Geology and Earth Science News and Information

The Science of Fireworks Learn how the colors and shapes of fireworks are created.

Utica Shale is confirmed as a major source of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids.

Geology.com News contains news about geology and earth science from around the world.

Ametrine is a bicolor quartz (amethyst + citrine) and a gemstone of growing popularity.

Diamonds - Learn about the properties of diamond, its many uses, and diamond discoveries.

Teacher Resources - K-12 resources for teaching about earth science.

Gemstones - Colorful images and articles about diamonds and colored stones.

Portable UV Lamp - Short and long wave UV for fluorescent mineral viewing.

What is LNG? The use of LNG as an energy source is growing rapidly. Learn more about LNG.

Bear Attacks - Knowing how to react to a bear encounter or attack could save your life.

Troglobites are creatures that have adapted to a permanent life in the darkness of a cave.

Arctic Ocean Seafloor Map - The ridges, basins, shelves and rifts defining the Arctic seafloor.

Nevada and Mississippi - Brand new Roadside Geology guides for NV and MS.

Rock & Mineral Kits The best way to learn about rocks and minerals is with specimens!

Gem Silica is a blue chalcedony colored by copper. It is the rarest and most valuable chalcedony.

Quartzite is metamorphic rock formed when sandstone is subjected to heat and pressure.

Rocks - Galleries of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock photos with descriptions.

Largest Volcano - That title is shared by Tamu Massif, Mauna Kea and Ojos del Salado.

Canada is one of the world*s leading producers of gem-quality diamonds.

Soapstone is a metamorphic rock with properties that make it suitable for a variety of projects.

Wall Maps - Wall maps of the world, continents, states and the USA.

June 6, 1912 - The most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

The Many Uses of Gold - Unique properties make gold one of the most useful metals.

Free Google Earth software allows you to browse seamless world satellite images. Free.

Mineraloids are amorphous naturally-occurring inorganic solids that lack crystallinity.

Google Map of the San Andreas Fault - Zoom in to see the fault trace on satellite images.

Ticks are a problem for geologists in some areas. Learn to recognize and avoid them.

Geodes look like ordinary rocks on the outside but can be spectacular inside!

Land Below Sea Level - Did you know that dozens of land locations are below sea level?

Sea Level Rise Maps - See what will be flooded as sea level rises.

Salt Domes - Salt structures that are often associated with oil and natural gas accumulations.

Ruby and Sapphire are the 2nd and 3rd most popular colored stones in the United States.

Crater of Diamonds - The only diamond mine in the world where you can be the miner.

Eagle Ford Shale - One of the most prolific oil and gas producers in the United States.

Horizontal Drilling has opened new resources and significantly improved productivity.

Ethiopian Opal - The new opal heavyweight that might give Australia a run.

Azurite Granite ? A white granite with blue orbs of azurite. A new material from Pakistan.

Hand Lens A 10-power folding magnifier in a metal case. A frequently used lab and field tool.

Hardness Picks - Mohs hardness testing with precise and easy-to-use hardness picks.

California Earthquake Maps - A collection of isoseismal maps for earthquakes in California.

What is a Geyser? Photos and information about geysers in many parts of the world.

Homeowners Insurance usually does not cover the most common geologic hazards.

Sunstone - A gem feldspar with aventurescence caused by light reflecting from platy inclusions.

Methane Hydrate deposits contain more fuel value than all other fossil fuels combined.

What are Glaciers? Learn how glaciers form, flow, advance, retreat, and change over time.

Diamond Misconception - Many people think that diamonds form from coal. Not True!

Diamond Production leaders include: Botswana, Russia, Angola and Canada.

Meteorites - Rocks that were once parts of planets or large asteroids.

Geology Tools Rock hammers, field bags, hand lenses, maps, hardness picks, gold pans.

Tanzanite was unknown until a few decades ago but it has erupted into wide popularity.

Gold Pans and Panning Kits - classifiers, snuffer bottles. Learn how to pan for Gold.

What is a Maar? The second most common volcanic landscape feature on Earth.

The Rock Used to Make Beer - Geologists are beer experts and should know about this rock.

Asteroid Impact Map - Explore fifty of the most obvious asteroid impact craters on Earth.

What is Geology? The study of Earth materials, structures, processes and life over time.

Rhyolite An extrusive igneous rock with a high silica content, produced from granitic magma.

What Is Earth Science? The study of Earth and its neighbors in space. Learn more!

The East Africa Rift System - The extensive fault system that is tearing Africa apart.

Volcanic Explosivity - Rating volcanic eruptions based upon the volume of tephra ejected.

Expansive Soil causes more damage than floods, hurricanes & tornadoes combined.

Cave of the Hands is a cave where ancient people painted hands about 9000 years ago.

Dowsing is a method used to find underground water that is rejected by most geologists.

Tourmaline - the most colorful mineral and natural gem material on Earth.

Minerals - Descriptions, photos, articles, properties and uses for common minerals.

Range of Bear Species - Where you might encounter different types of bears.

Rhodonite - a manganese silicate used as a minor ore of manganese and as a gemstone.

