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129 results for “georgically”
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New paper!
We know a lot about export patterns from #euphotic carbonate platforms. But very little about these patterns in #mesophotic ones (which, geologically, they were very common).
I aim to fill that gap with new data from the western Indian Ocean.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dep2.299 -
Measurement of D/H and 13C/12C Ratios in #Methane Ice on #Eris and #Makemake - Evidence for Internal Activity: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05085 -> Webb telescope spots hints that Eris, Makemake are geologically active: https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/webb-telescope-spots-hints-that-eris-makemake-are-geologically-active/ - Webb measured isotopes at the edge of the Solar System, hinting at chemistry.
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My first Ozark cave had zero formations but a lot of fun cave life and the floor was 100% breakdown. Very interesting geologically. This image is near the back of the cave, and Erin from NC State who is a part of a cave microclimate project stands atop this pile of rock. Thanks to Mike Slay for sorting access and leading the trips!
#cave #caves #caving #biology #geology #cavescience #cavephotography #ozarks #speleology
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A new season of Nick on the Rocks is here!
The pinnacles of Saddle Rock - known as Two Bears to the Wenatchi - tower over the city of Wenatchee, silent sentinels that remind us of Washington's geologically turbulent past.
Made up of rhyolite, the spired landscape hugging the westside of the city tells the story of a possible supervolcano beneath the surface. https://bit.ly/3J30gJO
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Why did I decide to move here again…I know it’s probably rebound from seasonal melt - or the opposite from recent snowfall - but I’m regretting not following my geologically-aware gut.
1st img: Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. Date range unknown - at least 10 days. ALL quakes, including sub-1.0s. Orange dots = last 24 hours.
2nd img: QuakeFeed. All 1.0+ quakes in the last 30 days.
#PNSN #QuakeFeed #PNW #PacificNorthwest #MtRainier #earthquake #quake #EarthquakeSwarm #seattle #wa #washington
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An even handed article on the current DePalma paper about a site that may have captured the aftermath of the asteroid impact that killed off the non-avian dinosaurs. That site is probably very interesting, geologically, but in terms of dinosaur fossils, we have to wait for future studies and results first.
#Dinosaurs #Fossils #Geology #Asteroids #ExtinctionEvents
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-fossils-north-dakota-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-impact -
Megalochelys, Truly a Giant Tortoise
https://tetzoo.com/blog/2024/1/31/megalochelys-truly-a-giant-tortoise @TetZoo"while the living species are very nice and all, they do sort of pale in comparison to their extinct giant relative: #Megalochelys, a geologically long-lived Eurasian taxon that was alive during the #Miocene, #Pliocene and #Pleistocene and lived from central Asia in the west to Indonesia in the east"
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DIY Geophone Build Performs Well - If you want to know what’s going on with the ground, geologically speaking, a geop... - https://hackaday.com/2024/03/02/diy-geophone-build-performs-well/ #seismicactivity #classichacks #geophone #science #geology #seismic
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The U.S. #nuclear establishment in industry and government has, since 1987, focused on geologically unsuitable Western Shoshone Indian land in Nevada for opening the world’s first permanent burial dump for highly radioactive nuclear waste. Yucca’s rock, fractured by earthquake activity – not to mention nuclear weapons blasts at the nearby Nevada Test Site – would allow radioactivity to massively leak out into the underground drinking water supply over time. Only by undermining public health and safety protections and weakening scientific guidelines and environmental regulations, again and again, has the nuclear establishment managed to keep the proposed Yucca dump from being disqualified from any further consideration.
#EnvironmentalRacism #Shoshone #CulturalGenocide #NativeAmericans #nuclear #nuclearwaste #WaterIsLife
https://www.nirs.org/radioactive-waste/yucca/ -
Much of the geological attention at Yellowstone is on the young volcanic rocks. This week's #Yellowstone #CalderaChronicles explores rocks exposed in and around the park that extend much farther back in time than the geologically recent volcanism.
ow.ly/M7IL50NEMrc
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"...these global warming studies that now we're seeing (are) a bunch of snake oil science." --Sarah Palin, 2014
Commemorating 10 years of "wrong then and wrong now," our prolific author John Mason revises our debunking of global warming evidence denial. Climate gullibility erodes at a geologically slow rate, so here we are, still grinding away!
