Geosciences posts
- July 19, 2012
- 10:42 AM
- 493 views
The Accretionary Wedge #48 - Atomic Geology
by Matt Herod in GeoSphere
This month the Accretionary Wedge is being hosted by Charles Carrigan at Earth-like Planet. It is the 48th edition of AW and the topic is "Geoscience and Technology". The technology used by geoscientists has matured over the centuries. It began simply, with compasses, maps, sketchpads and pencils. However, now it has entered into a digital world in which geology is practised with satellites, lasers and instruments with all sorts of fancy sounding acronyms such as ICP-MS, LA-I........ Read more »
Ragnar Hellborg and Goran Skog. (2008) Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Mass Spectrometry Reviews, 398-427. DOI: 10.1002/mas.20172
- July 14, 2012
- 10:26 AM
- 351 views
Djupadal – A tale of tuff in Scania, Sweden
by Lisa Olsson in At The Tornquist
A tale of the research about the tuff at Djupadal. And some important conclusions about science.... Read more »
Augustsson, C. (2001) Lapilli tuff as evidence of Early Jurassic Strombolian-type volcanism in Scania, southern Sweden. GFF. DOI: 10.1080/11035890101231023
Fr. Eichstädt. (1883) Om basalttuffen vid Djupadal i Skåne. GFF. DOI: 10.1080/11035898309444082
Fr. Eichstädt. (1883) Ytterligare om basalt-tufjen vid Djupadal i Skåne. GFF. DOI: 10.1080/11035898309444119
E. Svedmark. (1883) Mikroskopisk undersökning af dé vid Djupadal i Skåne förekommande basaltbergarterna. GFF. DOI: 10.1080/11035898309444104
Tullberg, S. A., & Nathorst, A. G. (1880) Meddelande om en växtlemningar innehållande basaltvacka - vid Djupadal i Skåne. GFF. info:/10.1080/11035898009444984
- July 4, 2012
- 05:05 AM
- 452 views
Exceptionally Preserved Dinosaur Fossil
by United Academics in United Academics
This fossil, found in Southern Germany, is exceptional for two reasons: it provides the first evidence for a feathered carnivorous dinosaur that is not related to birds; and, according to Sci-News, it ‘represents the most complete predatory dinosaur ever found in Europe.’... Read more »
Oliver W. M. Rauhuta, Christian Fotha, Helmut Tischlingerd, & Mark A. Norelle. (2012) Exceptionally preserved juvenile megalosauroid theropod dinosaur with filamentous integument from the Late Jurassic of Germany. PNAS. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1203238109
- June 29, 2012
- 12:43 PM
- 279 views
Cycling in the Pennines – 300 million years ago
by Metageologist in Metageologist
The north of England is dominated by rocks of Carboniferous age, which give it a distinctive scenery and history, where local coal fuelled the world’s first industrial landscape. The geology is extremely well known, because of the importance of the coal … Continue reading →... Read more »
Colin N. Waters, & Daniel J. Condon. (2012) Nature and timing of Late Mississippian to Mid-Pennsylvanian glacio-eustatic sea-level changes of the Pennine Basin, UK. Journal of the Geological Society. DOI: 10.1144/0016-76492011-047
- June 29, 2012
- 11:38 AM
- 293 views
An overview of the geological history of the Baltic shield – archean to mesoproterozoic
by Lisa Olsson in At The Tornquist
Since I have found several nice papers describing the geological history of the Baltic shield, and therefore also of Sweden and Scania I had the great idea of writing an overview of these papers. Later on I just may focus more in depth on some of the interesting events that has occurred, but it is reasonable to begin with an overview. My hope is that it will be rather short, but I am afraid that it will not. This is the first installment of this series.... Read more »
Bogdanova, S.V., Bingen, B., Gorbatschev, R., Kheraskova, T.N., Kozlov, V.I., Puchkov, V.N., . (2008) The East European Craton (Baltica) before and during the assembly of Rodinia. Precambrian Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.precamres.2007.04.024
- June 28, 2012
- 04:00 AM
- 72 views
Predicting changes in North Atlantic temperatures
by Ed Hawkins in Climate Lab Book
