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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2018

Can the earth be dated from decay of its magnetic field?.

Thomas G. Barnes, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Texas, El Paso, and a creationist, argues that the geomagnetic field was created by unknown processes at the time of creation of the earth and has been decaying irreversibly and exponentially, with a half-life of about 1400 years, since then. He calculates that the field would have been impossibly large in 8000 B.C. and concludes that the earth, therefore, is less than 10,000 years old. He denies that the earth's field has reversed polarity in the past, and attempts to refute the dynamo theory of the origin of the field. Barnes' arguments and conclusions are commonly cited in creationist literature as definitive proof that the earth is very young. Barnes is wrong, and has ignored or misrepresented much of the data on the earth's magnetic field. Barnes calculations are based on observatory measurements showing that the earth's dipole field strength has decreased since 1835. But these same measurements also show a corresponding increase in the strength of the nondipole field so that the total field energy external to the core has remained about constant. Paleomagnetic evidence shows that the earth's field has existed for more than three billion years, and that the dipole field both fluctuates in strength and irregularly reverses polarity. The earth's field is generated by a fluid dynamo in the iron-nickel core; all of the elements necessary for a dynamo, including fluid motion and energy sources, are present. Contrary to Barnes' assertions, there are no theoretical reasons why a dynamo cannot exist in the earth. There are no properties of the magnetid field that can be used to place an upper limit on the earth's age.

Journal of Geological Education↗
USGS2018

Structure of the North American Atlantic Continental Margin

The use of multichannel seismic-reflection profiles to study oceanic areas has advanced our understanding of deep crustal structure and the history of its development. Off eastern North America, where the structure of the continental margin is essentially constructional, seismic profiles have approximated geologic cross sections up to 10–15 km below the sea floor and revealed major structural and stratigraphic features that have regional hydrocarbon potential. These features include (a) a block-faulted basement hinge zone; (b) a deep, broad, rifted basement filled with clastic sediment and salt; and (c) a buried paleoshelf-edge complex that has many forms. The mapping of seismo-stratigraphic units over the continental shelf, slope, and rise has shown that the margin's developmental state included infilling of a rifted margin, buildup of a carbonate platform, and construction of an onlapping continental-rise wedge that was accompanied by eroison of the slope. Correlation of seismic stratigraphy with well-log biostratigraphy reveals that the area experienced a gradual rise in sea level during the Mesozoic and an episodic sea-level fall during the Cenozoic. These long-term changes formed a subdued continental shelf-slope-rise transition in the early Tertiary and a steepened one in the Quaternary. Comparison of seismic and drill-hole data has also shown margin-wide unconformities similar to those shown by the Vail curve of coastal onlap and eustatic sea-level change, i.e., unconformities that provide markers to subdivide the sequences of reflections on the seismic-reflection profiles. Further, the termination of older key reflectors against oceanic basement gives us a corroborative check on the age of oceanic crust as determined from the magnetic anomalies produced by sea-floor-spreading.

Journal of Geological Education↗
USGS2018

Integration of potential-field and digital geologic data for two North American geoscience transects

Two North American contributions to the Global Geoscience Transects Program, the Quebec-Maine-Gulf of Maine transect and the Great Lakes portion of the United States-Canadian Border transect, are among the first to produce digital geology in a form that can be combined with gridded gravity and aeromagnetic data. Maps of shaded relief and color-composite bandpass-filtered potential-field data combined with overlays of digitized geologic contacts and faults reveal significant new geologic information, including the relative thickness of plutons, the structure of poorly exposed or concealed magnetic units, and possible evidence for mineralized ground. Mechanisms for capturing digital geology by use of scanners, commercial geographic information systems (GIS) software packages, and public-domain PC-based software packages are illustrated by examples from these two transects. The digital geology is combined with the potential field data by use of in-house raster-based image-processing software and commercial hardware. Geologic cross sections constructed along the transects may be tested and refined by using 2-D and 2.5-D magnetic- and gravity-modeling software. The integrated data sets ultimately allow construction of 3-D models of the crust within the transects.

