Category: Around the Web
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New Herzog Film on Upper Paleolithic Art
Roger Ebert’s review of “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” by Werner Herzog: About 32,000 years ago, in a limestone cave above the Ardèche River in Southern France, humans created the oldest cave paintings known to exist. They spring from the walls with boldness and confidence, as if the artists were already sure what they wanted to…
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Rare-Earth Metals: Not Rare, but Critical
From The Economist: … What makes the rare earths so special is the way they can react with other elements to get results that neither could achieve alone. They are used, a pinch here and a pinch there, to make powerful permanent magnets for lightweight electric motors, phosphors for colour television and flat-panel displays,…
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1.4 Million Yr. California Fossil Find
Via AP Yahoo News: RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A utility company preparing to build a new substation in an arid canyon southeast of Los Angeles has stumbled on a trove of animal fossils dating back 1.4 million years that researchers say will fill in blanks in Southern California’s history. The well-preserved cache contains nearly 1,500 bone…
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North Dakota Fossil Fact Poster
Via geology.com: A neat poster of North Dakota Fossil Facts from the Dept. of Mineral Resources Geology group.
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Fossils of Saltville Virginia
“…Saltville has been known for its Ice Age fossils since Thomas Jefferson reported large bones from the valley in 1782, and excavations have occurred there on a sporadic basis ever since. ETSU became involved when Dr. Steven Wallace, associate professor of Geosciences, led digs at the site in 2003 and 2004. Schubert took over the…
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The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes
Interesting video: In this short documentary from conservationist Bill Mason, he illustrates that although the Great Lakes have had their ups and downs, nothing has been harder to take than what humans have done to them lately. In the film, a lone canoeist lives through the changes of geological history, through Ice Age and flood,…
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Ashfall fossil park has new digs for visiting scholars
Via JournalStar.com: Student scholars who dig fossils at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park will now have a place to stay. Three cabins were built for those participating in paleontology research at the park. Photo: Wide open space characterises Ashfall State Historic Park, Creighton, Nebraska/–Mawhamba 13:11, 1 May 2005 (UTC)
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New Fossil Find at Stanley Glacier Site
Via PHysOrg: During an expedition into the Canadian Rocky Mountains in 2008, a Canadian-led team including Swedish researchers from Uppsala University found a new site with exceptionally preserved fossils. The site and its fossils have now been made public in this month’s issue of Geology. The discovered fossils, including a new form of giant predator,…
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Obituary for Harry Whittington
Via Telegraph: Professor Harry Whittington, who died on June 20 aged 94, was the former Woodwardian Professor of Geology at Cambridge and the world’s leading authority on fossil trilobites; in later life he led painstaking research which revealed a “Cambrian explosion” and raised disturbing questions about the processes of evolution….
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Geology Videos On Line
Via Arizona Geology: There are scores of science channels on YouTube and a fair number of geology-themed ones. Here’s a sampling of geo channels with a fair amount of high-quality content. Do you have any others you’d like to recommend?
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ESCONI Facebook Page
On Facebook? Come over to the ESCONI facebook page and visit! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/ESCONI-Earth-Science-Club-of-Northern-Illinois/120623877970391?ref=ts
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Mineral of the Month
GAUDEFROYITE Ca4Mn3+3-x(BO3)3(CO3)(O,OH)3 specimen and photo – J de Jongh Crystal system: Hexagonal Hardness: 6 Density: 3.35 – 3.50 Cleavage: None, brittle. Streak: Brown Colour: Black, charcoal, bronze Occurrence: An uncommon hydrothermal mineral in manganese deposits. Habitat: Needle-like to stubby hexagonal crystals up to 5 cm long, with pyramidal terminations. Composition: Borate…
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Rare Print Geology Books
This site sells rare and out of print geology and earth science books… interesting stuff.
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maps, maps, maps
And a link to free Topo maps thanks to Carlos! And a web site that lists other map sites.
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Lapidary Art
The DesPlaines Rock and Gem show took place this weekend. Good silent auction and booths. Enjoyed seeing a minature rock shop and the lapidary artistry of Bernard Sobczak. Click on the photos to see larger photos.
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Do You Geotag Your Photos?
“Everyone is busy. Quit waffling, put on a helmet, and learn how to geotag your photos,” says DrJurque. Also, try out Google Earth. And then you can try to win this contest.
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Web Sites About Archaeology
Interesting sites about archaeology: Archaeology for Kids: http://www.mrdonn.org/index.html
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Scientist Zeresenay Alemseged: Someone to Know
Via EthioBlog: Ethiopian scientist Zeresenay (Zeray) Alemseged, who discovered the 3.3 million year old girl fossil called Selam in Ethiopia, is featured on PBS’s “Becoming Human” documentary which is being shown this week. Zeresenay is currently curator and chair of anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences and a world renowned paleontologist….
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Pits of the World
Via Geology News from Environmental Grafitti descriptions of ten mining pits of the world. Photo of Diavik Mine, Canada: Johnbullas
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One Million Year Storage
Informative article about Yucca Mountain from Bldgblog: Abraham Van Luik is a geoscientist with the U.S. Department of Energy; he is currently based at the nuclear waste-entombment site proposed for Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Yucca Mountain, a massive landform created by an extinct supervolcano inside what is now Nellis Air Force Base’s Nevada Test and Training…
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Field Museum Talk Tonight, Tues. 11/3
Hear about global health efforts w/NG photographer Karen Kasmauski on 11/3 7:30pm. Tix avail @ the door at the Field Museum.
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Everything You Need to Know About Collecting Rocks
USGS offers this publication on collecting rocks… interesting!
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When Yellowstone Explodes
Gorgeous graphics explain the Yellowstone supervolcano from National Geographic. And from the Discovery Channel an informative slide show of past supervolcanoes. Image of Aso, Japan: cybernezumi
