Alexandria, Va. — On March 13, 1989, a geomagnetic storm spawned by a solar outburst struck Earth, triggering instabilities in the electric-power grid that serves much of eastern Canada and the U.S. The storm led to blackouts for more than 6 million customers and caused tens of millions of dollars in damages and economic losses. More than 25 years later, the possibility of another such catastrophe still looms, and the day-to-day effects of space weather on electrical systems remain difficult to quantify. [Read More]

November 6, 2014, Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) encourages U.S.-based geoscience professionals, faculty, students, and enthusiasts to sign up and receive their own free lapel pin stating ‘I’m a Geoscientist.’ Enter mailing information at the following link: http://www.americangeosciences.org/be-a-part and be part of increasing the visibility and diversity of the profession. AGI and its member organizations started the “I’m a Geoscientist” campaign to celebrate that all scientists who study the earth are geoscientists, even if they approach it from different perspectives and methods. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is accepting applications for the Edward C. Roy Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching. Given annually, this award is presented to one full-time K-8 teacher in the U.S. or U.K. whose excellence and innovation in the classroom elevates students’ understanding of the Earth and its many processes. The winner of the Edward C. Roy Award will receive a cash prize and an additional travel grant to attend the National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference in Chicago in March 2015. [Read More]

Alexandria, Va. — Earth’s abundant silicate minerals are degraded over time by exposure to water, chemical dissolution, and physical and chemical weathering by tree roots and even insects such as ants and termites. Such weathering plays a significant role in decreasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as carbon dioxide is consumed in chemical weathering reactions and the resultant carbonate becomes sequestered in the form of limestone and dolomite. To study the effects of weathering over time, researchers buried basalt sand at multiple test sites and dug up the samples every five years for 25 years to measure the degradation. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute has released the 2014 Status of Recent Geoscience Graduates, which highlights the impact of booming enrollments and the challenges for students face in matching their education to the demands of the current hiring in the geoscience-related industries. “Understanding the skills, knowledge and experiences of geoscience graduates is important because of upcoming changes to the geoscience workforce,” report author Carolyn Wilson said, referencing a large population of baby boomers approaching retirement age. [Read More]

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) cordially welcomes new officers for the 2014-2015 year: Dr. Scott Tinker as AGI President, Mr. William Siok as Secretary, and Dr. Paul M. Bertsch as the Member-At-Large. Dr. Scott Tinker was the 2013 AGI Awardee for Outstanding Contributions to the Understanding of Geoscience, namely for his work on the documentary Switch, co-produced with Harry Lynch as part of the Switch Energy Project. Tinker is actively engaged in building bridges between academia, industry, and government. [Read More]

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) welcomes Dr. Eric M. Riggs as its President for the 2014-2015 year. With him, Riggs brings a passion for geoscience, geoscience education and the desire to create an inclusive and diverse geoscience community. “One of the outcomes of my term as President, I hope, will be a renewed focus on the future of the Geoscience workforce, especially related to diversity and inclusion,” Riggs said. “Given the large projected workforce shortages by AGI and others, we now more than ever need to refocus and redouble our efforts as a community to attract and retain talent from all segments of our society. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute has awarded this year’s William B. Heroy Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to AGI to the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), AGI Member Organization, for its generous financial support and leadership of AGI programs. AAPG and the AAPG Foundation’s support can be seen in AGI’s Education and Outreach, Geoscience Policy, Environmental and Geoscience Community Building programs — efforts that demonstrate a multifaceted service to the AGI mission. [Read More]

Alexandria, Va. — Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is famously effusive, with low-viscosity lava oozing out of the main caldera and two active rift zones along the southern shore of the Big Island since 1983. However, scientists suspect that Kilauea’s eruptions haven’t always been so mild. In the past 2,500 years, at least two cycles of explosive eruptions lasting several centuries each have rocked the island. The switch from effusive to explosive is likely to occur again, scientists say, but probably not anytime soon. [Read More]

Join us in celebrating the 5th Annual National Fossil Day on Wednesday, October 15, 2014. Organized by the National Park Service as part of AGI’s Earth Science Week, this day promotes public awareness and stewardship of fossils. The goal is to inspire the next generation of paleontologists and fossil enthusiasts. On National Fossil Day, scientists and park rangers will share fossil discoveries at special events nationwide and explain the importance of preserving fossils for future generations. [Read More]