Lots of evolving evidence to sift. Our new-fangled "at a glance" treatment tries to keep it accessible.
#ClimateMythDebunking
https://skepticalscience.com/evidence-for-global-warming-basic.htm?utm-source=mastodon&utm-campaign=socialnetworks&utm-term=sks -
#CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?
Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks
by Monica Evans
17 December 2020"Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.
"The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.
"And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'
"Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'
"Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.
"Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'
"According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."
#SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees
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A portion of California’s scenic Highway 1, which winds through rugged cliffs along the coast and has long been a highlight for travelers admiring the ocean views, 🙏🏻reopened on Wednesday after a years-long closure.
A large section of the road in #Big #Sur has been cut off due to landslides
💥 since 2023,
creating challenges for visitors and businesses that rely on tourism.But now, after years of repair work on the $82.6m project, Highway 1 was slated to ⭐️reopen on Wednesday afternoon, the San Francisco Chronicle first reported.
“This reopening will bring much-needed relief to small businesses and families in Big Sur and the surrounding communities who have shown remarkable resilience and strength,” Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
The highway’s location on the coast in a geologically active area means that closures have long been a part of its history.
There is a longstanding rumor that Highway 1 hasn’t remained fully operational from north to south for more than a year since it first opened to motorists in 1937.
A 75-mile stretch of the Big Sur coastline is one of the most active landslide areas in the western US
with more than 1,500 mapped slides, according to the US Geological Survey.A portion of the highway had been closed since January 2023,
when treacherous winter storms battered the state and caused a major landslide.The road was still closed for lengthy repairs when another slide occurred in February 2024.
A storm a few months later brought heavy rains and caused part of the roadway to fall into the ocean.
As of September, crews had removed 300,000 cubic yards of material from the highway
and expected to haul out another 250,000 cubic yards.Caltrans has utilized “unmanned, remote-controlled equipment”
to operate bulldozers and excavators without endangering workers,
according to the agency.Crews worked seven days a week when possible on
“one of California’s most challenging slopes”,
the agency said in a statement,
and used steel reinforcements as long as 60ft to stabilize the hillside.The reopening will bring relief to the Big Sur community, workers and small businesses that have
“endured extraordinary challenges”,
state senator John Laird said in a statement,
describing the road as a lifeline -
#CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?
Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks
by Monica Evans
17 December 2020"Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.
"The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.
"And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'
"Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'
"Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.
"Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'
"According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."
#SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees
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#CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?
Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks
by Monica Evans
17 December 2020"Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.
"The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.
"And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'
"Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'
"Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.
"Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'
"According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."
#SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees
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#CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?
Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks
by Monica Evans
17 December 2020"Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.
"The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.
"And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'
"Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'
"Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.
"Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'
"According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."
#SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees
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#CentralAsia’s #fruit and #nut #forests: the real Garden of Eden?
Birthplaces of some of the world’s most beloved snacks
by Monica Evans
17 December 2020"Millions of years ago, in the temperate montane forests of a little-known region in Central Asia, some of the world’s best-loved fruit and nut trees began to grow. #Apples, #apricots, #cherries, #plums, #grapes, #figs, #peaches, #pomegranates, #pears, #almonds, #pistachios and #walnuts all originated in the hills and valleys of the #TianShan mountain range, which stretches from #Uzbekistan in the west to #China and #Mongolia in the east.
"The area is volcanic and geologically tumultuous, but fertile – scientists have hypothesized that in a place prone to frequent eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, shorter-lived tree species that could disperse their seeds widely by making themselves palatable to large mammals had a better shot at survival than long-lived, slow-maturing trees.
"And that tasty survival strategy has served these species well. For residents of the region, the foods represent both security and social currency. 'From the taxi drivers to the ministers to the local people, almost everyone carries some #DriedFruit or #Nuts with them,' says Paola Agostini, a lead natural resources specialist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. 'It’s like this safety net, and it’s also a lovely gift: something to share with others that is always appreciated.'
"Central Asian marketplaces offer a cornucopia of colors, flavors, textures and varieties – many more than those most of us are accustomed to finding in our local supermarket’s produce aisle. 'I was always astonished that people in the region could so easily tell which country a particular dried apricot came from,' says Agostini. 'Their knowledge of these products is just so deep.'
