goals — his bucket list. At only 27 years old, he’s done pretty well so far: Graduate college with a degree in aerospace engineering — check. Get a doctorate by age 25 — almost (missed by 11 days). Work for NASA — check. Start a business, help people, travel the world — check, check, check. Get a private pilot license — check. Climb the world’s tallest mountains — in process.

Benchmarks: May 31, 1889: Johnstown flood kills thousands

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 06:42:58 -0400

The Johnstown Flood caused an estimated 7 million in property damage. Credit: ©George Barker, courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

“It seemed to me as if all the destructive elements of the Creator had been turned loose at once in that awful current of water.” That’s how Col. Elias Unger, president of the corporation that maintained a dam and resort property called the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, described the water unleashed on the afternoon of May 31, 1889, when a dam at the club broke 23 kilometers above Johnstown, Pa. A little more than an hour later, a wall of water reached the town. In all, more than 2,200 people died in what is known as the Johnstown Flood.

Science and the social media

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:51:09 -0500

How blogs, Twitter and other social media tools are changing conversations about scientific research

Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools are undeniably changing the way that people communicate and share information. A small but increasing number of scientists are starting to use these tools to talk about science: writing blog posts about their work, papers they have read and the activities in their laboratories, or using Twitter to collect and share stories and resources with like-minded colleagues. These outlets, which were initially used mainly for scientific outreach, are also gradually becoming venues for conversations with other scientists — conversations that have until now been confined to the conference halls and coffee rooms of academia. Despite what you might think, this is a good thing for science.

D-Day's Legacy: Remnants of invasion linger in beach sands