Journal of Geological Education↗
USGS2018

Physician/chemist/geologist Charles Thomas Jackson's life of conflict and controversy

After a brief medical career, Charles Thomas Jackson (1805–1880) began work as a consulting chemist and geologist in Boston. He served as State Geologist in Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire from 1837 to 1844, and completed geologica l surveys of those States. In 1847, he was appointed United States Geologist to undertake a survey of the public lands of the Lake Superior region of Michigan. This survey was beset by strife, and Jackson was forced to resign in 1849. But he was already embroiled in the even larger “ether controversy,” which pitted Jackson against his former student, Boston dentist William T.G. Morton, each of whom claimed to be the discoverer of ether anaesthesia. The confrontation was prolonged, dramatic, and the focus of a 1944 Hollywood motion picture. In the end, Morton emerged the apparent victor, but the personal toll on both men was severe. Jackson was committed to a Massachusetts insane asylum in 1873 and died there seven years later. Despite a personality that his modern biographers have described as “irritable,” “eccentric,” and “paranoid,” Jackson made significant contributions to the early science of geology in the United States.

Journal of Geological Education↗
USGS1967

Explorers from space

The statement that a new era in exploration is opening will almost surely bring to mind the venturing of man into space and the ever more imminent exploration of the moon. The reference here, however, is to exploration of earth itself and to the unique capabilities for study of the earth that space technology will provide. Demands for water, minerals, energy, food, and for working, living and recreational space are outrunning our ability to meet them by traditional methods. In order to satisfy these demands, it is necessary now, just as it has been in the past, to look to the activities, the instruments, and the technologies that in part create the pressures for aid in meeting them. Studies being made at the U.S. Geological Survey and elsewhere of the potential applications of remote sensors in space to earth resources research indicate that now, at last, it will be possible to approach solutions on a regional or global basis. This paper discusses the plans for an Earth Resources Observational Satellites Program which will be designed for that purpose.

Journal of Geological Education↗
USGS2018

Soil science and geology: Connects, disconnects and new opportunities in geoscience education

Despite historical linkages, the fields of geology and soil science have developed along largely divergent paths in the United States during much of the mid- to late- twentieth century. The shift in recent decades within both disciplines to greater emphasis on environmental quality issues and a systems approach has created new opportunities for collaboration and cross-training. Because of the importance of the soil as a dynamic interface between the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere, introductory and advanced soil science classes are now being taught in a number of earth and environmental science departments. The National Research Council's recent report, Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science, highlights the soil zone as part of the land surface-to-groundwater "critical zone" requiring additional investigation. To better prepare geology undergraduates to deal with complex environmental problems, their training should include a fundamental understanding of the nature and properties of soils. Those undergraduate geology students with an interest in this area should be encouraged to view soil science as a viable earth science specialty area for graduate study. Summer internships such as those offered by the National Science Foundation-funded Integrative Graduate Education, Research, and Training (IGERT) programs offer geology undergraduates the opportunity to explore research and career opportunities in soil science.

Journal of Geoscience Education↗
USGS2018

The art, history, and geoscience of Hindustan Whetstone gravestones in Indiana

Cemeteries can be intriguing places to people, in part because of a fascination with death but also because of the quiet solitude and artistic beauty found there. Many grave monuments are really works of art and can be appreciated on that basis alone. Cemeteries can also serve as teaching laboratories for geologists. Monument types, carving styles, ornamentation, and durability are all related, to some extent, to the type of rock used. The older the monument dates the more variability one can see in the character of the stones. Pioneer cemeteries in southern Indiana, some of which date back to the early 1800s, can be used to teach concepts in mineralogy, depositional environments, and paleoastronomy. This can be very useful to someone teaching some of the basic concepts of geology.

Indiana↗
USGS2018

A guided inquiry approach to learning the geology of the U.S

A guided inquiry exercise has been developed to help teach the geology of the U.S. This exercise is intended for use early in the school term when undergraduate students have little background knowledge of geology. Before beginning, students should be introduced to rock types and have a basic understanding of geologic time. This exercise uses three maps: the U.S. Geological Survey's "A Tapestry of Time and Terrain" and "Landforms of the Conterminous United States" maps, and a geologic map of the United States. Using these maps, groups of 3 to 5 students are asked to identify between 8 and 12 geologic provinces based on topography, the age of rocks, and rock types. Each student is given a blank outline map of the contiguous U.S. and each group is given a set of the three maps and colored pencils; as a group, students work to define regions in the U.S. with similar geology. A goal of 8 to 12 geologic provinces is given to help establish the level of detail being asked of students. One member of each group is asked to present their group's findings to the class, describing their geologic provinces and the reasoning behind their choices.

