Schist is a foliated regional metamorphic rock formed from basalts or slate. Schist forms at higher metamorphic grades than slate, although the protolith of both rocks may be the same parent rock stone. Regional metamorphism is caused by Earth’s internal…
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Figuring out the cause of earthquakes has puzzled scientists for centuries. In fact, today they still only have theories about the exact cause of earthquakes. While they know a lot about the general cause of earthquakes, they know very little about their precise…
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Peridotite is an igneous type of rock that is composed primarily of olivine. Peridotite has a coarse grain and may contain small amounts of other elements, such as spinel, chromite and plagioclase and amphibole. Peridotite is abundant on Earth and…
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Tuffs form an unusual group of rocks that combine the characteristics of two major rock groups, sedimentary rocks and igneous rocks. Like some sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, tuffs consist of deposits of separate particles that are later bonded together…
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Gneiss rocks are metamorphic rocks that have been altered chemically from existing rocks into a denser type of rock. Compression, plate tectonics, stress and shearing warp and change existing rocks over time. Gneiss is granite that has been changed by…
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Geology is not just an academic study of earth, its rocks and their processes of formation (See Wikipedia Geology) but is a very practical undertaking pursued by professional mineral explorer or surveyor and amateur fossicker alike. There are a few…
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Hornfels is a variety of metamorphic rock; which means that the rock’s original texture, mineralogy, or both have been changed. The most obvious changes occur in the minerals that make up the rock. Although the rocks never quite melt, some…
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Amphibolite is a type of metamorphic rock that is rich in minerals of the amphibole group, of which the most common mineral is hornblende. Identification of this type of rock helps earth scientists to reconstruct the region’s geologic history based…
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THE RED SEA How the Red Sea got its name? Really I don’t know. But the colour of the coral reef blooming, on the early morning sun, over the mirror calm sea. The reflection of the reddish colour of the…
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SEWAGE SLUDGE: A REPLACEMENT FOR CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS TO IMPROVE SOIL FERTILITY AND INCREASE CROP PRODUCTION In view of increasing world population and depleting land and water resources, the yield of agricultural crops per unit area has to be increased. This…
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