Of all the alternative energy sources being developed today, geothermal may be one of the least well known. As of 2011, it accounted for less than one percent of global electricity production. Despite the relative obscurity of geothermal, a quiet revolution [...]
In 1931 a British fishing trawler named the Colinda was working in the waters of the North Sea. As the nets were pulled on board, the captain noticed several large clumps. They were pieces of peat. It wasn’t uncommon to bring [...]
Welcome back to our two part series on rare earth elements. We hope you found the introduction to the uses and geology of rare earth elements in part I useful. In part two, we’ll talk a bit about the [...]
An interesting infographic found below inspired me to start thinking about rare earth elements. Anyone with a stake in mining or technology has heard of, and potentially worried about the supply of, rare earth elements. We often hear that they’re vital to many [...]
One of the most unique geologic settings in Australia lies in the Kimberly Region of northern Western Australia. While most of us know Western Australia for its mineral resources, the region also contains exceptional paleontological resources. The Great Devonian [...]
Most new mining technology is now developed by private companies. In the realm of deep sea mining (covered in this blog post), Nautilus Minerals, inc. is currently a leader in the development of remotely operated seafloor mining technology. Although [...]
Scientists working at the University of Alberta have discovered evidence that may finally provide some answers to a question that has long puzzled geologists: how did the first continents form? Before we get into the details of the study, let’s [...]
Visual Capitalist, a producer of science and economics infographics, has recently published part two of a five part series on the science and economics of gold. The second part of the series, which deals with the formation of gold deposits and [...]
Two new studies published in the journal Geology have cast light on the mysteries of Earth’s largest and oldest known crater. The Vredefort Impact Crater, which is located in South Africa, is thought to have formed when a 10 km wide [...]
The oceans cover about 70% of Earth’s surface. Scientists have estimated that nearly fifty percent of the earth’s living species reside in the oceans, and 97% of the water on Earth is contained within them. Most people learn these [...]