Geology – PossibleThreat Articles

GIS-based analysis of fault zone geometry and hazard in an urban environment

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Earth Science, Earthquakes, Geoengineering, Geography, Geology, Landslides, Natural Disasters, Oceanography

Typical geologic investigations of active earthquake fault zones require that the fault can be observed at or near the Earth's surface. However, in urban areas, where faults present a direct hazard to dense populations, the surface expression of a fault is often hidden by development of buildings and infrastructure. This is the case in San Diego, California, where the Rose Canyon fault zone trends through the highly developed downtown.

News Science

Imperfect diamonds paved road to historic Deep Earth discoveries

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Early Climate, Earth Science, Fossils, Geology, Global Warming, Graphene, Nature of Water, Organic Chemistry, Origin of Life

Researchers have explored how carbon moves between Earth's interior, surface and atmosphere; how much deep carbon exists, in what forms (including vast microbial life); where carbon came from; and how life began.

News Science

Magnets sustainably separate mixtures of rare earth metals

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Chemistry, Earth Science, Energy and Resources, Environmental Issues, Geochemistry, Geology, Inorganic Chemistry, Spintronics

A new study describes a novel approach for purifying rare earth metals, crucial components of technology that require environmentally-damaging mining procedures. By relying on the metal's magnetic fields during the crystallization process, researchers were able to efficiently and selectively separate mixtures of rare earth metals.

News Science

Earthquakes in slow motion

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Earth Science, Earthquakes, El Nino and La Nina, Geography, Geology, Natural Disasters, Sustainability, Tsunamis

A survey of slow-slip events in Cascadia reveals new insight into the recently discovered phenomenon.

News Science

Ground failure study shows deep landslides not reactivated by 2018 Anchorage Quake

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Earth Science, Earthquakes, Geography, Geology, Global Warming, Landslides, Natural Disasters, Tsunamis

Major landslides triggered by the 1964 magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska earthquake responded to, but were not reactivated by, the magnitude 7.1 Anchorage earthquake that took place 30 November 2018, researchers concluded in a new study.

News Science

Volcanic ash sparks a new discovery

October 21, 2019 0 Comments Air Quality, Atmosphere, Earth Science, Exotic Species, Geology, Natural Disasters, Tsunamis, Volcanoes

Imagine you're getting ready to fly to your favorite vacation destination when suddenly a volcano erupts, sending massive amounts of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, and forcing the cancellation of your flight. That's exactly what happened in April 2010 when Eyjafjallajokull, a volcano in Iceland, erupted and disrupted air travel in Europe for 6 days. Scientists are now using plasma physics to predict the characteristics of these hazardous ash plumes.

News Science

Gimme six! Researchers discover aye-aye's extra finger

October 21, 2019 0 Comments Apes, Biodiversity, Biology, Endangered Animals, Geology, Mining, New Species, Tundra

The world's weirdest little primate has gotten even weirder, thanks to the discovery of a tiny extra digit. Aye-ayes possess small 'pseudothumbs' — complete with their own fingerprints — that may help them grip objects and branches as they move through trees. This is the first accessory digit ever found in a primate.

News Science

Analysis of recent Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence reveals complex, damaging fault systems

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Climate, Earth Science, Earthquakes, Geology, Natural Disasters, Tsunamis, Weather, Wildfires

Geophysicists complete their analysis of a well-documented seismic event that held many surprises.

News Science

Fingerprints of Earth's original building blocks discovered in diamond-bearing rocks

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Early Climate, Earth Science, Earthquakes, Evolution, Fossils, Geochemistry, Geology, Origin of Life

Scientists have detected primordial chemical signatures preserved within modern kimberlites, according to new research. The results provide critical insight for understanding the formation of Earth.

News Science

What happens under the Yellowstone Volcano?

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Charles Darwin, Early Climate, Earth Science, Geology, Natural Disasters, Origin of Life, Paleontology, Volcanoes

A recent study helps to better explain the processes in the Earth's interior beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano.

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