Disneyland may be one of the happiest places on Earth, but it’s also smack in the middle of California earthquake country. The San Andreas fault runs through nearly the entirety of California and has produced many great earthquakes. The San Andreas fault defines a tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American… Continue reading Could an Earthquake Destroy Disneyland?
A journey to the center of the Earth | Peridotite xenoliths
You don’t need to go on a Jules Verne journey down to the center of the Earth, sometimes the center of the Earth is brought up to us! These rocks are examples of peridotite xenoliths. A xenolith is a fragment of rock that becomes enveloped by magma without being melted or incorporated into it. In these… Continue reading A journey to the center of the Earth | Peridotite xenoliths
The Strange Tectonic Coincidence of Mexico’s September Earthquakes
My undergrad advisor has a really interesting article in the New Yorker about the recent earthquakes that have struck Mexico—turns out it’s not the type of faulting you would expect in a subduction zone. The Strange Tectonic Coincidence of Mexico’s September Earthquakes
Can you find the unconformity?
An unconformity is an erosional or non-depositional gap in the geologic record. They typically form when an older layer is subject to a period of erosion before the deposition of new sediments. This road cut near Payson, Arizona shows a pretty cool unconformity. Can you find where it is? Check the jump below to see… Continue reading Can you find the unconformity?
Why are the Rocks of Sedona, Arizona Red?
Ever wondered why the rocks of Sedona are so vibrantly red? I made this video for Arizona State University’s Science Showcase competition, I’d greatly appreciate anyone who can view/share! Plus learning about geology is fun! (Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Could a Sinkhole Swallow Walt Disney World?
Sinkholes are all too common of an occurrence in Florida, frequently swallowing cars and houses. The state of Florida has so many sinkholes because it is a karst landscape, composed primarily of limestone bedrock. So what are the odds that a sinkhole appears at Walt Disney World? What if I were to tell you there’s… Continue reading Could a Sinkhole Swallow Walt Disney World?
The Wisconsin Dells | An Ice Age and modern water park
Despite its location in the heart of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Dells is today known as the “Waterpark Capital of the World.” However, it was its rocks—the actual Dells—that first made it a popular Midwest tourist destination back in the 1800s. The Wisconsin Dells—which come from the French word dalles, or narrows—is a 5 mile stretch of… Continue reading The Wisconsin Dells | An Ice Age and modern water park
The Geology of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Think there’s no geology behind theme parks? Think again! In this video, I’ll teach you about the real-life geology behind popular attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Learn about the formation of the Himalaya from Expedition Everest, the End-Cretaceous mass extinction from Dinosaur and the sandstone peaks of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park from Pandora’s floating mountains! If… Continue reading The Geology of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The Geology of Disneyland
A few months ago, I made a blog post about The Geology of Disneyland. I’ve now turned that content into a video, so please do watch and enjoy! (Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Speleothems
Imagine that there’s a faucet that’s slowly dripping. If the faucet is left to drip long enough, you’ll notice that it will leave behind deposits from the dissolved minerals in the water. Now, imagine if you left your faucet dripping long enough to create a mineral deposit that was a meter-plus tall. This process is the… Continue reading Speleothems
