Tag Archives: geophysics

Mantle Plumes May Be Real (or maybe not)

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Geophysicist Tuzo Wilson had a creepy daydream. He imagined himself lying at the bottom of a creek, looking up at water flowing overhead. He blew bubbles. They rose, were caught by the current, and drifted away. He came back from … Continue reading →

Posted in History, How Geophysics Works, Non-drift Theories, People, Plate Tectonics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Earth Expands on Mystery Diet

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Not long ago, a reader of this blog commented on my story about Alfred Wegener and continental drift. Wegener’s theory, you know, kicked around for about 50 years before enough evidence accumulated to prove its sister theory, plate tectonics. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Geology, Non-drift Theories, Plate Tectonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Created Last Thursday

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Ron Miksha

It’s hard to argue with someone who says that the whole universe was created last Thursday.   Everything in its place, a stage built and actors entering. Is this the way you picture reality? I hope not – you would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, How Geophysics Works, Non-drift Theories, Plate Tectonics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Trumpeting the Quake

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Earthquake prediction may run off in a new direction. We’ve tried electronics attached to seismic detectors (and made some progress), but there may be a new ally in the battle to give a warning before the next big one knocks … Continue reading →

Posted in Geology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

World’s Biggest Fracking Quake?

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Ron Miksha

“Did Alberta Just Break a Fracking Earthquake World Record?” This is the headline in The Tyee, an online independent magazine focused on western Canada, and it seems the paper thinks so. The Tyee’s coverage of a big fracking earthquake in … Continue reading →

Posted in Engineering, Geology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tibetan Mountain Mystery

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Tibet’s mysterious plateau – part of the largest and thickest bit of earth crust anywhere on the planet – was recently subjected to the scrutiny of a group of Kansas University scientists. They flew into Lhasa, capital of Tibet, then … Continue reading →

Posted in History, How Geophysics Works, Non-drift Theories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Riding the Moho

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Ron Miksha

  Today is the anniversary of the birth (January 23, 1857) of a brilliant geophysicist with an unpronounceable name (unless you are Croatian) – Andrija Mohorovičić. (You may say On-Dree-Ya Mow-Hoe-Row-Vitch-Itch. Or, like many a grad student, you could simply … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Geology, History, How Geophysics Works, Plate Tectonics, The Book | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ben Franklin: Geophysicist

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Ron Miksha

It’s a stretch to claim Benjamin Franklin as a fellow geophysicist. But I think we have more claim to him than the optometrists who consider Franklin a fellow glasses-maker. (Franklin invented bifocals.) Franklin, whose birthday is today, studied lightning and … Continue reading →

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Tonga Shakes. Again.

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Tonga. It’s an archipelago for the seismic history books. Tonga is in the news again, this time the submarine volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai was spotted by NASA satellites because the eruptions discoloured the Pacific waters amidst the island kingdom’s 176 … Continue reading →

Posted in Geology, History, How Geophysics Works, Oceans, Plate Tectonics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Colour Blind Geologist

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Ron Miksha

I grew up on a truck-garden farm where children were paid to pick strawberries and tomatoes. I couldn’t tell red from green; I was forever poor. My siblings – especially my younger sisters – would pick three baskets for each … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments