Alexandria, VA - The American Geological Institute Workforce Program has released its latest data report, this time looking at the price of crude oil and the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar.* Oil is a global commodity traded in US dollars. As the dollar loses value, the price of oil rises relative to other currencies and value metrics. This “Geoscience Currents” shows that a significant proportion of the rise in global oil prices is tied to the drop in the US dollar. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) Workforce Program has announced the 2007 enrollment and degrees granted in the geosciences statistics in the latest Geoscience Currents. Enrollment rates have remained steady for 2007 with 19,216 undergraduate students and 7,944 graduate students enrolled. The geoscience degrees granted in 2007 also remained steady except for doctoral degrees which showed a large 30 percent increase, mirroring a surge in graduate enrollments in 2003. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — What does the future hold for solar power? Geotimes magazine explores efficient ways of turning the sun’s power into electricity in its April cover story, “Desert Power: A Solar Renaissance.” Solar power has regained popularity amid increasing fossil fuel costs and green initiatives. New technology has made this form of electricity generation even more economically appealing and efficient. Traditional solar panels convert light into energy, but new, more efficient solar thermal power plants focus the sun’s heat to produce energy directly. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The latest edition of the Directory of Geoscience Departments (DGD) — the definitive source for information about college and university geoscience departments in the United States and in 44 countries — has just been published by the American Geological Institute (AGI). The Directory of Geoscience Departments, 46th Edition, provides a state-sorted listing of over 2,000 geoscience departments, research departments and institutes plus listings of their faculty and staff. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce that the theme of Earth Science Week 2008 will be “No Child Left Inside.” “No Child Left Inside” will focus the nation on learning about the earth sciences in their natural setting, outside. Schoolchildren across the nation will turn off the TV and step away from their computers to discover the rocks, soil, watersheds, and weather patterns in their community. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA—The American Geological Institute (AGI) Workforce Program reports on salaries by years of experience in the most recent Geoscience Currents. AGI has found that between 2004 and 2005, geoscientist starting salaries jumped by nearly ten percent. In comparison, salaries increased 20 percent in late career geoscientists in that same time period. As expected, with higher education comes higher pay. But because of continuing shortages of experienced geoscientists, mid-career geoscientists with only a Bachelor’s degree can out-earn those with higher degrees, with an average salary of $135,000 with 10-14 years of experience, compared to only $103,000 for doctoral geoscientists with the same experience. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — Coastlines are the most dynamic feature on the planet. In the March issue, Geotimes magazine looks into the risks of increased development along our coastlines and what that means for erosion, flooding, and future development. As coastal communities grow, so does the call for human-made structures to prevent local beach erosion. But what do these structures mean for the overall health of surrounding coastal areas? Geotimes follows the erosion patterns of the southern shore of Long Island, starting with its recovery from the 1938 Long Island New England Hurricane. [Read More]

Dam removal is gaining popularity across the country and the March issue of Geotimes explores this new trend, and what happens when the dams come down. The number of large and small dams being removed from U.S. rivers is few, but increasing, as both river restoration gains popularity and aging dams lose their license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. But with these removals come ecological and geological unknowns. Geotimes follows the story of Marmot Dam in northwestern Oregon to learn more about what happens when a human-made structure is removed from a river after 94 years. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — For the first time, the American Geological Institute (AGI) will be exhibiting at the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. The large geographic conference in the world will feature more than 6,000 geographers and 54 exhibitors. Visit the AGI Booth (number 539) at the Boston Marriott Copley Place April 15-19, 2008. Attendees will be able to preview our selection of publications, such as the Glossary of Geology, and our online services. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — In the February issue of Geotimes magazine, now available on newsstands at http://www.geotimes.org, Geotimes examines the complicated issues surrounding Iraq’s exploration and production. Iraq boasts the largest untapped oil reserves in the world. Unfortunately, the instability that comes with war, attacks on infrastructure and the outdated technology currently in use in Iraq has led to the lowest reserve-to-production ratio of all oil-producing countries. Before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Iraq was averaging 2. [Read More]