The Earth is a complex system of interacting components, such as the atmosphere and ocean, which produce a wide variety of natural variability. This natural variability ensures that the evolution of a particular region’s climate, e.g. that of Western Europe, … Continue reading →... Read more »
Robson, J., Sutton, R., Lohmann, K., Smith, D., & Palmer, M.D. (2012) Causes of the Rapid Warming of the North Atlantic ocean in the mid 1990s. Journal of Climate. info:/http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00443.1
- June 27, 2012
- 04:38 PM
- 506 views
Trees, grass and gas: the battle for dominance | @GrrlScientist
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
A new study shows that increasing carbon dioxide levels favours trees over grass, suggesting that large regions of Africa's savannas may be forests by the end of this century... Read more »
Steven I. Higgins, & Simon Scheiter. (2012) Atmospheric CO2 forces abrupt vegetation shifts locally, but not globally. Nature. info:/10.1038/nature11238
John Grace, Jose´ San Jose´, Patrick Meir, Heloisa S. Miranda, & Ruben A. Montes. (2006) Productivity and carbon fluxes of tropical savannas. Journal of Biogeography, 387-400. info:/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01448.x
- June 26, 2012
- 01:31 PM
- 455 views
Climate-Studying Seals Bring Back Happy News
by Elizabeth Preston in Inkfish
The elephant seals that sent data back from underneath Antarctic ice hadn't exactly volunteered for the task—the sensors were glued to their heads. But it was for a good cause. By taking advantage of animals much better equipped to study frigid polar waters than we humans are, climate scientists collected valuable observations. They even got a rare piece of good news: Some ice shelves aren't melting as fast as we thought.
During the Antarctic winter, "harsh climate, strong sea ice cover an........ Read more »
Tore Hattermann, Ole Anders Nøst, Jonathan M. Lilly, & Lars H. Smedsrud. (2012) Two years of oceanic observations below the Fimbul Ice Shelf, Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI: 10.1029/2012GL051012
- June 25, 2012
- 09:06 AM
- 340 views
North Carolina Bans Climate Change Data
by United Academics in United Academics
The climate change debate has just taken yet another strange turn in the US state of North Carolina, where a new bill seeks to ban the use of climate change data for developing coastal regulations. ... Read more »
Eric Hardin†, M. Onur Kurum‡, Helena Mitasova, and Margery F. Overton. (2012) Least Cost Path Extraction of Topographic Features for Storm Impact Scale Mapping. Coastal Research. DOI: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-11-00126.1
- June 20, 2012
- 03:26 PM
- 297 views
The biggest pile of sand the world has ever seen
by Metageologist in Metageologist
The Moine, a set of sedimentary rocks found in furthest north-west Scotland have enjoyed at least three cycles of metamorphism and deformation. My only sample from here is a migmatitic gneiss, so when I heard about people studying sedimentology in … Continue reading →... Read more »
H. C. Bonsor, R. A. Strachan, A. R. Prave, & M. Krabbendam. (2012) Sedimentology of the early Neoproterozoic Morar Group in northern Scotland: implications for basin models and tectonic setting. Journal of the Geological Society. DOI: 10.1144/0016-76492011-039
H.C. Bonsor, R.A. Strachan, A.R. Prave, & M. Krabbendam. (2010) Fluvial braidplain to shallow marine transition in the early Neoproterozoic Morar Group, Fannich Mountains, northern Scotland. Precambrian Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.precamres.2010.09.007
MAARTEN KRABBENDAM, TONY PRAVE, & DAVID CHEER. (2008) A fluvial origin for the Neoproterozoic Morar Group, NW Scotland; implications for Torridon–Morar Group correlation and the Grenville Orogen foreland basin. Journal of the Geological Society. DOI: 10.1144/0016-76492007-076
- June 20, 2012
- 09:39 AM
- 501 views
People and environment in pre-Columbian Amazonia: two new proxies
by Umberto in Up and Down in Moxos
