Geology
News - January 2009
Geology news and current earth science articles from around the world. Stories are archived monthly.
All links are to external sites. AGS does not endorse these sites or their opinions. If a link is broken, it is because the news source has removed it from its website.
January 30, 2009
Alaska volcano eruption risk is rising
Vulcanologists say the most likely eruption, if one
occurs, would mirror the eruption in 1989-1990. Ash plumes rose as high as 40,000 feet. The ash fell out
of the sky as far away as Fairbanks and Canada’s Yukon Territory.
Geologist studies Earth's origins in Greenland
A
geology professor has been studying the oldest
rocks on Earth for more than 15 years. His research has unearthed some interesting theories. Namely that
rock formations from the Archean
eon, the first two billion years of Earth's history, are consistent throughout the globe.
Probe International has compiled articles and testimony from scientists who say it is possible that the Zipingpu Dam played a direct role in the devastating earthquake in Sichuan in May 2008.
January 29, 2009
Gold gets harder when heated
Common sense tells us that when you heat something up it gets softer but a team
of researchers has demonstrated
the exact opposite. The gold was heated at rates too fast for the electrons absorbing the light energy to
collide with surrounding atoms and lose energy. The bonds between atoms actually got stronger.
Comet headed to Earth
By the middle of February 2009, Comet Lulin will be about 5th or 6th magnitude. By
this time, the comet may possibly be visible to observers in "perfect" dark sky sites.
New technology helps
predict landslides in Oregon
LiDAR can identify areas that are prone to damage. Officials are using LiDAR to create susceptibility maps.
January 27, 2009
Geologist aims to solve Noah’s flood debate
A geologist reports that if the
flood occurred at all, it was much smaller than previously proposed by other researchers. Using sediment
cores from the delta of the Danube River, which empties into the Black Sea, the researchers determined
sea level was approximately 30 metres below present levels—rather than the 80 metres others hypothesized.
Plan
for 7,000 offshore wind turbines
Up to 7,000 new offshore wind turbines could be built around the
UK – enough to power almost all the homes in the country.
A 9.0 quake hit Oregon 309 years ago this week
Today marks the 309th anniversary of the last, great Cascadia
Subduction Zone earthquake to strike the Pacific Northwest. Scientific research in Oregon, Washington and
Japan tells us that at 9 p.m. on Jan. 26, 1700 AD, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, centred about 75 miles
offshore, ruptured along a 600 mile long fault, running from Northern California to Southern British Columbia,
causing untold damage and destruction to the Pacific Northwest coast and the Native American tribal communities
that made the coast their home.
China dams reveal flaws in climate-change weapon
The hydroelectric dam, a low wall of concrete slicing
across an old farming valley, is supposed to help a power company in distant Germany contribute to saving
the climate — while putting lucrative "carbon
credits" into the pockets of Chinese developers. But in the end the new Xiaoxi dam may do nothing to lower
global-warming emissions as advertised. And many of the 7,500 people displaced by the project still seethe
over losing their homes and farmland.
January 23, 2009
Obama's energy agenda
The New Energy for America plan intends to create 5 million new jobs by
investing $150 billion over the next 10 years to private efforts to build a clean energy future. It also
intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 per cent by 2050.
New way to produce hydrogen discovered
Scientists have discovered a way to produce hydrogen by exposing selected clusters of aluminum atoms to
water.
U.S. offshore drilling plan to go ahead
A proposal issued in the final days of the Bush administration to
expand offshore drilling in previously banned areas will move forward under the administration of U.S. President
Barack Obama. The preliminary plan would authorize 31 energy exploration lease sales between 2010 and 2015
for tracts along the east coast and off the coasts of Alaska and California.
January 22, 2009
Test case for tackling the CO2 challenge
Spectra's Fort Nelson gas plant is the focal point for B.C.'s
fight against global warming and the area is at the heart of the province's economic future. The geology
is likely the simplest part of the equation. Spectra and other large industrial emitters no doubt foresee
future legislation limiting carbon dioxide emissions – but myriad, crucial details remain unknown, leaving
the likes of Spectra operating in a fog of unknowns.
Canada offers financial backing for Arctic pipeline
Canada has offered financial support for a $16.2
billion (US$13 billion) Arctic gas pipeline to
revive a struggling proposal to tap vast northern reserves with industry conditions worsening.
Antarctic scientists hail President Obama
U.S. geologists working at an Antarctic base hailed President
Barack Obama's inauguration Tuesday and expressed hopes for a stronger focus on science.