"Procuring and sharing these energy-dense treats is an ancient practice in the area. Fruit and nuts were major commodities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that tracked through the heart of Central Asia, linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from the first century BC through to the mid-1400s. Over centuries of trade and travel – and lots of munching by humans, camels and horses along the way – prized fruit and nut species spread their seeds wider and wider, and new hybrid varieties were created, many of which are now supermarket and home-orchard staples, cultivated enthusiastically in temperate regions across the globe.
"Narratives of plant domestication often tend to overstate the role of humans, but newer science suggests that 'evolution in parallel' with the plants we love is often a more accurate way of framing this process. 'It’s very unlikely that when somebody took an apple from #Kazakhstan and carried it across an entire continent, they were thinking that they could cross it with another variety and end up with something better,' says #RobertSpengler, a paleo-ethnobotanist at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. 'They were more likely just carrying the seeds to plant somewhere else. And in doing so, they inadvertently set off a chain reaction of hybridization events.'
"According to Spengler’s research into the origins of apples, humans were not the first mammals to participate in that process of dispersal and co-evolution, either. In the late #Miocene, which spanned the period from 11.63 to 5.33 million years ago, large mammals such as #mammoths and #horses played critical roles in dispersing apple seeds and facilitating their evolutionary process into the large, sweet, flavor-rich fruits we enjoy today."
#SolarPunkSunday #Ethnobotany #PlantHistory #SaveTheForests #SaveTheTrees #FruitTrees #NutTrees
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https://www.alojapan.com/1331558/5-volcanoes-in-asia-worth-a-visit/ 5 volcanoes in Asia worth a visit #asia #EastAsia #EnvironmentAndNaturalResources #indonesia #Japan #LandformsAndEcosystems #MountFuji #MountFujiTopics #MountFuji #SouthKorea #SoutheastAsia #ThePhilippines #volcanoes #富士山 CNN — Volcanoes are some of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders on Earth. Even the inactive ones capture the imagination. Asia, part of the geologically active “Ring of Fire” around the rim of the Pacific Ocean, is a pr
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https://www.alojapan.com/1331558/5-volcanoes-in-asia-worth-a-visit/ 5 volcanoes in Asia worth a visit #asia #EastAsia #EnvironmentAndNaturalResources #indonesia #Japan #LandformsAndEcosystems #MountFuji #MountFujiTopics #MountFuji #SouthKorea #SoutheastAsia #ThePhilippines #volcanoes #富士山 CNN — Volcanoes are some of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders on Earth. Even the inactive ones capture the imagination. Asia, part of the geologically active “Ring of Fire” around the rim of the Pacific Ocean, is a pr
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@silkester
I may be loonatic, but to the best of my knowledge, the idea that managing nuclear waste safely over hundreds of thousands of years is impossible and that all containment inevitably fails within a century is not supported by current scientific understanding and technological progress.1. Multi-Barrier Approach and Container Longevity
Modern nuclear waste disposal relies on a multi-barrier system combining engineered containers, buffer materials, and stable geological formations. While individual containers may degrade over centuries, the overall system is designed so that multiple layers provide overlapping protection for much longer periods. For example, copper or steel canisters used in deep geological repositories are engineered to resist corrosion for thousands to tens of thousands of years under repository conditions. [1][2]
2. Geological Stability and Site Selection
Deep geological repositories are sited in geologically stable formations, such as crystalline bedrock or clay formations, chosen for their minimal seismic activity and tectonic stability over geological timescales. While tectonic plates do move, repository sites undergo extensive geological assessment to ensure stability for at least hundreds of thousands of years, mitigating risks of disturbance. [2][3]
3. Proven and Developing Technologies
Countries like Finland and Sweden have advanced repository projects (e.g., Onkalo in Finland) that demonstrate the feasibility of safe long-term disposal. These repositories are designed to isolate high-level waste for up to a million years, with scientific consensus supporting their safety and environmental soundness. [4][5][6]
4. Misconceptions about Chernobyl’s Sarcophagus
The Chernobyl “second dome” was an emergency containment structure designed to limit radioactive release after an accident, not a long-term waste repository. Its challenges do not reflect the engineered, purpose-built deep geological disposal facilities designed for nuclear waste management.
