Gems Recovered From Sedimentary Rocks

A must read for practicing geologists and gemologist. Many thanks to Gems & Gemology and GIA.

Useful link:

https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/winter-2023-colored-stones-unearthed

Gems Formed In Metamorphic Rocks

Geology and gemstone formation always fascinates me. I think gemstone formation in a variety of rocks are happy accidents. Many thanks to GIA researchers and Gems & Gemology team for the insightful report.

Useful link:

https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2023-colored-stones-unearthed

The Super-deep Royal Diamonds Revealing Earth's Secrets

Zaria Gorvett was spot on. Royal diamonds are the best storytellers on the planet because of their sheer size and numbers.

Useful links:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220922-the-super-deep-royal-diamonds-revealing-earths-secrets

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-crown-jewels

Ikara – Flinders Ranges National Park

A geological wonder. One great outdoor museum. Must visit.

Useful links:

https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/ikara-flinders-ranges-national-park

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220419-australias-trail-where-life-began

Badlands National Park

South Dakota's Badlands National Park is a natural wonderland. Must visit.

Useful link: https://www.nps.gov/badl

How Geology Can Ease Your Mind

I think so. It is time for all the sciences to adopt a geologic respect for time and its capacity to transfigure, destroy, renew, amplify, erode, propagate, entwine, innovate, and exterminate.

Useful links:
https://www.lawrence.edu/academics/study/geosciences/faculty
http://nautil.us/issue/81/maps/how-geology-can-ease-your-mind

Built On Rock: The Geology At The Heart Of Oscars Sensation Parasite

Parasite is unashamedly about wealth, class, longing, scamming: what we want and what we will do to get it. At the heart of Bong's taut tragi-comedy is a rock, a viewing stone, a symbolic gift that drives his heroes, the Kim family, to inventive and deadly extremes in pursuit of more: more money, more opportunities, a better life. Geology----rocks, gems, stones----as a heavy-handed metaphor for wealth or class difference is common on screen. Hats off to Eve Willis for the insightful thoughts.

Useful links:
https://www.parasitemovie.co.uk
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/17/parasite-viewing-stone-suseok-geology-bong-joon-ho-oscar-best-film

Geology Makes You Time-Literate

Marcia Bjornerud was spot on.

Useful links:
https://press.princeton.edu/interviews/qa-13234
http://earth.nautil.us/feature/452/geology-makes-you-time-literate

Why Most Planets Will Either Be Lush Or Dead

David Grinspoon could be right.

Useful links:
http://earth.nautil.us/article/398/why-most-planets-will-either-be-lush-or-dead
http://funkyscience.net

How Do Scientists Date Fossils?

Selecting a suitable dating technique is an important step to obtaining a meaningful and accurate age.

Useful link:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-do-scientists-date-fossils-180972391

Earth's Seafloor May Be Destined To Become Diamonds

It will be a geological wonder if and when it happens.

Useful link:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/05/diamond-time-capsule-ancient-oceans/?cjevent=329d8b77843911e983e300430a180513&utm_source=6154180&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_campaign=CJ

Scientists Solve Mystery Of Yellow Egyptian Desert Glass

It's the meteorite impact.

Useful link:
https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-solve-mystery-of-yellow-egyptian-desert-glass-11721232 

A Tectonic Plate May Have Peeled Apart—And That Could Shrink The Atlantic Ocean

It's certainly an interesting story. The fact of the matter is we still don't know a lot.

Useful link:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/05/tectonic-plate-peeled-apart-could-shrink-atlantic-ocean-geology

Geologist Who Discovered Oldest Water On Earth Wins Top Science Prize

Hats off to Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar.

Useful link:
http://www.mining.com/geologist-discovered-oldest-water-earth-wins-top-science-prize

Diamonds Found In California?

Why not?

Useful link:
http://agnetwest.com/western-view-diamonds-found-california

Should 1950 Mark A New Geological Epoch?

It will be a fascinating field of study. A group of scientists will decide whether we sprang into this new geological epoch, called the Anthropocene, in 1950.

Useful link:
https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2019/04/anthropocene-era-just-meat-the-atlantic-daily/587251

Random Thoughts

Today, there are companies applying machine learning to massive geological databases to see what they can learn. What the machines lack in intuition they may be able to make up for with the ability to look at far vaster quantities of data than any human ever could. And a machine could keep doing that millions of times until it finds something with predictive power. This has already been done, and drills are being sent to follow up on the targets generated as I type. If the results give the machines a significant edge, it would change the exploration game forever.

A Diamond Mine

Take a 360-degree tour through an Angolan diamond mine.

How The Grand Canyon Transformed From A ‘Valueless’ Place To A National Park

Nature has no rules.

Useful link:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-grand-canyon-transformed-from-valueless-place-to-national-park-180971426

The Miracle Mineral

Take a look.

Useful link:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190114-compost-or-phosphorus-fertiliser-in-africa-agriculture