Geological Sciences | Science Communication
via Nealtican lava flow field, Popocatépetl volcano: A window to the past and future hazards Boulder, Colo., USA: The Popocatépetl volcano, located southeast of Mexico City, stands as the second highest peak in Mexico and is considered to be one of the potentially most dangerous volcanoes in the world, given its record of highly explosive… Continue reading Nealtican lava flow field, Popocatépetl volcano: A window to the past and future hazards
via GSA TODAY | March-April 2022 By Emily Zawacki, 2021–2022 GSA Science Communication Fellow Previously unnamed impact craters on the south polar region of the moon are being named to honor three former Geological Society of America (GSA) members. These craters were discovered while studying the south pole of the moon in advance of NASA’s… Continue reading Three Former GSA Members Honored with Lunar Crater Names
Meandering rivers paint stunning pathways across the landscape. Using lidar (light detection and ranging), we can see the history and beauty of a river's movements across their floodplain. In Relative Elevation Models (REMs), the elevation is normalized to the surface of the water so that all the features of the floodplain are highlighted. The resulting… Continue reading The beauty of rivers and their floodplains
via Discovering sources of Roman silver coinage from the Iberian Peninsula Boulder, Colo., USA: Despite its prior status as a luxury commodity, silver became widely used for coinage in the Roman world from the 7th century BCE onward and provided a standardized monetary system for ancient Mediterranean civilizations. However, the sources of silver used to… Continue reading Discovering sources of Roman silver coinage from the Iberian Peninsula
OpenTopography provides access to USGS 3DEP lidar data, and there just so happens to be lidar coverage of the whole Walt Disney World resort! Take a unique 3D look at some iconic features across Walt Disney World! The images are lidar 3D point clouds viewed in the online Potree viewer via OpenTopography. Lidar 3D point… Continue reading Looking at Walt Disney World with Lidar!
via Lake Formation and Expansion Due to Sea-Level Rise Causes Freshwater Resource Depletion on Small Islands Portland, Ore., USA: Coastal regions and small ocean islands face significant risks from rising sea levels due to climate change, because waters can flood and inundate low-lying land surfaces. “Climate change has become a more critical issue recently, especially… Continue reading Lake Formation and Expansion Due to Sea-Level Rise Causes Freshwater Resource Depletion on Small Islands
via Dams disproportionately removed from areas with more non-Hispanic white residents Portland, Ore., USA: Since the 1970s, dams have been removed from the U.S. at an increasing rate, with the aim to improve the ecology of river ecosystems, fish migration pathways, water quality, and recreation spaces. “We have about 90,000 dams here in the United States… Continue reading Dams disproportionately removed from areas with more non-Hispanic white residents
via Rocks on Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars, Show Signs of Sustained Interactions with Water Portland, Ore., USA: Since the Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater on Mars in February, the rover and its team of scientists back on Earth have been hard at work exploring the floor of the crater that once held an… Continue reading Rocks on Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars, Show Signs of Sustained Interactions with Water
via Records from Lake Magadi, Kenya, suggest environmental variability driven by changes in Earth’s orbit Boulder, Colo., USA: Rift Valley lakes within eastern Africa range from freshwater to highly alkaline systems and are homes to diverse ecosystems. These Rift Valley lakes are also sedimentary repositories, yielding a high-resolution environmental record that can be targeted to… Continue reading Records from Lake Magadi, Kenya, suggest environmental variability driven by changes in Earth’s orbit
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!
Emily Zawacki, Ph.D. 