5. Radioactivity Decay and Waste Hazard Reduction
The radioactivity and heat output of high-level waste decline significantly over time. After about 40–50 years in interim storage, waste radioactivity drops to a fraction of its initial level, making handling and disposal safer. This decay process is a key reason for the interim storage period before final disposal [4][6]
I’m not asking you to simply believe me; I’m just asking you to consider that I am trying to follow the facts wherever they lead. I have no emotional or personal preference for or against nuclear energy. Please, if you have sources that contradict my information, share them with me so that I can reconsider my informed opinion.
To the best of my knowledge, managing nuclear waste safely over very long timescales is a complex but well-studied challenge with scientifically validated solutions.
[1] https://content.ampp.org/corrosion/article-abstract/75/3/309/1880/Lifetime-Predictions-for-Nuclear-Waste-Disposal?redirectedFrom=fulltext
[2] https://nda.blog.gov.uk/the-science-behind-long-term-safety-of-a-gdf/
[3] https://www.planete-energies.com/en/media/article/radioactive-waste-management
[4] https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-waste/radioactive-wastes-myths-and-realities
[5] https://www.planete-energies.com/en/media/article/radioactive-waste-management
[6] https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-waste/storage-and-disposal-of-radioactive-waste#Nuclear #energy #NuclearEnergy #radioactivity #isotopes #radioactive #NuclearWaste #loonatic #facts
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Scientists Denounce Trump Administration’s Climate Report – The New York Times
DOE_Critical_Review_of_Impacts_of_GHG_Emissions_on_the_US_Climate_July_2025DownloadScientists Denounce Trump Administration’s Climate Report
Scores of researchers reviewed the Energy Department’s argument about greenhouse gases and found serious deficiencies.
Listen to this article · 8:25 min A heat relief station at the Salvation Army Phoenix Citadel Corps. Credit … Juan Arredondo for The New York TimesBy Lisa Friedman and Sachi Kitajima Mulkey
Sept. 2, 2025, Updated 1:42 p.m. ETMore than 85 American and international scientists have condemned a Trump administration report that calls the threat of climate change overblown, saying the analysis is riddled with errors, misrepresentations and cherry-picked data to fit the president’s political agenda.
The scientists submitted their critique as part of a public comment period on the report, which was to close Tuesday night.
“No one should doubt that human-caused climate change is real, is already producing potentially dangerous impacts, and that humanity is on track for a geologically enormous amount of warming,” the scientists wrote. They compared the administration’s report to efforts by the tobacco industry to create doubt around the health links between smoking and cancer.
The five researchers who prepared the administration’s July report were handpicked by Chris Wright, the energy secretary, and they all reject the established scientific consensus that the burning of oil, gas and coal is dangerously heating the planet. They acknowledged that the Earth is warming but said that climate change is “less damaging economically than commonly believed.”
The administration used the report to justify its recent announcement that it would repeal limits on greenhouse gas emissions that stem from burning fossil fuels.
Mr. Wright has accused the report’s critics of avoiding a robust discussion of the science.
“People had been much less willing than I had hoped to engage in a thoughtful dialogue on climate change,” he said in a recent interview. “This is fundamentally a story about something that’s a real physical phenomenon that’s scientifically complicated. It’s a scientific, economic issue and people treat it too often as a religious issue.”
The Energy Department declined to comment on the criticisms from scientists about the report. Ben Dietderich, a spokesman for Mr. Wright, said in a statement that the agency sought an “open and transparent dialogue around climate science.” He added, “Following the public comment period, we look forward to reviewing and engaging on substantive comments.”
The Trump administration is pursuing an aggressive agenda to ramp up the production and use of coal, oil and gas, the burning of which is the main driver of climate change.
At the same time, average global temperatures have risen by between 1.25 and 1.41 degrees Celsius (or 2.25 to 2.53 degrees Fahrenheit), compared with preindustrial times. That may sound small, but the warming has impacted every region of the planet with more frequent and intense heat waves, floods, wildfires, droughts and other disasters.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Scientists Denounce Trump Administration’s Climate Report – The New York Times
DOE_Critical_Review_of_Impacts_of_GHG_Emissions_on_the_US_Climate_July_2025Download#2025 #America #ClimateReport #DonaldTrump #Education #EnergyDepartment #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Reading #Resistance #Science #Technology #TheNewYorkTimes #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates
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The US's 100,000 year nuclear waste repository was always going to be Yucca Mt. in Nevada. Obama briefly pretended it wasn't, but the fact that it is located in the #NNSS, former #Nevada nuclear test site, has always been why. Countries pretend to look for the "best" site geologically, and it always ends up coincidentally being a current nuclear site.
