Geological Sciences | Science Communication
Geology, Earth science, and natural history are fun and fascinating! I'm incredibly passionate about the amazing stories the Earth has to tell us! In the blog posts below, you'll find content covering the spectrum of introductory geology to more advanced topics. You can also check out what I'm currently researching and learn more about myself!
https://youtu.be/_ZRedJzpfgk Video transcript below Pack your bags and get ready to motor west along Route 66, as we uncover the geology of Cars Land in Disney California Adventure. Cars Land transports guests to the town of Radiator Springs in beautiful Ornament Valley, bringing the setting of the movie to life. As a geologist and someone… Continue reading The Geology of Cars Land | Disney California Adventure
As a geologist and a mega Disney fan, I love the petrified tree at Disneyland. Jokingly referred to as the oldest attraction in the park, the petrified tree was "gifted" to Disneyland by Lillian Disney in 1957. (Walt Disney had purchased the tree in 1956, but Lillian said the tree was "too large for the… Continue reading The Disneyland Petrified Tree is 34 million years old
via New South American Site Reveals Extraordinary Fossils from the End of the Age of the Dinosaurs También disponible en Español Pittsburgh, Pa., USA: The discovery of a spectacular fossil site in Argentina is helping shed new light on life at the end of the Cretaceous, the time period just before the non-avian dinosaurs went… Continue reading New South American Site Reveals Extraordinary Fossils from the End of the Age of the Dinosaurs
via How an Ancient Society in the Sahara Desert Rose and Fell with Groundwater Pittsburgh, Pa., USA: With its low quantities of rain and soaring high temperatures, the Sahara Desert is often regarded as one of the most extreme and least habitable environments on Earth. While the Sahara was periodically much greener in the distant… Continue reading How an Ancient Society in the Sahara Desert Rose and Fell with Groundwater
I previously showed some cool images of Walt Disney World made from lidar 3D point clouds, but we can also look at the Disneyland Resort with lidar! The lidar was collected in late 2011 and early 2012, so the resort has changed quite a lot since then. Take a unique 3D look at iconic features at the Disneyland Resort.
In May 2021 I started posting educational geoscience videos on TikTok to test the waters of short-form video for science communication. I quickly found enjoyment both in creating and consuming content on TikTok, and I have continued to use TikTok as my primary platform for science communication. In our research study published in November 2022,… Continue reading TikTok vs YouTube Shorts for science communication
Written for AGU's The Plainspoken Scientist blog TikTok catapulted in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and has now come to dominate the social media landscape. With over 1 billion monthly active users, science communicators have the potential to capitalize on TikTok’s success and share their science with a broad, engaged audience. Source: Harnessing the power… Continue reading Harnessing the power of TikTok for science communication
I'm very excited that our new publication "Exploring TikTok as a promising platform for geoscience communication" is now available as a Highlight Paper in Geoscience Communication! Zawacki, E. E., Bohon, W., Johnson, S., and Charlevoix, D. J.: Exploring TikTok as a promising platform for geoscience communication, Geosci. Commun., 5, 363–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-5-363-2022, 2022. Watch the video… Continue reading New publication: Exploring TikTok as a promising platform for geoscience communication
via Incorporating Traditional Management Techniques to Combat Effects of Ocean Acidification Denver, Colo., USA: Ocean acidification is a major concern related to climate change, with the oceans currently absorbing around a quarter of the carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. The increased CO 2 that is absorbed by the ocean in turn decreases its pH, making… Continue reading Incorporating Traditional Management Techniques to Combat Effects of Ocean Acidification
via Previously Deployed Military Personnel Show Retained Dust in Lungs Denver, Colo., USA: Military personnel who were deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq may have been exposed to significant amounts of dust and other respiratory hazards, leading to persistent respiratory symptoms and diseases like asthma and bronchiolitis. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National… Continue reading Previously Deployed Military Personnel Show Retained Dust in Lungs
Emily Zawacki, Ph.D. 