Tinted detail of a photo: Polarised-light micrograph of a large bright blue crystal with a dark rim and cracks, surrounded by a dense mesh of small needle-shaped crystals in pink, yellow and blue.
GMPV
Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology

Geology

Elemental etymology – what’s in a name?

Photo of a medieval medical manuscript translated from Arabic in the 2nd half of the 13th Century.

Like many scientists in the GMPV sphere, I work a lot with geochemistry – using chemical elements and their differing behaviours, abundances or isotopes as tools to understand Earth processes. While staring at the periodic table, something that’s always niggled at me is where the names of these come from: why is the stuff we …[Read More]

Geo-Fantasy – between Fantasy Novel and the Real World

Geo-Fantasy – between Fantasy Novel and the Real World

When reading fantasy novels, we are usually brought to worlds of elves, dragons, and epic battles, all surrounded by breathtaking magical forests, or castles above impervious cliffs. However, even fantasy stories take inspiration from the real world and its geology. Who does not remember the ascent of Mount Doom of Frodo and Sam, or the …[Read More]