"Yucca Mountain rises again in Congress"
#YuccaMt. #NuclearWaste #NuclearPower
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/d-c-download-yucca-mountain-rises-again-in-congress
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I've been eaten by a grue but this match pulled me back because #azurite my beloved,,,,
Look, #kosmochlor is a space rock, big whoop. Did you miss they've also found it terrestrially? (Is it remnants of Other Space Rock? Maybe. Shhhhh.) They buried the lede that it's a #clinopyroxene: it's a *temperature and pressure indicator*. I.e., certain formations, colors, levels of occurrence, etc etc etc, say a LOT about how hot e.g. a magma was, what other minerals and ores might be (geologically) nearby, what stressors were on these rocks over time, etc.
Clinopyroxenes are, for the most part, *scientifically* valuable rather than monetarily, aiui. (#Jadeite is a notable exception.) (#Nephrite is not even a clinopyroxine!) (Freely admit I may be wrong!)
Aaaaanyway: scientifically, yes, it's super cool. Azurite is a favorite and I gotta vote for one of my favorite copper minerals. 😂🤷🏻
(Let's be real, bar a wild upset, the space mineral will win. But azurite tho. Aaaaaaazuuuuuuriiiiiiiite.)
via @MineralCup
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Devil Places
There are countless places in the world named after the Devil (and variations of an evil one in other words and languages). If variations are added such as “Satan,” “Lucifer,” and “Diablo,” for example, the list is massive. Devil places sometimes owe their names to the geology. The features of these places may create a spooky and foreboding feeling that reinforces the local legends of the places being cursed, evil or enchanted.
These places have historically or very recently been associated with spirits, magic, strange phenomenon and/or death. In the U.S., many sacred places of indigenous peoples were renamed by the more puritanical sort as “devil” places in order to demonize the past (and previous spiritual beliefs). Devil places are particularly ubiquitous in New England, where the Puritans started their renaming. The rocky landscape gave them plenty of impetus. They truly believed Satan was about, ready to steal their souls. They considered Indian deities to be demons or devils. Spots where shamans would gather or practice might have been a place of geological uniqueness and were given a bad name by the newcomers.
Connecticut might be nicknamed the devil’s playground with some 34 place names including five Devil’s Dens, four Backbones, two Kitchens and a Dripping Pan, as well as a Hell Hole and two Satan’s Kingdoms. Massachusetts is the most devilish state, with 43 place names. Arizona is chock full of “devil” and “hell” names due to the hellishly hot weather suitable for demons.
Satan’s Kingdom
Legends say that Satan himself claimed the area now called Satan’s Kingdom in New Hartford, Connecticut as his own until the angel Gabriel decided the area was too idyllic and cleared out the dark lord and his band of demons. In Vermont, Satans Kingdom got its name supposedly because the settlers who expected fertile land got difficult rocks and hills instead. In Massachusetts, settlers came into the area in the 1670’s during King Philip’s War, where native villagers defended their land. The rough terrain and dangerous wildlife made it difficult for the settler-colonialists to conquer.
The Northern Cascades National park in Washington is very much a hellscape. The Backpacker.com site says of a hiking trail there: “The devil looms large on this rugged loop—you’ll pass Devils Creek, Pass, Park, Junction, and Dome—and you may curse like Satan during the initial 3,300-foot, 4-mile climb to McMillan Park”.
As you will see in this collection of Devilish places, they commonly are places of remarkable features, desolation, or treacherous traversing.
In 2013, Jonathan Hull did a map of US places with Devil-related names. Though many locations received their names from attributes other than geologically related ones, he noted that Devil-named areas often indicated a dangerous, extreme, or remote place. Sadly, I can’t find the full-scale map online anymore.
