Geology

They might sound like something from a work of fantasy, but the stones known as Trovants are very much real.

Imagine a devastating volcanic eruption that has an explosion audible 5000km away. Envisage ash and steam fired 80km upwards and an eerie cloying darkness. Thousands of people died, and 70% of Krakatoa Island was decimated. Welcome to Krakatoa, Indonesia, on 27th August 1883.

A captivating red-orange chalcedony, carnelian has garnered significance in cultures around the globe. Formed from iron impurities in the formation of chalcedony, carnelian is popular with geologists and mystics alike.

Will there ever be new continents? Almost certainly. Scientists say that Eurasia and the Americas might crash into each other in the Arctic and form a new continental land mass. Read on for everything you need to know about Amasia.

The Taal Volcano of the Philippines is unusual in that it is a recently-developed volcano situated inside a much older supervolcano that is no longer active. This set-up is not unique in the natural world, for similar arrangements can be found at Crater Lake in the US and Lake Taupo in New Zealand.

To any student of geology and natural disasters, there is no way around it, the "Ring of Fire" is the most seismic active place on the planet. About 70% of the world's volcanoes and earthquakes take place here. Nonetheless, many dangerous volcanoes can be found elsewhere around the planet.

A nineteenth century British woman with little education made some of the most important geological discoveries of her time.

This article looks at the processes by which rocks melt and the different ways they cool and solidify to form igneous rocks.

If you want to identify a mineral, you need to examine its properties. This is a guide to how scientists study and identify the physical properties of minerals.

How do geologists know how old a rock is? To determine the relative ages of rock units and create a timeline for geologic events in an area, geologists follow five key principles of relative dating. Read on to learn what they are.

The theory of plate tectonics grew from Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and incorporates modern data such as the magnetic record of the seafloor. The theory of plate tectonics helps to explain natural phenomena such as volcanic island arcs, large mountain belts, and seamount chains.

These phrases are known by most of us: flushing it down the toilet, a diamond in the rough, a pearl in the wild. They all refer to finding value where none is expected. As it turns out, human waste contains precious metals and gems washed down the drain unconsciously during our hurried lives.

Millennia have vanished, taking species and ecosystems with it. Fossils restore the broken mosaic of prehistory, providing insights into how animals lived and died. Recent riddles included glass pearls inside clams, where butterflies got their legs from and a toe that continues to defy explanation.

Time is money. Even an amateur prospector can improve the odds of making some coin by classifying in conjunction with sluicing. Saving your back by shoveling once can cut the medical bills! A highbanker can do all this and more. Fundamentals, design, physics, and mechanical descriptions follow.

Bolshaya Udina, a volcano in Siberia, is coming back to life. This Russian volcano situated along the dangerous Ring of Fire has shown so much seismic activity over the past few years that its classification has changed from extinct to active. Some scientists think that it could erupt at any time.

This article explains the science of how rainforests are formed and explains their role in Earth's ecology and environmental health, as well as human impact on rainforests and their projected future.

In terms of magnitude and damage, the Valentine earthquake is the largest recorded earthquake to have occurred in the state of Texas.

The idea of going to the centre of the Earth was brought to prominence in Jules Verne's classic 1884 Sci-Fi novel 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth, but how far have we gone towards this goal?

This guide will teach you how to estimate the classification of a soil and how to describe its characteristics, based on the Unified Soil Classification System. It is intended for use in construction materials testing but can be useful for anyone who works with soil.

On August 27th 1883, after a long period of relative quiet, the Krakatoa volcano located between Java and Sumatra, roared back to life. During the eruption, the island mountain blew itself apart, killing over 30,000 people in the process. Today, Krakatoa is back, but in a much smaller way.

At any point on the earth's surface, if you dig down far enough, you will come to rock. Rocks are the building blocks of the earth's crust. There are many different types of rock, and they are all composed of one or more minerals. This article explores 10 fascinating facts about rocks and minerals.

Volcanoes occur where magma (molten rock) from deep inside the earth forces its way to the surface. The magma may erupt as red-hot lava, or may explode into clouds of ash and volcanic bombs. Volcanic activity also produces strange landscapes of gushing geysers, steamy lakes, and bubbling mud pools.

The continents are the seven huge land masses that make up most of the earth's land surface. They are always on the move, shifted around by forces deep inside the earth. The concept of moving continents is known as "continental drift". The study of these movements is called "plate tectonics".

