Geological Sciences | Science Communication
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
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
Boulder, Colo.: While wildfires over recent years have raged across much of the western United States and pose significant hazards to wildlife and local populations, wildfires have been a long-standing part of Earth’s systems without the influence of humans for hundreds of millions of years. “Wildfire has been an integral component in earth-system processes for… Continue reading Earliest record of wildfires provide insights to Earth’s past vegetation and oxygen levels
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
via A Greener Sahara: Ancient Oases and Prehistoric Human Habitation in the Modern Desert I was able to interview Dr. Kathleen Nicoll, an Associate Professor at the University of Utah, as part of the Geological Society of American Science Communication Internship. You can learn about some of the research Dr. Nicoll works on in the… Continue reading A Greener Sahara: Ancient Oases and Prehistoric Human Habitation in the Modern Desert
https://youtu.be/C7OS_gpFl2Y Not too long ago at a theme park not too far away, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland—and soon at Walt Disney World—transporting people to Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu. While the tall rock spires of Batuu enhance the other-wordly experience, they take their inspiration from some very real rocks… Continue reading The Geology of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge | Black Spire Outpost, Batuu
https://youtu.be/mZhLp-Sa3Ug Ah Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth, home of Mickey Mouse, churros, and some shaky rocks. I've previously gone over how Walt Disney World is located in a very sinkhole prone area and that the Epcot World Showcase Lagoon is in part a massive sinkhole, but don't worry the Disneyland Resort has its own… Continue reading Could an Earthquake Destroy Disneyland?
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
Emily Zawacki, Ph.D. 