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
Thanks to a variety of weathering and erosive processes, rocks can come in all shapes and sizes. The above rock from the McDowell Mountains near Phoenix, AZ has a peculiar shape similar to that of a mushroom! This rock is an example of a tor--an exposed mass of rock that abruptly rises above the surrounding ground… Continue reading How do you form a mushroom rock?
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
While Wisconsin more so conjures images of snow and cold (and cheese) than it does the ocean, it actually has a spectacular coastline along Lake Michigan that undergoes traditional coastal geomorphology processes. Cave Point County Park in Door County, Wisconsin features great examples of wave-cut platforms (shown in the above photos). Wave-cut platforms are the… Continue reading Wave-cut Platforms and Coastal Geomorphology
Airplanes are great for seeing the awesome dendritic and meandering patterns of rivers ✈️
Here’s a shot of my geomorphology class having a little fun with our flume after running an experiment! Photo by Rachel Crowl, Lawrence University
Typically when you think of a sediment deposit, you think of a fining upwards sequence. That means that the heaviest/coarsest stuff is going to be at the bottom and the lighter stuff is going to be at the top, ‘cause you know, gravity settling. In laterally migrating streams, we see these fining upwards deposits of sand under… Continue reading Prograding Delta Deposits