A landslide tsunami, also called a megatsunami, can be created when large amounts of earthen material slides into a body of water, creating a tsunami type wave. These waves can be much taller than a normal tsunami that usually occurs when an underwater earthquake shakes up the sea floor.

Scientific use of the term "super" is rather rare, as it tends to be a superlative more often found in our common vernacular than in the annals of science. Nonetheless, geologists have assigned a set value of parameters to define the monstrous geologic events, better known as supervolcanoes.

West Coast volcanoes have been relatively quiet since 1980, when Mt. St. Helens exploded and killed over 50 people. Nonetheless, the West Coast has, at the very least, another half dozen active volcanoes that could erupt in the near future and create a dangerous situation for anyone living nearby.

The world's oldest and biggest crater is a scientific jaw-dropper.

Originally, the active volcanoes on Hawai'i Island were thought to be part of the infamous "Ring of Fire." Current scientific opinion and research suggest that a geothermal hot spot sitting underneath the "Big Island" is responsible for the high amount of geothermal activity.

Volcanoes are fascinating and sometimes terrifying natural events that occur at many places around the world. Understanding the science behind the creation and eruption of a volcano can better help us comprehend both the detrimental and beneficial effects that volcanic activity can bring.

A guide to identifying beach stones found along the shorelines of Lake Michigan, with photos and info about syenite, rhyolite, pumice, dolomite, quartz, wishing stones, heart stones, quartzite, Presque Island serpentinite, diabase, pegmatite, conglomerate, and banded metamorphic rocks.

Fool's Gold, also known as pyrite, is a puzzling mineral that has baffled gold prospectors for centuries. This article details the differences between pyrite and true gold, and explains why the humble rock isn't nearly as valuable as its golden lookalike.

The notorious Ring of Fire, which runs all the way from New Zealand to Chile by way of the Aleutian Islands, is home to many of the most potentially destructive volcanoes on the planet.

Ground modification and improvement are often necessary to prepare the ground for a foundation to support a building or other infrastructure. This article explains nine different deep ground modification techniques and how they are used.

Slow-going and dangerous it may have been, but ancient mining techniques were clever. The earliest mines sought cosmetic pigments for funerals. Picks and hammer stones are examples of stone age tools. Later, ancient man discovered metals which provided materials for superior weapons and tools.

Fascinating facts and photos featuring the most common beach stones found along Lake Michigan shorelines, as well as several unusual kinds; includes various types of basalt, septarian, limestone, granite, gabbro, diorite, gneiss, schist, sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, geodes, chalcedony and agate.

The ocean hides its beast well. And one such behemoth are the guyots. So what are they and what do they mean to science?

The Ring of Fire is a common expression applied to a geographical area bordering the Pacific Ocean. Within this "Ring of Fire," earthquakes and volcanoes are more common than any other place on the planet.

Have you ever wondered why some English places have a strange names? This article will answer the origins of those place names, why they came into use, and how they have remained intact well into the modern age.

Learning about geography? This article looks into the geographical processes that form and transform coastal environments.

Mud is a versatile material. It's useful for both animals and humans. It can also be dangerous, especially in the form of mud volcanoes and flows.

About 74,000 years ago, a volcanic explosion on the island of Sumatra threw so much ash into the atmosphere that all human life may have been threatened.

If you were designing a bomb shelter to prepare for the end of the world, what kind of metal would you build with? Find the smartest answer here.

Volcanoes are as beautiful as they are deadly. Here are seven famous Japanese volcanoes that have inspired fear and love throughout history.

Here is a short introduction to some of the world's best-known examples of hot spring activity caused by volcanism. How do geysers work? What is a hot spring? Read on for all of the answers.

This article suggest 21 important facts about Antarctica, emphasizing its vulnerability to increased tourism, pollution and climate change.

Volcanoes come in many forms, from the steady and slow-moving basalt flows of Hawaii, to towering mountains such as Mount Fuji, to the calderas of super-volcanoes. Below are a couple that are overdue.

This article looks at ten sandy beaches of extraordinary colour, what they are composed of and how they are formed, with illustrations of all ten

Land subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal poses a significant threat to governments, businesses, and the general public.

This article is about the azurite mineral that is famous for its vibrant blue color. It is a unique secondary copper mineral frequently found in oxidized zones of copper ore deposits. Read on to learn some azurite facts.

Diamonds are very important to our society because of the meanings we attach to them. But, where do diamonds come from? They form in four ways: deep eruptions, subduction, impact, and collisions in space.