This is the best version I could find of Hull’s map.While my collection is woefully incomplete, I did pick some notable Devil-named locations with geological connections. Several of these warrant their own pages on the site. Click on the titles to head to these pages:
Devil’s Tower
An iconic volcanic feature in the Black Hills of Wyoming was known as being the location in the culminating scene in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It has become a draw for not only sci-fi enthusiasts but also UFO chasers and New Age believers.Devil’s Den
To gain this place name, the location usually has stark, huge rock boulders or outcrops, often with caves and crevasses. Several famous locations exist in the U.S. where not only supposedly spirits but also people used as hiding places.Devil’s Hole
A depression or cave often containing water that has gained a reputation of being deadly, a path to the underworld, or bottomless. (Or all three together). The most famous being the Devil’s Hole of Death Valley, a bizarre oasis in the desert.Devil’s Kitchen
Scenic locations characterized by their impressive geological features that suggest something evil is cooking.Devil’s Gate
A cleft or gorge that is considered a dangerous area for natural or supernatural reasons.Devil’s Punchbowl
Bowl-shaped depressions of various sizes that stand out from the landscape and may look as if they have been deliberately created for or from a nefarious action.Some lesser known locations with ‘Devil’ names are just as curious. Their oddness prompted locals to bestow upon them an accursed name.
Devils Head Rock, North CarolinaThree locations in Pennsylvania have the name Devil’s Potato Patch to designate boulder fields. One is between Danielsville and Little Gap in Northampton County, just west of the Blue Mtn ski area off the Appalachian Trail. This is an otherwise featureless field of sandstone blocks resulting from frost action that broke up the ridge-forming rock. It is on State Game Lands and, like other boulder fields, is treacherous to traverse and home to sunning snakes. Another Patch is located on the border of Lebanon and Lancaster County near Brickerville. This “river” of diabase boulders is a wooded and graffiti-strewn, neglected and full of various hazards like trash, bottles, and poison ivy. The third is in Salford Township, Montgomery County, where the boulders of diabase will ring when hammered.
Another “Tater Patch” is a windy ridge with spooky twisted trees in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Tennessee/ N. Carolina.
Similar to these rocky landscapes is the Devil’s Marbleyard of the James River Face Wilderness, in the Blue Ridge Mountains at Natural Bridge Station, Virginia. The Virginia Trail Guide describes it thusly:
“…looks like an immense stone mountain exploded and collapsed into thousands of boulders of every shape and size.”
Australia also has the Devil’s Marbles, a scattered array of large granite boulders in a 4500-acre area of the Northern Territory which was the traditional land of the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alyawarra and Warlpiri people. They call it “Karlu Karlu”. The rocks are set precariously and have been chemically and physically weathered into rounded shapes. One legend says the natives thought these were the eggs of the rainbow serpent. But the official management plan for the reserve explains the traditional origin:
The whole area of the reserve is known as Ayleparrarntenhe, which is also the name of the place of origin and final resting place of Arrange, the Devil Man—a twin-peaked hill to the east of the reserve. Traditional Owners tell the story of how the Marbles came into being:
Arrange, the Devil Man, came from Ayleparrarntenhe and travelled through the area. During his journey, he was making a hair belt (as worn by initiated men). Twirling the hair into strings, Arrange dropped clusters of hair on the ground. These turned into the Karlu Karlu boulders that can be seen today. On his way back, Arrange spat on the ground. His spit also turned into the granite boulders which dot the central part of the reserve. Arrange finally returned to his place of origin, Ayleparrarntenhe.
Removal or desecration (even climbing) of the rocks and smaller rocks of nearby Devil’s Pebbles (Kunjarra) is said to bring bad luck to the tribes.
Several rocky areas are also called Devil’s Garden with unique vegetation or none at all. The Devil’s Garden portion of Arches National Park in Moab, Utah features “arches, spires, and a large concentration of narrow rock walls called “fins”. The fins are the result of erosion along parallel fractures.
Devil’s Garden, UtahA section of the High Lava Plains of central Oregon is a kipuka (an area isolated by surrounding lava flows) also known by this name. It was formed from fissure eruptions of basalt.
The Devil’s Playground is not your typical place of joy and laughter, but a grouping of granitic rock features weathered into fantastic forms and eerie shapes. A Tertiary-age (approximately 38 million years old) granitic intrusion overlying Paleozoic (400 to 300 million years old) sedimentary rocks is known as the Emigrant Pass pluton.
Devils Playground, UtahThe deadly Devil’s Playground in the Mohave Desert of California was the nickname pinned on a 17-mile stretch of drifting sand that had neither a track to follow nor water to drink.
In Tennessee, near vertical bedding produces huge rock formations that look like fins (or teeth) protrude from the Southwest flank of Cumberland Mountain known as the Devil’s Racetrack. Hikers and climbers must watch for falls from these rocks.
