June 20, 2018
Mineral Resource of the Month: Cultured Quartz Crystal
Thomas P. Dolley, a mineral commodity specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey, compiled the following information on cultured quartz crystal, …
The EARTH archive
November 2008
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20 articles · Page 1 of 1
June 20, 2018
Energy Notes: July 2007-2008
U.S. Oil & Petroleum Imports (millions of barrels per day) Oil and petroleum imports data are preliminary numbers taken from the American …
May 23, 2018
Down to Earth With: John 'Jack' Reed Jr.
Geologist Jack Reed spent his career studying rocks the most strenuous way someone can — by climbing them. During much of his 47 years with the …
January 20, 2012
Geologic Column: Saving the World? Or Just Saving Money?
It all started with a reporter. I had just signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, which pledges that my …
January 5, 2012
Wal-Mart to use wind energy
Wal-Mart’s reputation for cheap prices precedes it, but recently the retailer showed its greener side when it announced plans to supply 15 …
January 5, 2012
US earthquakes actually a powerful Siberian quake
A magnitude-7.3 earthquake in Siberia Monday was mistaken by U.S. seismometers as temblors in Idaho and California. The actual quake occurred …
January 5, 2012
There and back again: Alien From Earth tells the tale of the Hobbit
For many years, local legend on the Indonesian island of Flores told of an elflike creature with large feet and a voracious appetite that lived …
January 5, 2012
The Thirsty Dragon and the Wealthy Bear
How China, Russia and High Oil Prices Influence Global Dynamics The world is changing. Gone are the days of Middle Eastern sheikhs controlling …
January 5, 2012
The Disappearing Lake
For many tourists, Mountain Lake in southwestern Virginia has been an idyllic retreat. But in 2008, it pulled a disappearing act, leaving behind …
January 5, 2012
Raising California's Sinking Delta
Over the past century and a half, the river delta that provides Central and Southern Californians with drinking water and farmers with productive …
January 5, 2012
Raising bees and capturing rainwater: U.S. prisons go green
The flagging economy may complicate federal aspirations for a green revolution, but at least one government entity has adopted the movement in …
January 5, 2012
Phoenix takes a bow
Blogging on EARTH One of the NASA’s most successful and widely publicized missions has ended. On Monday, NASA scientists declared that the …
January 5, 2012
November 26,1872: Great Diamond Hoax Exposed
On a foggy day in 1871, two men walked into the Bank of California in San Francisco. One held a rifle and the other gripped a large buckskin …
January 5, 2012
Montreal Protocol affects more than just ozone
In 1987, nearly 200 nations signed the Montreal Protocol to restrict the use of ozone-depleting chemicals. The international treaty helped keep …
January 5, 2012
Maldives' residents looking for a new patch of land
Blogging on EARTH The highest land point in the Maldives, a tiny island nation in the Indian Ocean, is only about 2.4 meters above sea level. …
January 5, 2012
Lay of the Land: Terrain's Toll on the U.S. Civil War
In the waning days of summer 1862, Gen. Robert E. Lee lined his Confederate troops along a grassy ridge on the western side of Antietam Creek in …
January 5, 2012
Granite countertops: NOT silent killers
Nothing says class like a thick slab of polished granite. The stone is so durable. So chic. So modern. So...radioactive? On Sept. 2, NBC's Today …
January 5, 2012
GM, Ford, Chrysler CEOs may carpool to Capitol
Blogging on EARTH Last week, members of the House Financial Services Committee blasted the execs at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler for …
January 5, 2012
Earthquake rattles eastern Indonesia
A magnitude-7.5 earthquake rocked through Indonesia's island of Sulawesi at about 1 a.m. local time Monday, leaving four people dead and …
January 5, 2012
Californians prepare for the Big One
At 10 a.m. local time Thursday, a massive magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Los Angeles. But don’t worry — it was only a drill. During the Great …