What was the extent of human occupation and environmental impact in the pre-Columbian Amazonia?This question has been at the center of much of the research on pre-Columbian Amazonia since Betty Meggers published her paper ‘Environmental Limitation on the Development of Culture’ (1). The reconstruction of the Amazon’s past is based on evidence obtained from the study of the present landscape, sediments and archaeological remains. These ‘evidences’ are called proxies. Pollen is a proxy........ Read more »
B. J. Meggers. (1954) Environmental Limitation on the Development of Culture. American Anthropologist. info:/
McMichael CH, Piperno DR, Bush MB, Silman MR, Zimmerman AR, Raczka MF, & Lobato LC. (2012) Sparse pre-Columbian human habitation in western Amazonia. Science (New York, N.Y.), 336(6087), 1429-31. PMID: 22700926
Heckenberger MJ, Kuikuro A, Kuikuro UT, Russell JC, Schmidt M, Fausto C, & Franchetto B. (2003) Amazonia 1492: pristine forest or cultural parkland?. Science (New York, N.Y.), 301(5640), 1710-4. PMID: 14500979
- June 15, 2012
- 11:27 AM
- 574 views
Neurons are like Magnets
by TheCellularScale in The Cellular Scale
The earth has magnetic poles just like this magnetIt has long been thought that animals can use the earth's magnetic field to know where they are with respect to the planet itself. Migrating whales and turtles could use this method to determine which direction to swim, and pigeons could use this to navigate over long distances. Loggerhead hatchling: brain still developingRecently a paper out of Baylor college of medicine has shown the neural correlates which underlie this magnetic sense. They ac........ Read more »
Wu LQ, & Dickman JD. (2012) Neural correlates of a magnetic sense. Science (New York, N.Y.), 336(6084), 1054-7. PMID: 22539554
- June 15, 2012
- 01:01 AM
- 607 views
Fluvial History And The Fortunes Of the Harappan Civilization
by Suvrat Kher in Rapid Uplift
A summary of geomorphologic reconstruction of the Fluvial landscapes in northwest India and Pakistan and their link to the Harappan civilization along with some comments on the glacial Saraswati controversy... Read more »
Giosan, L., Clift, P., Macklin, M., Fuller, D., Constantinescu, S., Durcan, J., Stevens, T., Duller, G., Tabrez, A., Gangal, K.... (2012) PNAS Plus: Fluvial landscapes of the Harappan civilization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1112743109
- June 13, 2012
- 01:52 PM
- 584 views
The Age of Aquariums: Amazing Animal Watching Vacations Part 2
by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog
Below the ocean’s surface is a world more mysterious than the dark side of the moon and with more animal diversity than the Amazon rainforest. Over 70% of our planet is covered in ocean, yet fully 95% of our oceans remain completely unexplored. But we do know that the habitats animals adapt to are more vast than the open ocean (In fact, many more animals are by the coasts than out in the open ocean). There are shallow sunlit coastal waters and deep dark ocean trenches, coral reefs, estuaries, ........ Read more »
GRAY, J. (1997) Marine biodiversity: patterns, threats and conservation needs. Biodiversity and Conservation, 6(1), 153-175. DOI: 10.1023/a:1018335901847
Orcutt, B., Sylvan, J., Knab, N., & Edwards, K. (2011) Microbial Ecology of the Dark Ocean above, at, and below the Seafloor. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 75(2), 361-422. DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.00039-10
Zeppilli, D., Mea, M., Corinaldesi, C., & Danovaro, R. (2011) Mud volcanoes in the Mediterranean Sea are hot spots of exclusive meiobenthic species. Progress In Oceanography, 91(3), 260-272. DOI: 10.1016/j.pocean.2011.01.001
- June 11, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 334 views
The Exceptional Silurian Herefordshire Fossil Locality
by Marc in Teaching Biology
I’ve often remarked about the amazingness of sites of exceptional preservation (heck, I’ve even done work on the arthropods from one). I’ve already introduced an example. This is another one: the 425 Ma Silurian Herefordshire locality in the UK. The Herefordshire locality preserves animals from a Silurian marine shelf-slope environment, entombed in volcanic ash. The [...]... Read more »
