This photo was taken in Jiangsu province, China. We had climbed up a steep hillside taking rock samples every few meters. This was the moment we reached the top of the cliff and stood still to catch our breath. Send us your favourite photos of geologists at work (or rest!) in the field (c) Geology for Global Development 2013
Geology for Global Development
GfGD in the IUGS-GEM Newsletter
An article about Geology for Global Development written by GfGD Director, Joel Gill, appears in this year’s IUGS-GEM newsletter. The international union of geological sciences (IUGS) has a commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management (GEM). GEM comprises working groups covering dust, gold and mercury, land subsidence and groundwater, man made strata and geopollution, drinking water ...[Read More]
GeoSphere
Geology Photo of the Week #22
I have been posting a lot lately about the Yukon. So for a change of pace the photo for this week comes from Australia…about as far from the Yukon as it is possible to get. This is a photo looking down on a mat of stromatolites. They are the round shapes poking up through the limestone.
Green Tea and Velociraptors
It’s just a flesh wound!
Fossils, as we typically think about them, tell us about the death of an animal. The teeth, bones, shells, fragmented pseudopods and other weird and wonderful bits of carcass all only ever reflect one thing: a permanent geological limbo. These types of fossil are known as body fossils. The other major group of fossils, that are generally less common, less researched, less known about, but arguably ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
GfGD Placement Report: Ellie Murtagh’s work with CAFOD
In September 2012 Eleanor Murtagh completed a short Geology for Global Development (GfGD) placement with the international humanitarian and relief organisation CAFOD. At CAFOD, Ellie worked with Dr Kate Crowley (Disaster Risk Reduction Advisor) for a week. Here she reports on the activities she was involved in and the lessons she learnt from this experience. The importance of vocational professio ...[Read More]
GeoSphere
Fun with PHREEQ at Red Creek
Most freshwater on earth is not that highly saturated with dissolved metals or minerals. However, there are exceptions to be found all over the world from natural acid rock drainage to the alkali springs of Jordan. If the concentrations of dissolved metals are high enough the water can be toxic. For example, water draining from gold mines is often very high in arsenic and must be contained and cle ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Friday Photo (67): Geologists in the Field – Balancing in the Middle of a River
When the contact falls in the middle of a river, there’s only one thing for it… On the isle of Arran, 2008 (c) Geology for Global Development 2013
Geology for Global Development
GfGD Easter Placement Opportunity with CAFOD
Geology for Global Development is offering an opportunity to spend one week in the humanitarian department of an international NGO, CAFOD, working with Dr Kate Crowley. Tasks during the week could involve a number of things, all designed to give the student a useful insight into how a geoscientist could contribute in the development sector. It is likely that one task will involve producing hazard ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Dinosaur cells identified with possible dino-DNA!
The discovery of extractable dinosaur DNA is many a scientist’s dream. The idea of finding DNA within extinct animals has an air of mystery and discovery that is just ridiculously appealing, whether you’re 5, 50, a teacher, palaeontologist, or cab driver. I think this is part of human nature, where we always seem to have a longing for what we can’t have, and one thing we’ll never ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Theropod dinosaurs were waaay more diverse than previously thought
Dinosaurs! What image sprang to your mind then? There’s a reasonable chance, I’d hazard, that your brain just conjured an image of ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex, a nimble and intelligent Velociraptor mongoliensis, or any one of the other meat-eating theropods, notoriously infamous thanks to a certain eccentric millionaire with a passion for splicing genes. These two species of dinosaur a ...[Read More]