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21 January 2023
Plate Tectonics: a very short introduction, by Peter Molnar
This slim volume (130 pages of ~10 point type) is the 425th in Oxford University Press’s vast series of dense little books about various subjects. Browsing the geology shelves at my college’s library this week, I saw it and thought I might as well check it out. I’ve shifted through the years in what I put weight on when teaching plate tectonics, and I always appreciate reading/hearing/seeing what different professionals …
13 December 2019
Friday fold: blueschist & eclogite at Jenner, California
A pre-Fall Meeting field trip to the coast of northern California yields rare sights of garnet-bearing blueschist, plus eclogite, some pillow basalts, birds, waves, wind, and a lot of rain.
8 September 2017
Big earthquake in southwestern Mexico, M8.1
The M8.1 southwestern Mexico earthquake is discussed and placed in context.
21 February 2017
Q&A, episode 3
A reader asks about the use of zircons in isotopic dating, and the argument for submerged continental crust beneath Mauritius.
20 February 2017
Making “Kate Tectonics”
I recently discovered a terrific series of videos on YouTube called “Kate Tectonics.” Watch episode 2, “The History of Geology,” here, to get a taste of the series’ excellent production values and its hip, humorous style: I asked one of the creators, namesake Katelyn Salem, to share a bit of information about the series: Who’s involved in the series? The credits seem lengthy! Can you give a bit of …
25 January 2017
Y-shaped joints on a basalt flow, Lake Mývatn, Iceland
A basalt flow in Iceland shows both enticing pahoehoe and fractures with a Y-shaped intersection pattern. Comparisons to bread loaves and east Africa suggest a reason why.
25 September 2014
Sutherland Sky: Part VI – Dwyka Diamictite
At long last, I’m finishing up my series of posts about my October 2013 visit to the small town of Sutherland in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. Sutherland is home to a South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) research station that contains many telescopes, including the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). You can read Part I of this series here, Part II of this series here, Part III of this series here, Part IV of this series here, and Part V of this …