Azerbaijani, Korean scientists to study Azerbaijan’s mud volcanoes jointly
The Azerbaijan’s Institute of
Geology plans to create an atlas of world mud volcanoes and has called Korean scientists for participation.
More than 300 mud volcanoes have been discovered in Azerbaijan.
Thousands flee Colombian volcano
Nearly 4,000 inhabitants from the Belalcazar locality, in the department of Cauca, will be resettled due
to the danger that Nevado de Huila volcano can erupt again.
Age of Indian basins may be off by millions of years
After researching for six weeks in India, geologists
believe they have been wrong from the beginning, literally. A team of geologists studying the Vindhyan basin
of India has dated the area to be about 1,073 million years old. Fossil organisms in these basins are also
significantly older than previously thought. Until this discovery last July, the basins of Central India
were believed to have formed 500 million to 700 million years ago during the Ediacaran and Cambrian period.
January 20, 2009
Economic turmoil takes gleam off Canada's diamond industry
The global economic slowdown has dulled the
gleam of one of Canada's most luxurious exports, as northern diamond mines enact cost, production and job
cuts in reaction to falling gem prices. Diamond prices are down about one-third since their high last August.
Retail sales in Canada are fairly stable, but they have dropped between 20 and 30 per cent in the United
States.
Smallest known exoplanet may actually be Earth-mass
The smallest planet around a normal star other than
the Sun may be even smaller than first thought. A new analysis suggests the rocky body weighs just 1.4 Earths
- less than half the original estimate. Observations over the next few months should test the prediction.
Huge gas reserves discovered in Israel
A historic natural gas reservoir found offshore from Haifa is poised
to meet Israel's
natural gas demand for about 15 years and reduce the country's dependence on gas imports from Egypt and offshore
from Gaza.
International Year of Astronomy kicks off with strong support from the National Science Foundation
IYA 2009
is a global celebration of astronomy and its contribution to society and culture, with strong emphasis on
education, public participation and the involvement of young people, and with events at national, regional
and global levels. Representatives from more than 135 countries are already involved, forming the world's
largest ever astronomy network.
Science will help the United States' economy
According to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, there are four
words to describe the economic recovery package that Congress will consider this spring: “science, science,
science and science.” Pelosi
told National Public Radio today that science has to be first and foremost in this bill: “[We need] the
science, technology and engineering to build the infrastructure for the future, the science for the innovation
to keep us competitive and number one in the world markets,” she said.
January 16, 2009
Arctic heats up more than other places: high sea level rise predictedA new comprehensive scientific synthesis of past Arctic climates demonstrates for the first time the pervasive nature of Arctic climate amplification. The U.S. Geological Survey led this new assessment, which is a synthesis of published science literature and authored by a team of climate scientists from academia and government.
Mars
makes methane: sign of life or geology at work?
The more we look at the surface of the Red Planet, the more interesting things we're finding there.
The Martian summer triggered large releases of methane into the atmosphere from three distinct regions on
the planet. Right now, the researchers say they don't have sufficient data to determine if the source of
the methane is biological or geological.
CO2 atmosphere helped unfreeze early Earth
Oxygen trapped in 635-million-year-old rocks from the Arctic
has revealed that ancient Earth once had an otherworldly atmosphere that might have helped melt millions
of years' worth of deep freeze. The new data suggest ancient Earth might have had 300 to 1000 times more
CO2 than current levels.
January 15, 2009
Pan fans join a 21st-century gold rush
Tens of thousands of Americans taking part in a mini-gold rush in
the 21st century. The high price of gold was a motivating factor for many. The economic meltdown has been as
well—no matter what the dollar does, gold will always be worth something.
Moon maps on display
Moon maps created by a little-known Englishman 400 years ago are to go on display to mark
the launch of the International Year of Astronomy.
Experts say they prove their creator - Thomas Harriot - beat Galileo to become the first man to view the
Moon through a telescope.
This journal article discusses the role the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) plays in managing geohazards. It also highlights the success of the CSA and its partners from Natural Resources Canada and the Alberta Geological Survey, which developed new InSAR methods and techniques.
January 13, 2009
Why a new water project in China may be a catastrophe in waiting
A geologist has serious concerns about plans
for a massive Yangtze River diversion project. But will the government heed his advice? Based on his research,
he believes the government's blueprints for the western leg of the water-diversion project are based on
inaccurate estimates of the volume of water in the upper Yangtze.
The earth's magnetic field impacts climate
The earth's climate has been significantly affected by the planet's
magnetic field, according to a Danish study published Monday that could challenge the notion that human emissions are responsible for global warming.