ORR, P., BRIGGS, D., SIVETER, D., & SIVETER, D. (2000) Three-dimensional preservation of a non-biomineralized arthropod in concretions in Silurian volcaniclastic rocks from Herefordshire, England. Journal of the Geological Society, 157(1), 173-186. DOI: 10.1144/jgs.157.1.173
- June 10, 2012
- 09:17 AM
- 466 views
The Geology of Mount Everest
by Metageologist in Metageologist
Growing up, I was mildly obsessed with Mount Everest. Even now I marvel at its wonderful geology. Looking at that, who can blame me? My youthful obsession was fuelled by books of British expeditions in the 1970s climbing it by … Continue reading →... Read more »
SEARLE, M., SIMPSON, R., LAW, R., PARRISH, R., & WATERS, D. (2003) The structural geometry, metamorphic and magmatic evolution of the Everest massif, High Himalaya of Nepal-South Tibet. Journal of the Geological Society, 160(3), 345-366. DOI: 10.1144/0016-764902-126
- June 7, 2012
- 02:55 AM
- 329 views
Ten Thousand Smokes, One Hundred Years
by teofilo in Gambler's House
One hundred years ago today, one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in recorded history took place in southwestern Alaska. The volcano, known as Novarupta, is located in what is now Katmai National Park, which was established in 1918 as a direct result of the eruption and its effects on the landscape. As a result, this [...]... Read more »
Dailey, I. (1912) Report of the Eruption of Katmai Volcano. Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 44(9), 641. DOI: 10.2307/200811
- June 5, 2012
- 12:42 PM
- 480 views
Channel flow – hot rocks, big glaciers and the world’s tallest mountains
by Metageologist in Metageologist
Leonardo da Vinci, famed artist and Renaissance “Renaissance Man” made some interesting remarks about Geology. When he looked at rocks in the Alps containing fossil molluscs, it was clear to his trained eye that the fossils were near identical to … Continue reading →... Read more »
Harris, N. (2007) Channel flow and the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen: a critical review. Journal of the Geological Society, 164(3), 511-523. DOI: 10.1144/0016-76492006-133
Godin, L., Grujic, D., Law, R., & Searle, M. (2006) Channel flow, ductile extrusion and exhumation in continental collision zones: an introduction. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 268(1), 1-23. DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2006.268.01.01
- May 29, 2012
- 11:32 PM
- 255 views
What is Science Literacy?
by Steve Easterbrook in Serendipity
A few people today have pointed me at the new paper by Dan Kahan & colleagues (1), which explores competing explanations for why lots of people don’t regard climate change as a serious problem. I’ve blogged about Dan’s work before – the studies they do are very well designed, and address important questions. If you’re [...]... Read more »
Kahan, D., Peters, E., Wittlin, M., Slovic, P., Ouellette, L., Braman, D., & Mandel, G. (2012) The polarizing impact of science literacy and numeracy on perceived climate change risks. Nature Climate Change. DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1547
Maienschein, J. (1998) Scientific Literacy. Science, 281(5379), 917-917. DOI: 10.1126/science.281.5379.917
William F. McComas. (1998) The Principle Elements of the Nature of Science: Dispelling the Myths. The Nature of Science in Science Education. info:/
- May 16, 2012
- 04:24 PM
- 337 views
Hot rocks, big rivers and the world’s tallest mountain face
by Metageologist in Metageologist
In areas of active mountain-building the middle crust can get hot and weak, like a soft jam/jelly filling in a sandwich. These squishy rocks are hidden from us by the cold rigid upper crust, so we wouldn’t expect to see … Continue reading →... Read more »
Peter K. Zeitler, Anne S. Meltzer, Peter O. Koons, David Craw, Bernard Hallet, C. Page Chamberlain, William S.F. Kidd, Stephen K. Park, Leonardo Seeber, Michael Bishop.... (2001) Erosion, Himalayan Geodynamics, and the Geomorphology of Metamorphism. GSA Today. info:/
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