The Devil’s Race Course is a boulder field in Dauphin County, PA. Rock outcrops along the ridges provided the now rounded boulders. Stream flow from Rattling Run has washed away all the finer sediment. Sometimes the stream can be heard under river of rock. Legend has it that the area’s early settlers believed the sound of the water was the devil running through the depths of hell.
Devil’s Racecourse, PAThe term Devil’s Elbow often refers to an obvious and problematic bend in a river or a road. Most notably, in Pulaski County, Missouri, a sharp turn in the river has this unlucky name. Switchback bends along a hillside are constructed to navigate a steep slope. One such tight curve along a road bordering a rock cliff in New York has an associated legend of the vanishing hitchhiker. The road was eventually straightened to avoid mishaps.
The Devil’s Windpipe is a natural chute in the rocks in Arizona. When the wind blows across the hot landscape, it’s said it feels like the breathing of the devil himself. The Devil’s Throat is a remarkable cave in Bulgaria that swallows the Trigrad River where it funnels through the Hall of Thunder. This cave in the Rhodope Mountains is associated with the legend of Orpheus descending into the underworld to look for Eurydice. There is also a large sinkhole called the Devil’s Throat near Lake Mead in Nevada.
Multiple features exist with the name Devil’s Backbone which typically indicates a prominent ridge of rock that looks like a spine or teeth. Iowa has a state park characterized by a narrow and steep ridge of bedrock carved by a loop of the Maquoketa River. The towers, columns and rocky cliffs make for precipitous climbing. Maryland also has a park where a rock ridge 512 feet above sea level was formed by erosion at the confluence of the Antietam and Beaver Creek and is a noted scenic area. A narrow jutting of rock from a ridge forms a distinct “backbone” across the landscape west of Loveland, Colorado. A particularly striking vertical wall of dark andesite about 1,000 feet long exists within the volcanic crater of Crater Lake, Oregon. The dike was formed when molten lava filled cracks as it forced its way upwards and then solidified. Erosion of the surrounding material has left the resistant material standing. The Illinois “Backbone” is a rocky landmark on a ridge in the Grand Tower area. The rapids near here were supposedly very dangerous and native legends evil spirits were responsible. Nearby is the Devil’s Bake Oven – a nearly 100’ rock on the edge of the river where folklorists have documented ghostly visions and sounds.
Devil’s Backbone, Loveland CO.About 80,000 to 100,000 years ago in eastern California, basaltic lava gushed from fissures and formed a lake within a glacial-formed valley some 400 feet deep. The lava cooled slowly, forming the hexagonal columnar structure that is so striking (also present in Devil’s Tower and Giant’s Causeway), resembling a pile of posts. Thus, it’s called the Devils Postpile. Glaciers smoothed and scarred the top of the formation. Devils Postpile (no apostrophe – which is the case with most official U.S. “devil” monuments) is now a national monument. A Little Devils Postpile exists in Yosemite.
Devils Postpile National MonumentDevils Lake in Wisconsin, part of a state park, is situated in a deep chasm formed by glacial action. It has no visible inlet or outlet. The lake was originally called “Sacred Lake” or “Spirit Lake” by the natives who considered it sacred where voices of the spirits could be heard. Glacial striations mark the rock surfaces around the lake and there are Native effigy mounds nearby. The lake has spooky legends of a phantom canoer, and lake monster, and some stories say the natives considered it a “place of many dead”.
A similar lake exists in North Dakota, also in a closed basin and also renamed from the Natives’ interpretation of “Spirit Lake”. This lake has been plagued with flooding problems.
Seven Devils Lake is a small reservoir in South Arkansas, located about 14 miles (23 km) out of Monticello. The Lake is formed by Seven Devils Dam. The area got its name from a man who was trapped in the area for days and finally made it out. A reporter asked if he found the rumored seven lakes of the area, but the man stated that there were not seven lakes, but seven devils. This area is the most northern point west of the Mississippi River where American alligators can be found.
Many bare mountain summits are named for their stark barrenness. Several rocky scenic outlooks called Devil’s Knobs are recognized around the world. There are many places called Devil’s Peak often referring to an imposing, rocky mount. Such peaks are in Cape Town in South Africa, Hong Kong, Flanders Range in Australia, Soda Springs, California, Santa Barbara, California, and in Nevada. A location in Baja, California has the Spanish name Picacho del Diablo and is also known as the Cerro de la Encantada or “Hill of the Enchanted”. It is a ragged granite summit that makes for a popular but challenging climb.