Soil maps generate reliable Quaternary geological map
New research conducted at Iowa State University led to the successful creation of a detailed Quaternary
geological map for the Des Moines Lobe with a user-controlled level of scale, with the results of the research
published in the Winter 2008 issue of Soil Survey Horizons.
January 12, 2009
Costly compromises of oil from sand
A major source of oil for the United States must now confront another problem: its carbon footprint. Canada,
in large part because of the production capacity of its oil sands, is the largest oil supplier to the United
States. But environmental groups in both countries are pushing for a slowdown or even a halt to further oil
sands development, which is concentrated in northern Alberta.
Volume of oil reserves often overstated
Calculating oil reserves is not an exact science and too often reality
disappoints. It depends not only on the nature of the well but also on the management of its production over
time. Geologists say there are five elements required for a successful oil well: sedimentary reservoir
rock, a mature organic source (oil), migration of oil into reservoirs, a trap and a seal to keep the oil
in place.
The Frank Slide in Alberta, Canada
Noted as one of the worst landslides in North America, the Frank Slide
in the Rocky Mountains confirmed the Indian legend that Turtle Mountain was able to move.
Biggest
known landslide found on Mars?
A Texas-size
asteroid that hit ancient Mars may have triggered a United States-size landslide—the largest known
anywhere—scientists say. The finding could help solve the origin mystery of Mars's Arabia Terra region,
a vast, midlevel plateau between the planet's smooth northern lowlands and rugged southern highlands.
Expect higher gas prices down the road
All that money you're saving these days at the gas pump? You might
want to put it in the bank. The same cheap oil that's providing relief to drivers and businesses in an awful
economy is setting the stage for another price spike, perhaps as soon as next year, that will bring back
painful memories of last summer's $4-a-gallon gas.
January 9, 2009
Is Yellowstone's super volcano about to blow up?
The super volcano in Yellowstone Park, which includes parts
of the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, is making its presence felt. On New Year's Day, the situation
was so alarming that geologists called for an immediate evacuation of an area within a radius of 325 kilometres
around the national park.
Geologists
identify link between climate cycles and groundwater resources in Eastern North Carolina
Geologists from Appalachian
State University have identified a link between the quantity of water resources in eastern North Carolina
and climate oscillations originating in the Pacific Ocean.
How Martian winds make rocks walk
Rocks on Mars are on the move, rolling into the wind and forming organized
patterns, according to new research. The new finding counters the previous explanation of the evenly spaced
arrangement of small rocks on Mars. That explanation suggested the rocks were picked up and carried downwind
by extreme high-speed winds thought to occur on Mars in the past.
January 8, 2009
Alberta's energy future highlights London conference
Alberta’s commitment to clean energy production, wise energy use and sustained prosperity for the future
will be highlighted by Energy Minister Mel Knight when he addresses an oil sands forum in London, England.
Oil sands companies have PR problem
Oil sands producers have received the word from the public — half don't
believe what they are being told. An industry-funded poll found a lot of mistrust among
respondents in Edmonton and Toronto. However, Edmontonians were generally more favourable toward the industry
than Torontonians, particularly on questions around environmental responsibility.
Strong earthquake hits Costa Rica
A magnitude 6.2 tremor was centred some 35 km (22 miles) northwest of the capital San Jose at a depth of 28 km
(17 miles).
Ancient cave rocks reveal impact of climate change
Two University of Minnesota researchers have literally gone back in time, in a cave in western China.
They came out knowing that changes in the global climate can bring about great prosperity or destroy entire
civilizations. Their study of cave rocks, thousands of years old, might tell us something about the climate
change we're experiencing today.
Oregon landslide maps show more slides than expected
Oregon’s wet, hilly terrain has long been thought to
be landslide territory. But the first in a new series of maps that government geologists released this week
show more slides than many experts expected.
Diamonds linked to quick cooling eons ago
At least once in Earth’s history, global
warming ended quickly, and scientists have long wondered why. Now researchers are reporting that the abrupt
cooling — which took place about 12,900 years ago, just as the planet was emerging from an ice age — may have
been caused by one or more meteors that slammed into North America.
Lean times to
continue in '09 for drilling industry
Smaller Albertan cities such Grande Prairie will face lean times for at least part of 2009, says the president
of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors. Don Herring blamed the drop in worldwide commodity
prices, as well as Alberta’s new royalty scheme that took effect on Jan. 1, as being largely responsible
for an expected decline in drilling activity over the winter – normally a busy period for oil and gas companies
– which will have an adverse effect on smaller cities like Red Deer, Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie.
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