Denver, Colo., USA, 66 million years ago, a 10-kilometer asteroid hit Earth, triggering the extinction of the dinosaurs. New evidence suggests that the Chicxulub impact also triggered an earthquake so massive that it shook the planet for weeks to months after the collision. The amount of energy released in this “mega-earthquake” is estimated at 1023 joules, […]
Geological Society of America
Posted inSci/Tech
Post-Wildfire Step-Pool Streams
April 5, 2019 – Steps and pools are among the most stable and functionally important features in the mountain river landscape. Their stability is important for dissipating stream energy, withstanding ordinary floods and resisting erosion, and regulating the flow and sediment dynamics feeding into lowland areas. Clasts comprising steps also offer habitats for sensitive and […]
Posted inRegional
Underwater surveys in Emerald Bay reveal the nature and activity of Lake Tahoe faults
Boulder, Colo., March 21, 2019 – Emerald Bay, California, a beautiful location on the southwestern shore of Lake Tahoe, is surrounded by rugged landscape, including rocky cliffs and remnants of mountain glaciers. Scenic as it may be, the area is also a complex structural puzzle. Understanding the history of fault movement in the Lake Tahoe […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Rapid 3D analysis of rockfalls in Yosemite
BOULDER, CO, June 28, 2018 – Yosemite National Park contains some of the world’s most iconic landforms, including Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and El Capitan. Although the cliffs of Yosemite Valley may appear static, rockfalls from these cliffs are common, with a rockfall occurring every four to five days on average. Rockfalls are key to […]
Posted inEnviro
Glacier Photos Illustrate Climate Change
BOULDER, CO, April 3, 2017 – Climate is changing — there should be zero doubt about this circa 2017. The outstanding issue for the geoscience community has been how we best portray to this to the public. In their GSA Today article posted online on 30 March 2017, a team of experts in the field […]
Posted inCalifornia
California’s Almond Boom has Ramped up Water Use, Consumed Wetlands and Stressed Pollinators
BOULDER, CO, Sept. 27, 2016 – A new study using aerial imagery across the state of California has found that converting land to grow almonds between 2007 and 2014 has led to a 27% annual increase in irrigation demands — despite the state’s historic drought. The expansion of almonds has also consumed 16,000 acres of […]