The deposits on the surface of this sandstone are a distinctive shade of green – indicative of copper. Copper is mobilised and concentrated along fault zones. If you have any photos from time spent working in industry, that do not breach company copyright regulations, then please get in touch and we will publish them on our blog! (c) Geology for Global Development 2012
VolcanicDegassing
Chilean volcanoes: shaken, but not always stirred?
November 7th marked the 175th anniversary of one of the largest earthquakes to have struck northern Patagonia. The earthquake, which is estimated to have had a magnitude of 8, had an epicentre close to Valdivia, and was accompanied by significant ground shaking and subsidence as far south as Chiloe island, and a major tsunami that reached Hawaii. The eyewitness reports of the time have been well ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Horse poop, frozen rhinos, and crocodile skulls. All is well at the Royal Veterinary College.
Following on from the adventures in the Natural History Museum in London, checking out some of their extant crocs and the material of Theriosuchus pusillus, a dwarf croc from the Upper Jurassic of England, I made a trip to the Royal Veterinary College just north of London to see what they had on offer. John Hutchinson was kind enough to sort things out at short notice, and I actually got to check ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Hurricane Sandy: A round up of the coverage from Haiti to New York
We thought we would summarise the coverage of Hurricane Sandy and direct you to some of the wide-ranging political, scientific and development based discussion that has arisen in the last few weeks; simply follow the links in this article. Hurricanes are just one of the many natural disasters that affect countries in the Caribbean, such as Haiti. They are rarely an issue further north, but Sandy i ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Crocodiles! They’re everywhere!
The Natural History Museum in London contains some of the most diverse vertebrate Palaeontological collections in the world, in terms of number of species. As part of my PhD, I have to learn detailed crocodile anatomy, mostly skeletal (osteology), to help identify and describe the particular group I’ll be researching into. The Zoology Department would normally be a great target to go and learn thi ...[Read More]
GeoSphere
Geology Photo of the Week # 10 – Nov 4-10 – A Mysterious Monster!
I apologize for the delay posting this. I was in Washington DC earlier this week to take in a Supreme Court hearing that never actually happened due to Hurricane Sandy. My flight out was also delayed and thus many other things in my life are delayed right now including this post. This photo poses a bit of a conundrum…since I don’t have a clue what it is! I have an idea, but I’d l ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Water Series (2): Fluoride Contamination in Drinking Water
This week, as part of our ‘water series’ we will focus on fluoride contamination in drinking water. In some parts of the UK we add fluoride to our drinking water, because small amounts can help to protect your teeth. However, too much fluoride (>1.5mg/L) can lead to a serious medical condition called fluorosis, affecting the development of teeth and bones. This strong dosage dependency can lead ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
What do people know already about geoscience?
The previous post addressed the issue of why academics should bother with science communication and outreach activities, based on a recent article by Prof. Iain Stewart and Ted Nield. This next post in the series is concerned with what the general public already know about geology/geoscience, and how this underpins what should be, or needs to be, communicated, and how.
Geology for Global Development
Friday Photo (55): Photos from Industry – Man Operating Machinery at a Mine in China
Man Operating Machinery at a Mine in Anhui Province, China There are many large mining operations covering Anhui Province, China. They tend to have limited safety regulations. The mines can ruin the landscape, cause pollution and can be dangerous places for people to work. However, this primary industry is fuelling China’s rapid growth and development. Our Friday Photo series will be focused ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Why bother communicating?
Every breed of scientist is coming under increasing pressure and encouragement to communicate their research and knowledge to the wider public. For each discipline, sub-discipline, and not-quite-a-discipline, there are differences in the way science needs to be, and should be communicated, depending on the appeal of the subject, and the target audience(s). A recent paper by Iain Stewart (from TV, ...[Read More]