Geology News - December 2005

Interesting geology articles and earth science news from around the world. Stories are archived monthly. All links are to external sites.

December 19, 2005

How much oil is really in Alaska?
President George W. Bush calls it the most promising source of untapped oil in America and the key to greater energy independence. But how much oil is there in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

UNESCO names Neishabour as Iran's geological capital
Given the extensive activity of the city's geological group, Neishabour was recently named by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the geological capital of Iran.

December 18, 2005

Research finds commercial scope for kimberlite
Did you know to scoop up two grams (10 carats) of precious diamonds, nearly 100 tonnes of kimberlite (the rock containing diamonds) need to be dug up?

December 14, 2005

Numbers looking good for diamond mine
"If a mine goes into development in Fort a la Corne you will see a surge of people coming into your communities."

December 9, 2005

Rockfall, dust plume stirs up Mount St. Helens
A small quake, magnitude 2.8, Friday morning caused a rockfall at Mount St. Helens that stirred up a dust plume visible from Portland.

December 6, 2005

Canada looks to tap aqua power
The Alberta Geological Survey and the Alberta Research Council have teamed up to study the technical and economic feasibility of harnessing Alberta's geothermal resources.

The next gold rush might take place at the bottom of the sea
Commercial mining companies are studying the possibility of extracting silver, gold, copper and other valuable metals from the volcanic vents found in the world's ocean floors.

6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Africa
The US Geology Center has recorded the epicenter of the quake between Congo and Tanzania, Tanganyika River.

Diamonds are sought by smell
Russian researchers suggest that diamond deposits should be explored by smell of soil. Kimberlite pipes deeply hidden under the sedimentary rock cover are given away by the composition of adsorbed gases in superstrata.

December 1, 2005

No safe ground for life to stand on during world's largest mass extinction
The world's largest mass extinction was probably caused by poisonous volcanic gas, according to research published today.