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]

Alexandria, VA—The American Geosciences Institute is honoring one of the scientists who advanced earthquake hazards preparedness and mitigation in the U.S. by his superlative service to the earth sciences. This year’s recipient of the Ian Campbell Medal, Dr. James “Jim” Davis, is one of the key scientists behind U.S. earthquake hazards and loss reduction policy as it is known today. He also has helped to shape how geoscientists communicate with the public to help people better understand the seismic environment they live in. [Read More]

Alexandria, Va. — When Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru in 1532, his band of Spanish conquistadors set off a chain of far-reaching consequences for the people and economics of western South America. The Chira Beach-Ridge Plain in northwestern Peru is rippled by a set of nine ridges — several meters tall by up to 300 meters wide and 40 kilometers long, and large enough to be visible from space — running parallel to the shoreline. [Read More]

This free webcast, narrated by AGI’s Katelyn Murtha, provides an overview of learning activities, instructional materials, career resources, upcoming events, networking opportunities, contests, videos, and other programs available through Earth Science Week. The tutorial provides a tour of online links and resources for more information. The roughly 7-minute webcast focuses on Earth Science Week 2014 (October 12-18), which celebrates the theme “Earth’s Connected Systems.” To view the webcast, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/webcasts. In addition, see webcasts describing the Earth Science Week contests, special days during the week, and AGI’s geoscience teacher award competition. [Read More]