Earth Science

Stratovolcanoes are some of the most notable, visible, famous geographic forms in the World. In the United States, such mountains as Rainier and St. Helens, Shasta, Hood, Redoubt, Kilauea and Maui are widely known through photographs. Worldwide, Mt. Fuji, Mt….
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Thunderstorms are common occurrences throughout most of the U.S. They can happen any time of the year, and for the most part, they result in no more than a little noise and rain. There are those, however, that produce much…
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Whenever there is a notable earthquake, reporters inform us that it had “an estimated magnitude of” a number around seven or eight. Assigning magnitude numbers to earthquakes is a way to compare them to each other: eights are “massive”; sixes…
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Geologists are not the only people concerned about the San Andreas Fault – they just understand it a little better than most people. To appreciate why this major geological feature is so worrisome to so many people, it helps to…
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ROCK CYCLE The rock cycle is defined as the set of processes that create, change, and reform the rocks of the earth. Rocks are initially formed from molten material referred to as magma, which lies deep in the earth’s crust….
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For thousands of years, volcanoes were thought to be as a result of angry Gods, and could never be thought of as a natural occurrence that has been going on since the forming of the planet. They are pretty mysterious when…
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You may know geologists are earth scientists, and may have seen one interviewed after an earthquake or a new fossil discovery. Most people have never met a geologist, though, and don’t know how important the profession is to their lives….
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Geophysics is an earth sciences that combines geology with physics. Geophysicists examine the Earth’s physical properties to better understand its structure and the forces that shape it. Geophysics is divided into two disciplines, whole-earth geophysics and exploration geophysics. WHOLE-EARTH GEOPHYSICS…
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Earth scientists divide rocks into three broad categories based on how a rock forms. These three categories are called igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Although sedimentary rocks are the most common type at the earth’s surface, igneous rocks are by…
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Submarine canyons are steep-sided valleys extending along the continental shelf and into the continental slopes. Some submarine canyons are extensions of rivers or continental faults. A continental shelf is the part of a continent that extends under the sea shore…
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