Geology News And Research

Visualizing the imprints of past and present Earth dynamics

Monday, May 21, 2012 00:00 MST

New Lithosphere articles posted online May 16, 2012, report on (1) seismic anisotropy measured beneath 14 broadband stations in southeastern India; why geoscientists should persist in their efforts to reach and study such spectacular sub-sea geologic features as the Mariana Trench (recently explored by film director James Cameron) and how "land geologists" can help this effort by studying on-land equivalents like ophiolites; and (3) pressures and melting temperatures of sediments deeply buried in Earth's mantle.

Sumatra faces yet another risk -- major volcanic eruptions

Sunday, May 20, 2012 00:00 MST

The early April earthquake of magnitude 8.6 that shook Sumatra was a grim reminder of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in 2004 and 2005. Now a new study, funded by the National Science Foundation, shows that the residents of that region are at risk from yet another potentially deadly natural phenomenon -- major volcanic eruptions.

Chocolate and diamonds: Why volcanoes could be a girl's best friend

Saturday, May 19, 2012 00:00 MST

Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered a previously unrecognized volcanic process, similar to one that is used in chocolate manufacturing, which gives important new insights into the dynamics of volcanic eruptions.

Researchers gain greater insight into earthquake cycles

Friday, May 18, 2012 00:00 MST

For those who study earthquakes, one major challenge has been trying to understand all the physics of a fault -- both during an earthquake and at times of "rest" -- in order to know more about how a particular region may behave in the future. Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces the available observations of both the fault's seismic and aseismic behavior.

Scientists 'read' the ash from the Icelandic volcano 2 years after its eruption

Thursday, May 17, 2012 00:00 MST

In May 2010, the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallaj�kull reached the Iberian Peninsula and brought airports to a halt all over Europe. At the time, scientists followed its paths using satellites, laser detectors, sun photometers and other instruments. Two years later they have now presented the results and models that will help to prevent the consequences of such natural phenomena.

Volcanoes sparked, and prolonged, the Little Ice Age

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 00:00 MST

Volcanism is often implicated in periods of abrupt cooling. After the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, for instance, global temperatures dropped by half a degree Celsius due to airborne particulate matter blocking solar radiation. However, these effects don't normally last more than a few years. Yet, a recent study blames volcanism for a 500-year cold period referred to as the Little Ice Age.

Groundwater pumping leads to sea level rise, cancels out effect of dams

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 00:00 MST

As people pump groundwater for irrigation, drinking water, and industrial uses, the water doesn't just seep back into the ground -- it also evaporates into the atmosphere, or runs off into rivers and canals, eventually emptying into the world's oceans. This water adds up, and a new study calculates that by 2050, groundwater pumping will cause a global sea level rise of about 0.8 millimeters per year.

Visiting snowball Earth

Monday, May 14, 2012 00:00 MST

Ancient glacial deposits in Norway (snowball Earth-aged Smalfjord and the younger Mortensnes formations) are superbly documented and illustrated in this comprehensive eight-day field guide. This guide was written specifically for use in the field, and, as authors A.H.N. Rice, Marc B. Edwards, and T.A. Hansen note, "is not necessarily fully understandable without actually being in front of the rocks." However, all readers will find the guide a fascinating peek into a wondrous, ancient snowball Earth.

Analysis of speed of Greenland glaciers gives new insight for rising sea level

Sunday, May 13, 2012 00:00 MST

Changes in the speed that ice travels in more than 200 outlet glaciers indicates that Greenland's contribution to rising sea level in the 21st century could be significantly less than the upper limits some scientists thought possible.

GPS on commercial ships could improve tsunami warnings

Saturday, May 12, 2012 00:00 MST

Commercial ships travel across most of the globe and could provide better warnings for potentially deadly tsunamis. Scientists were able to detect and measure the properties of the tsunami generated by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Maule, Chile (February 2010), even though, out in the open ocean, the wave was only about 4 inches high.

Increasing speed of Greenland glaciers gives new insight for rising sea level

Friday, May 11, 2012 00:00 MST

Changes in the speed that ice travels in more than 200 outlet glaciers indicates that Greenland's contribution to rising sea level in the 21st century might be significantly less than the upper limits some scientists thought possible, a new study shows.

Researchers use stalagmites to study past climate change

Thursday, May 10, 2012 00:00 MST

By analyzing stalagmites, a team of Caltech researchers has determined that the climate signature in the tropics through four glacial cycles looks different in some ways and similar in others when compared to the climate signature at high latitudes. The results suggest that Earth's climate system might have two modes of responding to significant changes.

Mining for heat

Wednesday, May 09, 2012 00:00 MST

Abandoned mine tunnels might ferry geothermal energy from deep underground to help heat homes and offices.

Old maps and dead clams help solve coastal boulder mystery

Tuesday, May 08, 2012 00:00 MST

Perched atop the sheer coastal cliffs of Ireland's Aran Islands, ridges of giant boulders have puzzled geologists for years. What forces could have torn these rocks from the cliff edges high above sea level and deposited them far inland? While some researchers contend that only a tsunami could push these stones, new research in the Journal of Geology finds that plain old ocean waves, with the help of some strong storms, did the job.

Arabic records allow past climate to be reconstructed

Monday, May 07, 2012 00:00 MST

Corals, trees, and marine sediments, among others, are direct evidence of the climate of the past, but they are not the only indicators. A team led by Spanish scientists has interpreted records written in Iraq by Arabic historians for the first time and has made a chronology of climatic events from the year 816 to 1009, when cold waves and snow were normal.