Stories by Dana Hunter

For a while, now, I’ve planned a series on the kind of creationists who like to run around calling themselves geologists and invade GSA meetings under false pretenses.

I’m terrible at remembering anniversaries and worse at communication, so this post commemorating an important anniversary is a day late.

Have you dreamt of a richly-illustrated, geology-themed superhero comic for kids? One that not only gets the science right, but encourages great study habits, turns ordinary encounters into fantastical geologic adventures, models kindness and heart-warming family dynamics, and encourages creativity, all without talking down to kids for an instant?

What the [insert expletive of choice here] is happening? That’s pretty much the first question that traverses most of our minds when the formerly-solid ground starts rocking and rolling.

California residents in the Napa area got a rude awakening early this morning when an earthquake of roughly magnitude 6.0 shook the valley.

Humans have a long tradition of taking rocks and making pretty things with them. Usually, when you think of sculpture, you think of marble, right?

We made it to Fidalgo Island. Yay! We got lotsa pictures of bonza peridotite and serpentinite. Double yay! I’ll have a proper write-up one o’ these days, but for today, we’ll do some outtakes.

Outside of Glacier Peak, Mount Baker seems to be the least-regarded of the I-5 corridor volcanoes. Mounts Hood, Helens, and Rainier seem to suck up all the ooing-and-awing oxygen.

…there was geology. Oh, I know, some folks will tell you it was physics. Yes, there was that, too. And there might be a few who argue for chemistry, and we’ll grant them chemistry.

Remember when we visited the Shrooms of the Gods at Garden of the Gods? That’s not the only wondrous place formed by the Pounds Sandstone.

The 184 diamonds in the Seahawks Super Bowl Championship rings can tell us a thing or three about Earth’s inner self. We’re still interrogating those valuable, shiny rocks (which aren’t actually forever).

What's a Super Bowl ring got to do with geology, right? I mean, geology's probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you gaze upon the Seahawks' (first ever!) shiny new bling.

It’s America’s 238th birthday! I can tell because there are fireworks vendors populating every possible parking lot, and things benignly exploding with beautiful trailing sparks overhead.

When Seattle gets too hot for comfort, we head for the mountains. Which is why your miniseries on shiny esplodey things that aren’t fireworks will be slightly delayed – we headed out for an emergency trip to Franklin Falls, and I forgot it’s Fourth of July week, so most of you probably won’t be paying [...]

I’m about to have something for you that’s hot, explosive, and very very shiny. Unfortunately, ye olde daye jobe and other circumstances mean I won’t have it until next week.

I’m sorry, I really am, but a nuée ardente isn’t some amazingly sensual French dance along the same lines of the tango. If it’s any comfort, though, it is hot.

My friend and photographer Amanda Reese created a Facebook page – if you love pretty pictures, go show her some love! While you’re there, feel free to demand endless pictures of her adorable tiny new kitten, Chipper.

Apologies for the abrupt absence, my dear geology fans! If you want all the boring details on why I suddenly dropped off the face of the earth, an explanation ’tis here.

On Saturday, the Seattle region experienced one of the worst landslide disasters in its history. A lot of the hills around here are unconsolidated glacial deposits, and they’re ready to fall at the slightest provocation.

This: This is why I love the word subduction.  Every time I'm reading about the geology of a region, when I come across that word, I get a tingle down ye olde spine.  Because I know we're in for it.  I know the landscape's going to be exciting.  I know we're in for volcanoes and [...]

Would you be upset if I told you millions of kids are being taught that the earth is less than 10,000 years old? This is happening in Christian schools and homeschools* throughout America and the UK.

You want some Yellowstone? You got some Yellowstone! Amanda Reese is one of my most talented friends, and she’s just got her photography website up.

A rather extensive forest became part of a directed blast deposit: that's the summary. One moment, you're a green and pleasant home for much of the local wildlife; the next, you've been rudely ripped apart and incorporated within a bunch of rock and ash by a volcano having a bad turn.

We’ve seen how a wetland was turned in to Sochi’s Olympic Village. Let’s take that short trip to the Krasnaya Polyana mountain area and see what geologic challenges the engineers faced bringing us the facilities necessary for the alpine and Nordic events.