http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/geology/ Geology news. From the discovery of new properties of deep earth and finds in fossil magma chambers to fossil fuels and more. Geology images and text. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/geology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114644.htm Using a technique normally used for detecting weak tremor, scientists have discovered that the 2004 magnitude 6 earthquake along the Parkfield section of the San Andreas fault exhibited almost 11 times more aftershocks than previously thought. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122095413.htm Biogeochemistry and geology and geophysics scientists have returned from Arctic expedition exploring methane hydrate deposits in the Beaufort Sea and spatial variation of sediment contribution to Arctic climate change. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122095413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120135212.htm Scientists have found a clever way to use traditional GPS satellite signals to measure snow depth as well as soil and vegetation moisture, a technique expected to benefit meteorologists, water resource managers, climate modelers and farmers. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120135212.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112419.htm Nine research challenges and four research initiatives that are poised to advance the study of how Earth's landscapes change were unveiled by the National Research Council. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116173632.htm In this year, 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’ a UK scientist has used Darwin’s seminal work on Natural Selection in helping to define the biological essentiality of the second (silicon) and third (aluminium) most abundant elements of the Earth’s crust. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116173632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111142518.htm Scientists have developed a more definitive and reliable tool for measuring the Sun's rotation when sunspots aren't visible ---- and even when they are -- based on observations of common lightning strikes on Earth. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111142518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130952.htm The global ocean covering the Earth 3.4 billion years ago was far cooler than has been thought, according to researchers who analyzed isotope ratios in rocks formed on that ancient ocean floor. Instead of a hot primordial soup, much more tepid temperatures prevailed. Cooler temperatures may have had effects on the evolution of the early atmosphere and could have opened the door to an earlier spread of photosynthetic life forms across the planet. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123027.htm Scientists have used images compiled over a decade to study volcanic activity in the African Rift. A new article focuses on the section of the rift in Kenya. Surface deformation of four active volcanoes underscore possibility for human hazard, as well as the potential of geothermal resources. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103411.htm Long-term variations in volcanism help explain the birth, evolution and death of striking geological features called oceanic core complexes on the ocean floor, says a geologist. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111110045.htm Contrary to preconceived notions, the atmosphere and the oceans were perhaps not formed from vapors emitted during intense volcanism at the dawning of our planet. Scientists now suggest that water was not part of the Earth's initial inventory but stems from the turbulence caused in the outer solar system by giant planets. Ice-covered asteroids thus reached the Earth around one hundred million years after the birth of the planets. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111110045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161532.htm Climate models that predict heavy rainfall don't give the whole picture, according to the results of a new study. Researchers examined climate changes that have taken place over the past 800,000 years, and discovered that the melting icebergs in the North Atlantic and changes in the El Niño Southern Oscillation have a great influence on the intensity of monsoon rains. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131442.htm New research demonstrates that deep creep may mean milder, more frequent earthquakes along SoCal's San Jacinto fault, making it a less likely candidate for a major earthquake than its neighbor to the east, the Southern San Andreas fault. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131442.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106201613.htm Deep under the sea, a fossil the size of a sand grain is nestled among a billion of its closest dead relatives. Known as foraminifera, these complex little shells of calcium carbonate can tell you the sea level, temperature, and ocean conditions of Earth millions of years ago. That is, if you know what to look for. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106201613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121207.htm The Alps are growing just as quickly in height as they are shrinking. This paradoxical result comes from a new study by a group of German and Swiss geoscientists. Due to glaciers and rivers, about exactly the same amount of material is eroded from the slopes of the Alps as is regenerated from the deep Earth's crust. The climatic cycles of the glacial period in Europe over the past 2.5 million years have accelerated this erosion process. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123032.htm Scientists in Washington, D.C. are reporting laboratory evidence supporting the possibility that some of Earth's oil and natural gas may have formed in a way much different than the traditional process described in science textbooks. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132652.htm When small earthquakes shake the central US, citizens often fear the rumbles are signs a big earthquake is coming. Fortunately, a new study instead shows that most of these earthquakes are aftershocks of big earthquakes (magnitude 7) in the New Madrid seismic zone that struck the Midwest almost 200 years ago. Aftershocks go on until the fault recovers, which takes much longer in the middle of a continent. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172037.htm In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled apart, but the claim was controversial. Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095513.htm In October, the hydraulic benthic interactive sampler HyBIS made 10 dives over the Casablanca Seamount, a four-kilometer high seamount located some 300 miles west of Morocco. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112622.htm The United Kingdom's deepest diving Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Autosub6000, has been put through its paces during an extremely successful engineering trials cruise on the RRS Discovery, Sept. 27 to Oct. 17, 2009. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112622.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm Coastal towns and cities in the northwest are woefully unprepared for a large-scale natural disaster. In response, geotechnical engineers are working to develop a series of tsunami evacuation buildings up and down the northwest coast. They would be the first buildings of their kind in the United States. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023163509.htm While most people head to Myrtle Beach for vacation, a group of scientists have been hitting the famous South Carolina beach for years to figure out how to keep the sand from washing away. Their work is a model for beach preservation that can apply elsewhere. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023163509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162929.htm An analysis of sediment cores indicates that biological and chemical changes occurring at a remote Arctic lake are unprecedented over the past 200,000 years and likely are the result of human-caused climate change, according to a new study. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093728.htm There is a likely chance of tsunami waves reaching the shores of Israel, says one researcher, following geoarchaeological research at the port of Caesarea. Tsunami events in the Mediterranean occur less frequently than in the Pacific Ocean, but recent findings reveal a moderate rate of recurrence. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023163513.htm The possibility that climate change might simply be a natural variation like others that have occurred throughout geologic time is dimming, according to new evidence. The research reveals that sediments retrieved by geologists from a remote Arctic lake are unlike those seen during previous warming episodes. Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023163513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022182412.htm Thirty million years ago, Ethiopia had warmer soil temperatures, higher rainfall and different atmospheric circulation patterns than it does today, according to new research of fossil soils found in that central African nation. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022182412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101702.htm The fossil remains of some of the first animals with shells, ocean-dwelling creatures that measure a few centimeters in length and date to about 520 million years ago, provide a window on evolution at this time, according to scientists. Their research indicates that these animals were larger than previously thought. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134711.htm Jerusalem's geology has been crucial in molding it into one of the most religiously important cities on the planet, according to a new study. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122838.htm New ground measurements suggest the rate of ice loss of the West Antarctic ice sheet has been slightly overestimated. For the first time, researchers have directly measured the vertical motion of the bedrock at sites across West Antarctica using GPS. The results will lead to more accurate estimates of ice mass loss. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141608.htm According to a new study by geologists, the wealth of some minerals that lie in the rock beneath the Earth's surface may be extraterrestrial in origin. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015094337.htm Using satellite radar data and GPS measurements, Chinese researchers have explained the exceptional geological events leading to the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake that killed nearly 90,000 people in China's Sichuan Province. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015094337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015102246.htm A mysterious basin off the coast of India could be the largest, multi-ringed impact crater the world has ever seen. And if a new study is right, it may have been responsible for killing the dinosaurs off 65 million years ago. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015102246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009120836.htm An international group of scientists aboard the Deep-Sea Drilling Vessel CHIKYU return from a 40-day scientific expedition off the shore of the Kii Peninsula, Japan on Oct. 10, 2009. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009120836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091011184428.htm The strikingly banded rocks scattered across the upper Midwestern United States and elsewhere throughout the world are actually ambassadors from the past, offering clues to the environment of the early Earth more than two billion years ago. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091011184428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008152242.htm You must go back 15 million years to find carbon dioxide levels as high as they are today, Earth scientists report. "The last time carbon dioxide levels were apparently as high as they are today and sustained at those levels, global temperatures were five to 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they are today," said Aradhna Tripati, UCLA assistant professor of Earth and Space Sciences and lead author. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008152242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006201354.htm A new map plots the most accurate predictions yet for land uplift and subsidence and shows that southern Ireland and Wales, and southern and eastern England are continuing to sink, whilst Scotland is rising, at rates less than previously predicted. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006201354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091002132350.htm Scientists have shown that, in ancient times, the Earth's magnetic field was structured like the two-pole model of today, suggesting that the methods geoscientists use to reconstruct the geography of early land masses on the globe are accurate. The findings may lead to a better understanding of historical continental movement, which relates to changes in climate. Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091002132350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001181051.htm Tiny organisms that covered the planet more than 250 million years ago appear to be a species of ancient fungus that thrived in dead wood, according to new research. Scientists believe that the organisms were able to thrive during this period because the world's forests had been wiped out. This would explain how the organisms, which are known as Reduviasporonites, were able to proliferate across the planet. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001181051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930202249.htm Climate change wreaked havoc on the Earth's first rainforests but they quickly bounced back, scientists reveal. The findings are based on spectacular discoveries of 300-million-year-old rainforests in coal mines in Illinois, USA. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930202249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132654.htm Scientists have found a way to monitor the strength of geologic faults deep in the Earth. This finding could prove to be a boon for earthquake prediction by pinpointing those faults that are likely to fail and produce earthquakes. Until now, scientists had no method for detecting changes in fault strength, which is not measurable at the Earth's surface. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132700.htm Seismologists have found evidence that the massive 2004 earthquake that triggered killer tsunamis. Their study suggests the Earth's largest earthquakes can weaken the strength of fault zones worldwide and trigger periods of increased global seismic activity. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095703.htm After decades of debate an international body of earth scientists has formally agreed to move the boundary dates for the prehistoric Quaternary age by 800,000 years. The decision has been made by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), the authority for geological science which has acted to end decades of controversy by formally declaring when the Quaternary Period, which covers both the ice age and moment early man first started to use tools, began. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921093600.htm Scientists have found the "Rosetta Stone" of supervolcanoes. A fossil supervolcano has been revealed in a rare uplift of the Earth's crust in the Sesia Valley of the Italian Alps. The discovery will advance scientific understanding of active supervolcanoes, such as Yellowstone, which is the second-largest supervolcano in the world and which last erupted 630,000 years ago. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921093600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090920204459.htm A new study indicates most of the world's low-lying river deltas are sinking from human activity, making them increasingly vulnerable to flooding from rivers and ocean storms and putting tens of millions of people at risk. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090920204459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911164435.htm An international team of researchers has created the most complete seismic image of the Earth's crust and upper mantle beneath the rugged Himalaya Mountains, in the process discovering some unusual geologic features that may explain how the region has evolved. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911164435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090913134030.htm The link between declining carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere and the formation of the Antarctic ice caps some 34 million years ago has been confirmed for the first time in a major research study. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090913134030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112117.htm Scientists have developed a new technique to monitor movements beneath the Earth's surface, helping them better understand how earthquakes behave. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910091337.htm Atmospheric scientists have discovered a basic mode of energy transfer from the solar wind to the Earth's magnetosphere, which was previously unknown. The research could improve the safety and reliability of spacecraft that operate in the upper atmosphere. "It's like finding it got hotter when the sun went down," said one researcher. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910091337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165108.htm The deep-sea drilling vessel CHIKYU successfully completed riser drilling operations on August 31, for IODP Expedition 319, Stage 2, of the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment. The CHIKYU is operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology in partnership with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. Expedition 319 marks the first riser drilling in the history of the scientific ocean drilling program, and the first subseafloor observatory operations for NanTroSEIZE. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165108.htm