I'm trying to brush up on my geology, a science that pretty much passed me by, which is frustrating when people I work with casually start talking about Cambrian this, and Triassic that. Where can I find a large poster / chart detailing all the geological epochs and periods? The
chart produced by the Geological Society of America is a good start, but it would be more useful if it was, say, annotated with important events ("Angiosperms evolved here! Gondwana separated here!"), and it it had maps of the positions of continents on it at various times. Has anyone seen anything like this? My searches for geology posters have mostly turned up pictures of mountains, or "Geology Rocks!" logos...
posted by Jimbob
on Apr 4, 2013 -
8 answers
I've been told recently that collecting micrometeorites is as easy, basically, as placing a clean surface outside and picking through the debris you collect because thousands of tons of space dust and debris fall to Earth every day. That can't be all there is to it, can it? How do you know whether you're looking at Earth dust or space dust?
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posted by Sleeper
on Feb 27, 2013 -
4 answers
I'm visiting family and we want to know more about
these rocks. What are they? How are they formed? When they break, what causes the breakage?
We are in the skirts of San Jose.
posted by bleary
on Jun 11, 2012 -
11 answers
Please help me come up with a clever name for my 9 year old's geology-related web site which will feature his gem and mineral collection. THANKS!
posted by punkfloyd
on Feb 26, 2012 -
11 answers
I would like to send a rock to someone, hopefully a rock that I have in my region but that she doesn't have there. But I don't know very much about rocks or geology.
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posted by peachfuzz
on Nov 9, 2011 -
14 answers
Moving to the (north) Bay Area of California: How do I best ensure that I (and my assets) survive The Big One unharmed? Eg. What should I look for in an apartment (and why), in terms of geology, design, construction, location, building codes, corner-cutting, etc. to best handle a massive earthquake?
Expert or engineer advice would be great. (I'm more interested in how to find an earthquake-proof building and area, than in how to earthquake-proof my stuff once it's inside a building.)
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posted by -harlequin-
on Nov 9, 2011 -
9 answers
I'm a young geologist considering long-term career options and life directions. Please tell me about your experiences (as a geologist) in grad school, industry, or government/regulation. Or your experiences working in video/photography, as that is an alternative career path I'm considering.
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posted by Strudel
on Sep 11, 2011 -
9 answers
Looking for advice on possible careers post-grad school with earth sciences training.
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 9, 2011 -
6 answers
I'm looking for a graduation gift for a math and geology nerd. My best friend just got dual bachelor's degrees. She's going to grad school for geophysics in the fall. I know approximately zero about her areas of study and would like to get her something nice.
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posted by desjardins
on May 26, 2011 -
15 answers
You know how two rivers converge into one, and there's the little peninsula-like...thing that exists at the point of convergence? What do you call that?
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posted by mdonley
on Apr 5, 2011 -
21 answers
Is anyone aware of an image that's been generated depicting the whole circle of the earth in section view, showing the topography of the relevant land masses and sea floors?
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posted by brightghost
on Feb 23, 2011 -
15 answers
What's the proper way to order dates in geologic time when writing and why? In this example,
The Iapetus Ocean existed between 600 and 400 million years ago, would it be equally correct to write
400 to 600 million years ago? Can you also direct me to a source for the rules?
posted by Kronur
on Dec 2, 2010 -
26 answers
In the past 6 or 7 years, what has the field outlook been like for grad students in geology, and geologists -- particularly in reference to those living and working in the American South?
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posted by Countess Elena
on Jul 3, 2010 -
7 answers
Is there a name for the flaky, layered clay/soil deposit with a striking metallic sheen found in my childhood neighborhood in Northern Virginia?
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posted by jocelmeow
on May 21, 2010 -
12 answers
Is there any way that major fluctuations in the Earth's climate could have an effect on the temperature of the Earth's core? What about its density? Could temperature changes cause some sort of change in the planet's gravity or magnetic fields? Could changing weather have any other effect on the Earth's interior?
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posted by Captain Cardanthian!
on Feb 28, 2010 -
12 answers
Geology question: Does anyone know if there's a specific term for when mountains directly abut an ocean or sea? No beach, no shoreline, just the base of a mountain hitting up against an ocean. I feel as though I've heard of a term for this before but it's entirely possible that I dreamt it up.
posted by fso
on Jan 31, 2010 -
13 answers
Can anyone identify these two rocks from near Hatch, Utah? Picture links included inside. One we're just wondering about. For the other, we're stumped, and the geologist we've asked had never seen a rock like it.
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posted by dragoon
on Nov 17, 2009 -
16 answers
I came home from Sequim Bay here in Washington with several cannon ball sized rocks I found on the beach. They had fallen from the hill-side as it eroded, leaving round capsule like depressions.
They are a bit flaky and seem to be made of mud/sand that has hardened (but not like the sandstone I've seen elsewhere).
What are these called? What caused them?
posted by pocketlama
on Jul 9, 2009 -
4 answers
Recent research has concluded that strong volcanic plumes exhibit cyclonic, storm-like rotation, which helps explain why volcanic thunderstorms occur. The article indicates that the volcanic plume from Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 exhibited anticlockwise rotation, which I infer to be consistent with the rotation of a low-pressure system in the northern hemisphere. My question: Will the rotational direction of these volcanic mesocyclones be governed by the Coriolis Effect, local atmospheric conditions, compositional characteristics of the plume, or some combination of these factors?
posted by baphomet
on Mar 29, 2009 -
6 answers
I was wondering if anyone has explored the notions of alternate
geological history, i.e. different continents to the ones we know, and the mechanisms by which they might have arisen?
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posted by Chairboy
on Jul 14, 2008 -
11 answers
When I was a kid living in La Mesa, California, my mother got to poke around in the tailings at local tourmaline and mica mines as part of weekend classes we took at the natural history museum. Are there any kinds of similar gemstone mines anywhere near where I live now - Sacramento, California - that offer similar opportunities?
posted by luriete
on Jun 30, 2008 -
7 answers
What hand tools would be needed to remove a chunk of iron from an iron meteorite you've discovered in the field?
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posted by Naberius
on Mar 24, 2008 -
11 answers
This time next year I'll be a freshly graduated Australian geolgist. I'd like to work overseas, and I'm tempted by Canada or the US. What should I be aware of while trying to arrange all this, and how easy would it be to work as close to New York as possible?
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posted by twirlypen
on Mar 24, 2008 -
12 answers
Please help me re-locate an unusual geological formation on Google Earth. It is somewhere in northern Russia.
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posted by proj08
on Feb 21, 2008 -
5 answers
An Egyptian friend of mine found
this rock in the West Desert of Egpyt. Can anyone tell us what it is? It's really abnormal-looking.
(All of my theories involve Sun Ra and pharaonic collusion with Saturn.)
posted by odasaku
on Dec 20, 2007 -
13 answers
Where in nature can I find a dinner plate sized rounded flattish rock that can be heated to high temperatures without exploding?
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posted by Infernarl
on Dec 2, 2007 -
20 answers
Brain storm-fodder: What's the most innovative idea you've got for an thesis on GIS (Geological Information Systems) and archeology?
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posted by Rabarberofficer
on Sep 3, 2007 -
9 answers
