Monthly Archives: May 2014

Kickstarting Tectonics

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Ron Miksha

The Mountain Mystery. tells the story of how (most) geologists and geophysicists finally agreed that plate tectonics moves the continents, opens ocean basins, and scrunches crust into mountains. But what started the tectonic motion? Most of us assume that the scheme … Continue reading →

Posted in History, How Geophysics Works | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Searching for Haida Gwaii

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Haida Gwaii. Totem poles and sea mist shroud the west coast islands of Canada. Rain is occasionally heavy enough to drown a duck. (30 cm a day is possible.) Or maybe the ducks drown in the tsunamis – earthquakes give … Continue reading →

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Doodling Mary Anning

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Today Google has a doodle honouring Mary Anning, one of palaeontology’s pioneers. The reason Google chose Anning on this day?  It remembers her birthdate – she would have been 215 years old today. Alas, she didn’t reach 50. Here is … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, History, The Book | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

It’s different

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Convicted of forgery, American attorney Amos Eaton spent five years in prison. Released at age 40, his law career ruined, and still protesting his innocence, he moved on. That was in 1815. Geology became his greatest interest and teaching was … Continue reading →

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Columbus rides again

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Ron Miksha

    It seems the Santa Maria has been found. Marine archaeologist Barry Clifford and his team believe they have found the sunken vessel. Columbus left Europe in August, 1492, with three ships – La Pinta, La Nina, and Santa Maria, … Continue reading →

Posted in Exploration, Oceans | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Dustbowl Oceanographer’s Birthday

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Ron Miksha

William Maurice Ewing was a Texas farmboy from the state’s desert panhandle. Somehow he became one of America’s greatest oceanographers. Today we remember his birthday (May 12, 1906) and remember a bit about what he did for the study of … Continue reading →

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After Wegener

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Ron Miksha

May 12 is the 83rd anniversary of the discovery of Alfred Wegener’s body. Wegener, of course, was the meteorologist, physicist, and polar explorer who made the first really reasonable conjecture about moveable continents. There were others before him – as … Continue reading →

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Mountains as a mystery

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Ron Miksha

The release of the book, The Mountain Mystery, coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of how the Earth’s mountains were formed. It’s fascinating to think about – in our parents’ and grandparents’ lifetimes, geologists finally figured out why … Continue reading →

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