| Posted: 20 Dec 2009 11:55 PM PST “Scientists funded by NOAA and the National Science Foundation recorded the deepest erupting volcano yet discovered, describing high-definition video of the undersea eruption as “spectacular.” Eruption of the West Mata volcano, discovered in May, occurred nearly 4,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in an area bounded by Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.” Quoted [...] |
| Oregon LNG Terminal and Pipeline Approved Posted: 20 Dec 2009 09:53 PM PST The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline and the Jordan Cove LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal. The terminal will receive about 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and the pipeline will transport the gas from the Coos Bay terminal to Malin, Oregon. The project will supply [...] |
| Mayon Volcano Continued Activity Posted: 20 Dec 2009 09:51 PM PST The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology now says that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days at Mayon Volcano. The alert stats is currently at Level 4 and about 30,000 people have been evacuated |
| Soil Science: Educator Resources Posted: 20 Dec 2009 08:34 PM PST The Soil Science Society of America has a large collection of K-12 Educational Resources that can be very helpful to teachers at all grade levels. Did you know that one tablespoon of soil has more organisms in it than people on Earth? |
| Over 400 Exoplanets Have Been Discovered Posted: 20 Dec 2009 11:06 AM PST The count of exoplanets discovered so far now exceeds 400. “Finding small, rocky planets that might resemble Earth is a key goal for NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, which is currently scanning thousands of distant stars for signs of transiting exoplanets. Perhaps even more exciting to scientists than the big numbers are the increasingly small planets [...] |
| Links Between Geothermal Energy and Earthquakes Posted: 20 Dec 2009 10:04 AM PST An article at Sphere.com explores the linkage between geothermal energy and earthquakes along with the problems that earthquakes have caused for geothermal projects and areas where they are located. |
| Posted: 20 Dec 2009 08:03 AM PST World leaders reached a non-binding agreement that calls for all countries to limit global temperature rise to less than two degrees Celsius. Although many were disappointed with the “non-binding” aspect, this is the first world agreement related to climate. |
| How Underlying Water Affects Glaciers Posted: 20 Dec 2009 07:35 AM PST A layer of water facilitates the movement of Greenland’s glaciers over the bedrock. It appears that this underlying water is part of a “plumbing system” below the continent. |
| Status of Earth Science Education in the 50 States Posted: 20 Dec 2009 05:28 AM PST “The Pulse of Earth Science Education,” on the American Geological Institute’s website follows Earth science education trends in the 50 states. For each state, AGI provides information on: * teacher certification requirements * relevant middle and high school courses * K-12 enrollment levels * Earth science within state science standards * state assessment of students * textbooks adopted and relevance [...] |
