On Hawaii, lava fields fall into two camps – pahoehoe and a’a. This week’s Imageo on Mondays puts the two into perspective… Pahoehoe fields are created when the lava is well insulated at the surface. The cooled rock on top prevents a lot of heat escaping and lets the lava flow beneath a tough skin of basalt. This skin is pulled and distorted by the moving lava, creating ripples and wrinkles that r ...[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: A rolling stone gathers no moss
Philippe Leloup brings us this week’s Imaggeo on Mondays, with tales from a mountain trail that show a geologist can never resist a good rock! This image is that of a polished slab of a rock composed of interlayered marbles and amphibolites. The sample was once part of a small dry-stone wall bordering an outdoor kitchen along a trail along the Ailao Mountain Range in China (or Ailao Shan in Chines ...[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Rockscape
A geologist out in the field is often the one doing the mapping, but sometimes you might just find a map while you’re out there. Martin Reiser shares how he stumbled one such stunning feature… The picture shows colourful marly layers in a Triassic limestone of northwest Albania (Lezhe region). The marly layers have developed intense reddish and greenish colours due to exposure to reduction and oxi ...[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Exploring the East African Rift
This week’s Imaggeo on Mondays is brought to you by Alexis Merlaud, an atmospheric scientist from the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy. While the wonders of the African atmosphere feature in his photography, the East African Rift has a much bigger tale to tell. Drawing from all aspects of geoscience Alexis shares its story… This picture shows Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, at sunrise. ...[Read More]