Herkimer Diamonds Doubly-terminated quartz crystals used as specimens and gems.

Obsidian - the volcanic rock that cools so quickly that it becomes a natural glass.

Olivine - Abundant in Earth*s mantle. A constituent of meteorites. The gem peridot.

What Is The Moho? The Mohorovicic Discontinuity is the mantle/crust boundary.

Labradorite is a feldspar mineral that sometimes exhibits an iridescent play-of-color.

Rhodochrosite - a manganese mineral used as an ore, a pink gem and an ornamental stone.

Sand is a diverse material. This gallery includes photos of sand from around the world.

Emerald is the most popular green gemstone in the United States and most of the world.

100+ Gems - Photos of over 100 beautiful gems ranging from the popular to the obscure.

Sliding Rocks Mystery - What causes these rocks to slide across a playa in Death Valley?

Turquoise - A bluish-green gem material that has been used for over 6000 years.

Lightning Strikes Map by NASA shows the worldwide distribution of lightning activity.

Fluorescent Minerals and rocks glow with spectacular colors under ultraviolet light.

Shale - The rock that has quickly transformed the oil and gas industry.

The Uses of Marble are numerous and diverse. You will be surprised by how it is used.

Granite - The intrusive igneous rock that underlies continents and countertops.

Mount Cleveland is an active volcano in the Aleutian Islands and a threat to air traffic.

US Diamond Mines - Did you know that diamonds have been mined in the United States?

Extraterrestrial Gems - A number of materials from space are used as attractive gems.

Hematite - The most important ore of iron. A source of mineral pigment since prehistory.

Mount Etna - The most active volcano in Europe continues an eruption that started in 2001.

Rock Art - People have been marking on rocks for thousands of years.

Kyanite is a metamorphic mineral used to make porcelain, abrasive products and gems.

Corundum is the third hardest mineral. It is also the mineral of ruby and sapphire.

Field Courses - Over 80 field courses for undergraduate geology students.

Petrified Wood is a fossil that forms when dissolved material precipitates and replaces wood.

Tallest Tsunami - A wave with a run-up height of 1720 feet occurred in Lituya Bay, Alaska.

Ammolite is a fossil and a gemstone. It is shell material from fossil ammonites.

Mohs Hardness Scale is a set of reference minerals used for classroom hardness testing.

Facts About Copper - Information about copper uses, production, resources and more.

The Acid Test - Geologists use dilute hydrochloric acid to identify carbonate minerals.

Ant Hill Garnets - tiny gems that ants haul to the surface and discard on their anthill. Honest!

Lapis Lazuli - a metamorphic rock and the most popular blue opaque gemstone in history.

Landslide Incidence Map - A USGS map showing landslide incidence in the United States.

Rocks on Mars - Many of the rocks found on Mars are not very different from Earth rocks.

Rock Tumblers - All about rock tumblers and rock tumbling. Read before you buy a tumbler.

Blue Flames and the largest highly acidic lake in the world at Kawah Ijen Volcano.

Rare Earths - Special materials used in electronics, defense, medical & many other products.

Coal Through a Microscope - Coal is more than a black rock. It is THE most interesting rock.

Garnet is best known as a red gemstone. It occurs in any color and has many industrial uses.

Volcanoes - Articles about volcanoes, volcanic hazards and eruptions past and present.

Chalcopyrite - The most important ore of copper for over five thousand years.

Zircon is the primary ore of zirconium and a gemstone that is available in many colors.

Azurite - Used as an ore of copper, a pigment, ornamental stone and gem material.

Types of Volcanic Eruptions - A description of the most common eruption types.

Tallest Mountain - Everest has rivals in tallness, altitude and distance to the center of Earth.

Fire Opal is a transparent to translucent opal with a yellow, orange or red background color.

Mount Vesuvius - geology, history, maps, facts and more about the Vesuvius eruptions.

Peridotite is a chromite host rock, a source of diamonds and a possible carbon dioxide sink.

The Largest Diamond Deposit in the world could be under Popigai Crater in Russia.

Life on Europa could exist in a salty ocean deep below its frozen surface.

Mineral Rights - Who owns the minerals under your land? Who wants to buy them?

Crushed Stone - About four tons per person is used each year in the United States.

Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in MRI.

Oil Fields from Space - Night views of Earth show the distribution of oil field activity.

World Record Lightning - this lake has more lightning than any other place in the world.

The Richest Meteorite Field - More meteorites found here than anywhere else on Earth.

Pavlof Volcano - one of the most active volcanoes in North America and a threat to air traffic.

Hydraulic Fracturing increases well yield by fracturing the reservoir rock with fluid injection.

Frac Sand - A specialty sand used to maintain porosity in hydraulic fracturing.

Fee Mining sites are mines that you can enter, pay a fee, and keep anything that you find.

Plate Tectonics - Articles and maps about plate tectonics and the interior of Earth.

Pictures of Opal - A collection of different types of opal from all around the world and Mars too!

Oil and Gas - Articles about oil and natural gas in the US and around the world.

Largest Earthquake ever recorded - Magnitude 9.5. Chile, 1960.

Fossils - Learn about fossils and discoveries around the world.