Geology

Extinct Undersea Volcanoes Cause Tsunami Earthquakes

Tsunami earthquakes are rare but they happen at relatively shallow depths in the ocean. So while are small in terms of their magnitude, they create very large tsunamis, with some earthquakes that only measure 5.6 on the Richter scale generating waves that ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 27 2014 - 10:02am

Oklahoma Quakes Linked To Wastewater Injection Of Disposal Wells

The earthquakes in central Oklahoma since 2009 are likely attributable to subsurface wastewater injection at a handful of disposal wells- Oklahoma earthquakes constitute nearly half of all central and eastern U.S. seismicity from 2008 to 2013, many occurr ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 3 2014 - 6:47pm

Southern Hemisphere Volcanic Forcing During The Past 2,000 Years And Impact On Climate Change

What is the impact of volcanic sulfate emissions on climate? Researchers have completed the most accurate and precise reconstruction to date of historic volcanic sulfate emissions in the Southern Hemisphere, derived from a large number of individual ice c ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 6 2014 - 1:18pm

Little Discussed Reasons For Groundwater Table Declines In Texas

It's not a secret that groundwater levels in Texas have declined since the Dust Bowl era- the obvious reasons are what you expect- more population and more food grown to sustain them. But there are other key contributing factors, and the news isn ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 12 2014 - 1:32am

Rainwater Found Below Earth's Crust

Rainwater can penetrate below the Earth's fractured upper crust, according to a new study. It had been thought that surface water could not penetrate the ductile crust, where temperatures of more than 300°C and high pressures cause rocks to flex and ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 15 2014 - 11:00pm

Electricity And Seismic Waves Give New View Of Mount Rainier's Volcanic Plumbing

By measuring how fast Earth conducts electricity and seismic waves, researchers have created a detailed picture of Mount Rainier's deep volcanic plumbing and partly molten rock that will erupt again someday. In an odd twist, the image appears to show ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 17 2014 - 5:33am

Mare Pits On The Moon Could Shelter Astronauts

The moon's surface has by millions of craters but it also has over 200 holes – and those steep-walled pits that in some cases might lead to caves that future astronauts could explore and use for shelter, according to new observations from NASA's ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 17 2014 - 6:06pm

Catastrophic Debris Avalanches- The Second Volcanic Hazard After Eruptions

Volcanic hazards aren't limited to eruptions, debris landslides can also cause a great deal of damage and loss of life.  Stratovolcanoes, with their steep, conical shapes made up of lava and unconsolidated mixed materials, can reach a critical point ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 19 2014 - 12:17am

Why There's A Bend In The Appalachian Mountain Chain

The Appalachian mountain chain runs along a nearly straight line from Alabama to Newfoundland— 1,500 miles- except for a curious bend in Pennsylvania and New York. Why it bends has been a mystery. When the North American and African continental plates col ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 19 2014 - 9:30pm

Red Planet: Global Geologic Map Of Mars Shows It's Older Than Thought

A new global geologic map of Mars is the most thorough representation of the "Red Planet's" surface, bringing together observations and scientific findings from four orbiting spacecraft that have been acquiring data for more than 16 years. ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 20 2014 - 6:39pm