Alexandria, VA — The “Garden of the Gods at Colorado Springs” excursion at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA) last year was, in many ways, a normal—even enjoyable—field trip. Standard geologic terminology was used in the accompanying field trip guide and the guides relied on orthodox geologic thinking to explain geologic features. However, the trip was anything but a normal geology field trip. As EARTH explores in its July feature “Creationism Creeps into Mainstream Geology,” the field trip was an example of a new strategy from creationists to interject their ideas into mainstream geology: Creationists lead field trips and present posters and talks at scientific meetings. [Read More]

Explore Stonehammer Geopark, the first geopark in North America, located along the rugged Bay of Fundy on Canada’s southeast coast. Spanning 2,500-square-kilometers and centered on Saint John, New Brunswick, this geopark offers a variety of geological experiences: “Explore the rapids, fossils, millions-of-years-old petrified forests, and billion-year-old rocks along with EARTH in June’s feature ‘Stonehammer Geopark: A Billion Years of Stories.’” The June issue of EARTH also features articles on: What scientists are learning from the Japan and New Zealand earthquakes Research on the mysterious disease killing bats by the millions NASA’s MESSENGER mission to Mercury The lack of evidence supporting the theory that one large earthquake can cause another large quake thousands of kilometers away For further information on the June featured article, visit: http://www. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) has just released the Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2011 report for digital, print and ebook purchase. The 2011 report has been updated and substantially expanded from the 2009 edition, and integrates all available data sources, including original data collected by AGI, as well as data from federal, community, and industry sources, into a comprehensive report that focuses on both the human and economic parameters of the geosciences. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA —Next week marks the 67th anniversary of D-Day, when the Allies stormed the beaches at Normandy, France, and changed the face of World War II. Not much evidence of the war remains in Normandy: a few dilapidated relics, a cemetery, a war memorial. But something else was left behind that cannot be seen by the naked eye: shrapnel and iron and glass beads left over from the D-Day invasions in 1944. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) has posted the “Geoscience Careers in Minerals Exploration” webinar online for those who were unable to attend the event on April 21, 2011. Minerals exploration is, and will continue to be, a field that requires well-trained professionals to provide society with the resources necessary for daily life and economic growth. Watch AGI’s GeoWebinar on this subject to learn about what skills and academic background are required to work in minerals exploration, what an exploration geologist can do in the course of their career, and what the employment prospects are in the minerals exploration industry. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — On February 22, a magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, killing nearly 200 people and causing $12 billion in damage. About three weeks later, a massive magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck northern Honshu, Japan. The quake and tsunami killed about 30,000 people and caused an estimated $310 billion in damage. Both events are stark reminders of human vulnerability to natural disasters and provide a harsh reality check: Even technologically advanced countries with modern building codes are not immune from earthquake disasters. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — Hundreds of thousands of tiny white-nosed bats have died over the past few winters, falling to cave floors across the eastern United States. The killer is White Nose Syndrome, a mysterious disease inflicted by an unusual cold-loving fungus that attacks bats while they are hibernating. Come spring, as few as 5 percent of the bats in heavily infected roosts are still alive. More than 2 million bats have already been killed by the disease. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce Dr. Robert H. Dott, Jr., Professor Emeritus, Department of Geoscience of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as the recipient of the 2011 Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal. Established in 1999, the award is presented to a geoscientist who has demonstrated a long history of scientific achievement and exceptional service to the geoscience profession. Dr. Dott received his B.S. and M. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — Dr. P. Patrick Leahy, American Geological Institute (AGI) Executive Director has been appointed as a Commissioner to the U.S. National Commission to United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by Secretary of State Clinton. Founded in 1945 to contribute to peace and security, UNESCO promotes collaboration among the nations through education, science, and culture. Today, the United States has two UNESCO affiliations, one at the Permanent Mission in Paris and the U. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) is now accepting advance orders for the 2011 Earth Science Week Toolkit. The kit contains educational materials for all ages that correspond to this year’s theme of “Our Ever-Changing Earth.” The Toolkit will be sent in August 2011. The 2011 Earth Science Week Toolkit provides the traditional theme-related activity calendar and classroom activity poster published by AGI. It also features a variety of educational resources from program partners, including: [Read More]