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]

Alexandria, Va. — If Earth breathes, Santiaguito Volcano in the Western Highlands of Guatemala could be its mouth. Roughly every half hour, like volcanic clockwork, Santiaguito’s active Caliente lava dome expands, filling with gas from depressurizing magma below. Then it exhales, often explosively, and deflates. Over the course of a day, you could almost keep time by it. In 2012, a scientific team led by volcanologist Jeffrey Johnson of Boise State University set up a base camp to conduct two field studies of Santiaguito’s rhythm, part of an ongoing interdisciplinary study. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - Join leading geoscience organizations in promoting awareness of the importance of geologic mapping to society on October 17, as part of the Earth Science Week 2014 activities. Geologic maps are vital to education, science, business, and public policy concerns. Geologic Map Day will focus the attention of students, teachers, and the public on the study, uses, and significance of these tools, by engaging audiences through educational activities, print materials, online resources, and public outreach. [Read More]

“Virtual water” was coined in 1993 to help explain why long-predicted water wars driven by water and food security had not occurred among the arid nations of the Middle East and North Africa. The virtual water notion refers basically to the total amount of freshwater, either from rainfall or irrigation, used in the production of food commodities, including crops and fodder-fed livestock, or other goods and services — agricultural, industrial or otherwise. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - Join the Earth Science Week team in encouraging everyone to explore geoscience careers on “Geoscience for Everyone Day” Thursday, October 16, 2014. If you’re an educator, invite a geoscientist to speak in your classroom. If you’re a geoscientist, visit a school or volunteer at a science center. Organize a scout event, lead a field trip, or hold a special “Take Your Child to Work Day.” You can make a real difference during Earth Science Week 2014 by opening a young person’s eyes to the world of Earth science. [Read More]

Alexandria, Va. — Most people are familiar with the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and are aware of the earthquake risk posed to the Bay Area — and much of California — by the San Andreas Fault. However, a cluster of large earthquakes struck the San Andreas and nearby faults in the 17th and 18th centuries, releasing about the same amount of energy throughout the Bay Area as the 1906 quake. [Read More]

Valley Fever — a sometimes-fatal infection with no known cure and no vaccine — is caused by a soilborne fungus that thrives in the hot, dry soils of the southwestern U.S., Mexico and Central and South America. However, recent reports of infections far outside the endemic area indicate the fungus is either spreading or becoming active in new areas. The disease is contracted through inhalation of fungal spores, which can be aerosolized by soil disturbances from construction, excavation, gardening and landscaping, as well as natural events like dust storms, earthquakes, landslides and wildfires. [Read More]

Is a natural gas-dominant economy achievable in North America? Would it be desirable? These are the questions that the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) aims to address in its inaugural Critical Issues Forum: “America’s Increasing Reliance on Natural Gas: Benefits and Risks of a Methane Economy.” The event will take place in Fort Worth, Texas from November 19-20, 2014. Registration is now open and can be found here. To encourage participation from experts at AGI Member organizations, a $25 registration discount will be applied to members of the organizations that make up the AGI federation. [Read More]

Although Mauna Loa often takes a back seat to the more famous Kilauea, which has been erupting nearly continuously since 1983, history warns us that Mauna Loa’s current silence is anomalous. Meanwhile, more people and more buildings pack into potentially hazardous areas: locations where Mauna Loa’s lava has reached in the past and likely will reach again. Read more about the steps geologists are already taking — such as upgrading their monitoring tools and talking with the public — to prepare for another eruption of Mauna Loa in the September issue of EARTH Magazine. [Read More]