Tag Archive | "geology"

Learn about the ash that comes from volcanoes with Dr. Liz Cottrell, a geologist from the National Museum of Natural History

Learn about the ash that comes from volcanoes with Dr. Liz Cottrell, a geologist from the National Museum of Natural History

[...more]

Video, geology Comments (0)

Olivine

Olivine

Olivine is the most common mineral in Earth’s upper mantle. This olivine crystal from the mid-ocean ridge in the Pacific contains tiny bits of volcanic glass, a sample of the liquid rock the crystal grew from. Smithsonian scientists are interested in the composition of this glass, which includes dissolved water. From [...] [...more]

Science Spotlight, geology Comments (0)

Photos reveal recent activity in moon’s crust

Photos reveal recent activity in moon’s crust

New images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft show the moon's crust is being stretched, forming minute valleys in a few small areas on the lunar surface. [...more]

astrophysics, geology Comments (0)

Boom and bust cycle of marine biodiversity every 60 million years linked to uplifting of continents

Boom and bust cycle of marine biodiversity every 60 million years linked to uplifting of continents

A mysterious cycle of booms and busts in marine biodiversity over the past 500 million years could be tied to a periodic uplifting of the world's continents, scientists report [...more]

geology Comments (0)

Q&A: Smithsonian volcanologist Richard Wunderman answers questions about the Aug. 23, East Coast earthquake

Q&A: Smithsonian volcanologist Richard Wunderman answers questions about the Aug. 23, East Coast earthquake

Richard Wunderman is managing editor of the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network and a geologist in the Division of Mineral Sciences at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Following the earthquake that rumbled across the East Coast of the United States on Aug. 23, Smithsonianscience.org asked Wunderman a few questions about earthquakes and [...] [...more]

geology Comments (0)

New 20-foot extinct species of crocodile discovered in Colombian coal mine

New 20-foot extinct species of crocodile discovered in Colombian coal mine

University of Florida and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute scientists describe a new 20-foot extinct species of crocodile discovered in the same Colombian coal mine with Titanoboa, the world’s largest snake. [...more]

paleontology Comments (0)

Following in the footsteps of James Smithson

Following in the footsteps of James Smithson

Inveraray Castle in Argyllshire, Scotland, was one of the places visited by James Smithson (1764–1829), geologist and founder of the Smithsonian Institution, during the summer of 1784 while he was traveling on a scientific expedition to the remote island of Staffa on Scotland’s Northwest coast. Steven Turner, Division of Medicine and Science curator at the [...] [...more]

Science Spotlight Comments (0)

500 carats of rough diamonds donated to Natural History Museum

500 carats of rough diamonds donated to Natural History Museum

More than 500 carats of rough diamonds were recently donated to the Department of Mineral Sciences of the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum by Jewlers Mutual Insurance Co. of Neenah, Wis. [...more]

New Acquisitions, geology Comments (1)

« Previous Entries

Recent Videos

Meet our Scientists—Videos!

Science Spotlight

Scientists from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center have found that fledgling catbirds living in the suburbs are extremely vulnerable. Almost 80 percent are killed by predators before they reach adulthood. Nearly half of the deaths are connected to domestic cats. The team studied catbird nests in 3 suburban neighborhoods in Maryland: Spring Park, Opal Daniels Park, and Bethesda. Learn more about this 2011 study by clicking here. (Catbird photo by Gerhard Hofmann)

Science Spotlight Archives

Categories

Archives

Related Sites