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 […]
Interpreting ancient environments
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
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
The origin of life: Panspermia, meteorites, and a bit of luck
In the opening scenes of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey (1968), Neanderthal-like folk are scrounging for food, squabbling with a neighbouring
In praise of field work
The class field trip is underway. Teacher hands out the rap-around, virtual imaging glasses, and you are transported to a
Life on Mars; what are we searching for?
I believe alien life is quite common in the universe, although intelligent life is less so. Some say it has
Sliced thin; an unfolding story of sandstone
What do you think of this analogy; sandstone, and a pile of garbage? I jest, of course. Garbage is no
Sliced thin; time and process recorded in igneous rocks
This is the second in a series on the geological world under a microscope Geologists, it seems, are never satisfied
Sliced thin; kaleidoscopes with a geological purpose
This is the first post in a series on the geological world under a microscope As a kid visiting my