Geology News - January 2007

Geology articles, earth science news and blogs from around the world. Stories are archived monthly. All links are to external sites and linking does not mean the site or opinions are endorsed by AGS.

January 31, 2007

Digimap mashup lets users see beneath their feet
Geological mapping data of the British Isles has now been made available online through the Joint Information Systems Committee Collections company.

January 29, 2007

Boom continues for Australian mine school enrolments
The Kalgoorlie-based Western Australian School of Mines has broken previous enrolment records for four of the past five academic years.

Caves may reveal if global warming is causing stronger hurricanes
Scientists have shown that cave formations could help settle the contentious debate on whether hurricanes are strengthening in intensity due to global warming.

Temperature record for Midwest shows impact of global warming
Researchers have developed a new method to create a temperature record for the Great Plains region of the United States.

January 28, 2007

Antarctic hill surprises experts
For the first time, a drumlin has been observed mid-formation.

January 26, 2007

Only death, lack of cash will stop diamond hunter
The race to find diamonds in Alberta is picking up momentum and a small exploration company hopes to strike the diamond equivalent of the Leduc gusher.

January 25, 2007

Strong evidence of climate change
Geologists are looking for an answer buried deep in mud dozens of feet below the surface of lakes in the frigid Canadian Arctic.

Mars' missing air might just be hiding
New findings suggests the missing atmosphere of Mars might be locked up in hidden reservoirs on the planet, rather than having been chafed away by billions of years' worth of solar winds as previously thought.

January 24, 2007

Massachusetts forum hears fears about tainted water
Amherst residents are concerned about the geology of their land. They question whether there would be adequate water as well as whether the septic systems would pollute the water.

January 23, 2007

Diamond-lovers seeking a lot more sparkle
The great Canadian diamond hunt needs a big find to regain its sparkle. New discoveries are needed to catch investors' eyes.

Scientists move a step closer to linking embryos of earth's first animals and their adult form
The February issue of Geology, the journal of the Geological Society of America, reports discoveries about the intermediary stage that links the embryo to the adult.

North America's wind patterns shifted in past 30,000 years
Dartmouth College researchers have learned that the prevailing winds in the mid latitudes of North America, which now blow from the west, once blew from the east.

January 22, 2007

Erosion sink brings geology to the bathroom
The Erosion Sink combines the latest in sink-related technology with the aesthetics of topographical maps.

January 19, 2007

Deep in Arctic mud, geologists find strong evidence of climate change
Geologists are looking for an answer buried deep in mud dozens of feet below the surface of lakes in the frigid Canadian Arctic.

Landslide kills eight in east China
The landslide occurred yesterday when a huge block of mud broke off a hill, fell on a highway construction site and destroyed a work shed inside which nine workers were taking a break.

Abandoned oil well plugging project completed in Missouri
Geologists from the department's Division of Geology and Land Survey conducted a final inspection of the abandoned wells, which were recently cleaned and plugged by a contractor.

January 18, 2007

Oil sands economic future looking good
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers predicts that by 2020, 80 per cent of Canada's oil production will come from oilsands.

January 17, 2007

Six people feared buried alive in Surigao Sur landslide
Agusan del Sur was among the hardest hit in the flooding and landslide that ravaged Caraga Region in the opening of the year due to incessant rains.

January 16, 2007

A graphic and intuitive method allows students to solve geology problems online
The project arises in view of the difficulties of training students on geology problems when studying strata direction and dips, veins, faults, ore body potential, etc .

UK landslide causes train derailment
More than 400 passengers were evacuated when a train derailed after hitting a landslide on a busy commuter line.

January 15, 2007

Iran greatest producer of zinc, lead in Middle East
Iran has turned into the greatest producer of zinc and lead in the Middle East, since it discovered 250 million tons of reserves.

January 12, 2007

Hydro announces innovation award for 'virtual geology'
Using digital technology and detailed surface information to see deep underground in the hunt for oil captured the Hydro Innovation Award for 2006.

January 9, 2007

Algeria launches exploration licence round
Algeria has launched an exploration licensing round for 18 potential metals and mineral mining sites in a bid to attract overseas investment into its non-energy sector.

Shear, Stornoway report additional finds at Churchill
Canada-based exploration partners Shear Minerals Ltd., and Stornoway Diamond Corporation report more macrodiamond and microdiamond recoveries from the Churchill Diamond Project in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut.

January 8, 2007

Plan to shift Lalitpur stone quarries in limbo
The Department of Mines and Geology has refused to conduct a feasibility study to find areas in Lalitpur where stone quarries, mostly located in Chapagaun and Lele VDCs, can be relocated.

Sand and stone should be made affordable in Bhutan
Sand and stone, the country’s natural resources, should be made affordable and easily available to every Bhutanese in need of it, the 86th session of the National Assembly resolved.

January 5, 2007

California offers free radon testing for county homes
Health officials say the region's geology may put the county at higher risk of radon than elsewhere, though it shouldn't be at levels that are cause for alarm.