Journal of Geoscience Education↗
USGS2006

Teachers doing science: An authentic geology research experience for teachers

Fairmont State University (FSU) and the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) provided a small pilot group of West Virginia science teachers with a professional development session designed to mimic experiences obtained by geology majors during a typical summer field camp. Called GEOTECH, the program served as a research capstone event complimenting the participants' multi-year association with the RockCamp professional development program. GEOTECH was funded through a Improving Teacher Quality Grant administered by West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. Over the course of three weeks, eight GEOTEACH participants learned field measurement and field data collection techniques which they then applied to the construction of a surficial geologic map. The program exposed participants to authentic scientific processes by emphasizing the authentic scientific application of content knowledge. As a secondary product, it also enhanced their appreciation of the true nature of science in general and geology particular. After the session, a new appreciation of the effort involved in making a geologic map emerged as tacit knowledge ready to be transferred to their students. The program was assessed using pre/post instruments, cup interviews, journals, artifacts (including geologic maps, field books, and described sections), performance assessments, and constructed response items. Evaluation of the accumulated data revealed an increase in participants demonstrated use of science content knowledge, an enhanced awareness and understanding of the processes and nature of geologic mapping, positive dispositions toward geologic research and a high satisfaction rating for the program. These findings support the efficacy of the experience and document future programmatic enhancements.

Journal of Geoscience Education↗
USGS1970

Annotated bibliography on artificial recharge of ground water, 1955-67

Artificial ground-water recharge has become more important as water use by agriculture, industry, and municipalities increases. Water management agencies are increasingly interested in potential use of recharge for pollution abatement, waste-water disposal, and re-use and reclamation of locally available supplies. Research projects and theoretical analyses of operational recharge systems show increased scientific emphasis on the practice. Overall ground-water basin management systems generally now contain considerations of artificial recharge, whether by direct or indirect methods. Artificial ground-water recharge is a means of conserving surface runoff for future use in places where it would otherwise be lost, of protecting ground-water basins from salt-water encroachment along coastal areas, and of storing and distributing imported water. The biblio-graphy emphasizes technology; however, annotations of articles on waste-water reclamation, ground-water management and ground-water basin management are included. Subjects closely related to artificial recharge, including colloidal flow through porous media, field or laboratory instrumentation, and waste disposal by deep well injection are included where they specifically relate to potential recharge problems. Where almost the same material has been published in several journals, all references are included on the assumption that some publications may be more readily available to interested persons than others. Other publications, especially those of foreign literature, provided abstracts that were used freely as time limitations precluded obtaining and annotating all materials. Abstracts taken from published sources are noted. These are: "Abstracts of North American Geology," U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey; "Abstracts of Recent Published Material on Foil and Water Conservation," ARS-41 series, Agricultural F.esearch Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; "Water and1 Water Engineering," published by Fuel and Metallurgical Journals, Ltd., London, England; "Journal of Geophysical Research," American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.; "American Society of Civil Engineers Transactions," New York; "Selected Bibliography of Hydrology, United Kingdom, for the Years 1955-59," International Association of Scientific Hydrology; "Water Wells, an Annotated Bibliography," California University Water Resources Center Archives Report 13; "Re-use of Effluent in the Future With an Annotated Bibliography," by G. A. Whetstone, Texas Water Development Board Report 8, Austin, Tex.; "Journal of Water Pollution Control Federation," Washington, D.C.; and "A List of Selected Technical References on Artificial Recharge of Ground-Water Reservoirs," compiled by Roy W. Graves, Tulsa University, Information Services Department, Tulsa, Okla. Other notations are self-explanatory, and initials are those of the authors (DCS, DJG, WK). An unpublished compilation of recharge references by Arnon Arad sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization during a training period with the U.S. Geological Survey was also used. The bibliography is arranged alphabetically by author. Where an author has more than one publication, the arrangement is chronological; where an author has more than one publication in a given year, a, b, c, . . . are added. The indexing is by subject and geographic location. Each article was assigned the key words or phrases to best characterize its contents. Units of measure are as they were in the original article; abbreviations retained are generally those in common use such as mg/1 (milligrams per liter), ppm (parts per million), gpm (gallons per minute), km (kilometers), m (meters), cu m per hr (cubic meters p^r hour), cfs (cubic feet per second), me/1 (milliequivalents per liter), psi (pounds per square inch), BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), sq m (square meters), gpd (gallons per day), and mgd (million gallons per day). The bibliography was prepared because of the worldwide interest in the field of artificial recharge and the need for a single source of references to the literature published since 1954. The work is a sequel to the "Annotated Bibliography on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water Through 1954," by D. K. Todd, U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1477, published in 1959.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2012

