Ropes, pillows and tubes; modern analogues for ancient volcanic structures
Analogies are the stuff of science. In geology, we frequently employ modern analogies of physical, chemical, or biological processes to […]
Polar bears do not live in the Antarctic, there are no Penguins in the Arctic. The asymmetry of the poles
This post is about asymmetry – the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. They are the most frigid places on Earth,
Islands with attitude; the devastation wrought by collapse of oceanic volcanoes
Krakatoa, 1883, and the seas shivered. The eruption, one of the largest in recorded history, delivered tsunamis that swept away
A Murex tattoo
The Saturday Evening Post, March 4, 1944, featured on its cover the iconic Norman Rockwell portrait of The Tattoo Artist.
Climate Change; a Geological Perspective, Groundwater - geofluids, SciComm, Science in Context
Nitrate in excess; a burgeoning global contamination problem
A “Nitrate timebomb”. Last week’s media metaphor (Nov 10, 2017), was no doubt intended to create visions of dire deeds.
Subcutaneous oceans on distant moons; Enceladus and Europa
Our blue Earth, rising above the lunar horizon, is an abiding image of our watery state that must evoke an
Lahars; train-wreck geology
Christmas morning in New Zealand is synonymous with mid-summer barbecues at the beach, deservedly lazy times, perhaps a bit of
Overture to a cave; the spectacle of jointing in ancient basalt lava flows
Saturday August 8, 1829, Felix Mendelssohn and his traveling companion Karl Klingemann, took a boat trip to Fingal’s Cave, the
Dirt; Soil degradation is a global problem we inflict on ourselves
The media loves hyperbole. In some ways they remind me of ‘The end is nigh’ cartoon guy. This week (Oct
Near Earth Objects; the database designed to save humanity
The media love natural disasters, even those that don’t exist. Last week (early October, 2017), dramatic footage of a (simulated)