It’s probably one of the most famous volcanic eruptions of all times – the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius – so may it surprises that the exact day of this historic event is unknown.
“There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: the American Revolution, World War II, and the Star Wars Trilogy.” Bart Simpson in “Bart the General” (1990) Geology played a role in many past conflicts, but can war – even if only a fictional future war – play a role in geological fieldwork?
In August 1881 the journal “Science” published an article with a letter exchange by two amateur geologist – British Charles R.
“Approach, approach, ingenuous youth, And learn this fundamental truth: The noble science of Geology is founded firmly in Coprology” P.B.
So, Sochi! The Olympics are about to start, you’re going to see all sorts of shiny new buildings and ski slopes, and you’ll be so excited by the events you may not pause to consider how they got there.
August 3, 1562 a devastating thunderstorm hit central Europe, damaging buildings, killing animals and destroying crops and vineyards. The havoc caused by this natural disaster was so great, so unprecedented, that soon an unnatural origin for the storm was proposed.
An ocean debris pile, much further inland than expected, testifies to past giant waves from the north.
The landslide of Köfels (named after a small village in Tyrol) is one of the largest recognized landslides in the Alps – large enough to dam up a 92 meters (300 feet) deep prehistoric lake and divide in two the valley of Ötz.
Island on Fire: The extraordinary story of Laki, the volcano that turned eighteenth-century Europe dark By Witze, A. & Kanipe, J. PROFILE-BOOKS 224 pages | Hardcover 1st edition | April 2014 ISBN 978-178125-0044 Volcanoes are no unusual sight on Iceland and yet the eruption that started June 8, 1783 in the southern district of [...]
“Swamp gas?” Mulder, F.W. in the "X-Files " (1993) Summer is traditionally Silly Season, when newspapers publish strange stories about aliens and monsters again and again to bridge holiday time - and so will July on "History of Geology" be dedicated to frivolous science stories...
After some monster science* the “History of Geology” blog will be dedicated to “travelling geologists” – the first post will introduce us to a woman who visited (and survived) the “island(s) of monsters”: (*anyway Discovery Channel makes a much better job promoting silly science) “Outside the harbour of the country, neither very near it nor [...]
Heyo, it's International Tiger Day! Yeah, I know, we don't do biology around here, but that's okay - I've got just the rock for the occasion: A raw bit of Tiger's Eye! I'll bet you've seen this polished. Can you believe this little piece of quartz used to be worth half an ounce of gold per carat in the 1870s? Now you can get it for a song, because we found abundant quantities of it in South Africa, and it's been abundant ever since.
“Humanity’s genius is to have always had a sense of its weakness. The physical energy and strength, with which nature insufficiently endowed humans, is found in animals that help them to discover new territories.” “Home” (2009) A post dedicated to the forgotten heroes of early geology - asses !
“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” “Macbeth“ Act 1, Scene 1 2. – The Thunderstone Already the Roman scholar Pliny describes them as “Idaei dactyli” (the fingers from the mountain Ida).
In this edition: we hear the river singing, and learn how to understand what it's singing about
Whether your Earth science-adoring loved one has been gnaughty or gneiss this year, I've got lots of gifts on this list that they won't take for granite! These gifts were hand-selected with the last-minute shopper in mind. You don't even have to leave home to make the holidays rock!
If geology was an Olympic sport, Rio de Janeiro would probably take the gold
Moving continents have drastically changed Earth's climate—and are still doing so today
Come see which geoblogosphere discoveries readers chose to share! Much delicious geology within