Enhanced visualization for the interpretation of Magellan radar data: Supplement to the Magellan special issue

The differences of radar data from more familiar photographic images, coupled with the unique geologic characteristics of Venus's surface, can make interpretation of the standard Magellan data products difficult for both planetary scientists and nonspecialists. We describe a set of digital processing techniques for transforming individual remote‐sensing datasets in order to make the information they contain more apparent, and for combining multiple datasets of diverse resolution and information content into synthetic images that allow the viewer to explore correlations among the data. The creation of derived data products by techniques like those we describe is becoming increasingly widespread and important, both for scientific research and for use in educational and media presentations. We apply our processing techniques to Magellan synthetic aperture radar images, altimetry, and microwave emissivity measurements of four areas that exemplify some of the most important styles of geologic activity on Venus.

Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets↗
USGS2018

Calibrated peer review assignments for the earth sciences

Calibrated Peer Review ™ (CPR), a web-based instructional tool developed as part of the National Science Foundation reform initiatives in undergraduate science education, allows instructors to incorporate multiple writing assignments in large courses without overwhelming the instructor. This study reports successful implementation of CPR in a large, introductory geology course and student learning of geoscience content. For each CPR assignment in this study, students studied web-based and paper resources, wrote an essay, and reviewed seven essays (three from the instructor, three from peers, and their own) on the topic. Although many students expressed negative attitudes and concerns, particularly about the peer review process of this innovative instructional approach, they also recognized the learning potential of completing CPR assignments. Comparing instruction on earthquakes and plate boundaries using a CPR assignment vs. an instructional video lecture and homework essay with extensive instructor feedback, students mastered more content via CPR instruction.

Journal of Geoscience Education↗
USGS2014

Past, present, and future of water data delivery from the U.S. Geological Survey

We present an overview of national water databases managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, including surface-water, groundwater, water-quality, and water-use data. These are readily accessible to users through web interfaces and data services. Multiple perspectives of data are provided, including search and retrieval of real-time data and historical data, on-demand current conditions and alert services, data compilations, spatial representations, analytical products, and availability of data across multiple agencies.

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Educati↗
USGS2018

Stream piracy in the Black Hills: A geomorphology lab exercise

The Black Hills of South Dakota exhibits many fine examples of stream piracy that are very suitable for teaching geomorphology lab exercises. This lab goes beyond standard topographic map interpretation by using geologic maps, well logs, gravel provenance and other types of data to teach students about stream piracy. Using a step-by-step method in which the lab exercises ramp up in difficulty, students hone their skills in deductive reasoning and data assimilation. The first exercises deal with the identification of stream piracy at a variety of spatial scales and the lab culminates with an exercise on landscape evolution and drainage rearrangement.

South Dakota↗
USGS2018

An on-campus well field for hydrogeophysics education and undergraduate research

The emerging subdiscipline of hydrogeophysics is underdeveloped in undergraduate curricula relative to its importance in professional engineering/environmental practice. In 2001, the Bucknell Department of Geology initiated efforts to refocus an undergraduate geophysics course on near-surface geophysical methods for hydrologic, environmental, and engineering problems. In addition to offering students practical experience, treatment of hydrogeophysics provides important pedagogical opportunities. Field-based hydrogeophysics labs challenge students to integrate concepts from other geology courses, as well as from physics, math, and chemistry. We faced two challenges in revising our geophysics course: (1) access to wells for field exercises on borehole geophysics; and (2) the costs of acquiring and maintaining equipment. We pursued two strategies to solve these problems. First, we established an on-campus well field, which serves as a field laboratory for downhole and cross-hole experiments. Second, we incorporated field demonstrations and lectures by professional geoscientists, including alumni, into our courses. By adding field exercises to our syllabi and promoting undergraduate research, we are building a cutting-edge dataset that includes televiewer and standard wellbore logging, cross-hole tomography, and hydraulic-test data. Student-led analysis of these data has already provided valuable insights into the control of fractures on aquifer properties, and these observations are being combined with outcrop studies to place our results in a more regional context.

Pennsylvania↗