Mount Diablo in Contra Costa, California is awash with legends and has a reputation as a strange place. Now a state park, it was historically an important landmark for mapping and navigation because of its visibility and location. It is a geological anomaly, part of a thrust fault complex, growing higher every year due to compression of tectonic plates. Native tribes have various legends about it included the mountain as a point of creation. A notable legend of how the mountain got its name was from a misinterpretation of “Monte del Diablo” meaning “thicket of the devil” after several Natives escaped from the Spanish in 1805 into a nearby thicket. Not long after, the name was interpreted to mean a place of evil spirits. It’s not clear if this name was derived from a genuine tradition of spooky happenings in the area and there have been several attempts to rename the mountain to shake off the diabolical reputation. Author Loren Coleman writes that many unusual incidents have occurred in the Mount Diablo area, appropriate for its reputation, including sightings of black panthers (a difficult-to-explain animal that is reported all too regularly), mysterious lights, apparitions and even a claim of a live frog found in a stony concretion.
West Face of Mount Diablo and Highway 24. By Trurl66 – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5526277So-called Devil’s bathtubs are deep spots in a creek popular with visitors looking to cool off. In Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio, water falls from rock ledges into the stream where the water swirls into a bowl-shaped gorge. People told stories of this being as deep as hell. The pockets and tunnels were formed from scouring glacial meltwaters thousands of years ago.
In Scott County, Virginia, the Bathtub is a scour pool in the Devil’s Fork of Stony Creek. It’s not the easiest spot to get to and the water is far from hot. Many photos of the location have circulated on social media but these seem to be from the Ohio location, or from some other feature entirely, leading many to be disappointed when they reach this particular tub. The overabundance of visitors prompted by social media has caused local problems and threaten the natural area. The South Dakota version of the devil’s tub is much more secluded. With high rocky cliffs nearby, the water cascades in a chute called “the slide” and swirls into the tub.
According to Wikipedia, there are no less than 105 different locations of the Devil’s Canyon in the United States alone including Utah, Oklahoma, and California. Areas with this designation are typically steep, remote, and have plentiful snakes as residents. In Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico, Devil’s Canyon, so far as anyone knows, is so named because of the pinnacles – needles and balanced rocks that form the canyon walls and resemble distorted human forms. A 2017 TV show called “Devil’s Canyon” is based in British Columbia. It is the story of three gold prospectors seeking treasure in the canyon where they believe large deposits have escaped exploitation by big mining companies. But the rough, isolated terrain, bad weather, and wild animals make it an unforgiving location to explore.
A rock formation where the lower strata is more eroded and weathered leaving a larger slab perched precipitously on top are called “tea tables”. Such formations are a variety of hoodoo. Notable examples of Devil’s Tea Tables exist in Athens County, Ohio and in Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest. These features appear to lean in every direction, so whatever side you view it from, it looks like it will fall on you. A tea table feature in McConnelsville, Ohio collapsed in 1906. Explorers who came across the gravity-defying features often attributed their origin to supernatural forces.
Devils Tea Table, McConnelsvilleNot necessarily natural are the standing stones in North Yorkshire, England, called Devils Arrows. Legend has it that the Devil himself threw the stones into the ground as arrows to attack Christians in Aldborough but they fell short. The prehistoric monuments likely were constructed as part of a ritual landscape. Similarly, the Devil’s Quoits in Stanton Harcourt are also part of a Neolithic-age stone circle. The legend here is “the Devil once played quoits (a game) with a beggar for his soul or, alternatively, that it was a Sunday and God rebuked him whereby he flung the stones in anger. Many stone circles and henges in the UK remain imbued with New Age and mystical significance.
The most famous Devil’s Gulch, in Garretson, South Dakota, is rife with legends. This 18-20 foot chasm across blocks of quartzite is said to have obtained its name from strange noises made by the winds as they blow through. Split Rock Creek below is associated with a “bottomless pit” in the stream bed. (If it’s bottomless, how does the stream flow over it?) A Native tale tells a different origin story. They called it “Spirit Canyon” and that it was formed when two warriors fought. When the spirit warrior’s tomahawk hit the ground, it split the land forming the gulch. But the most famous legend, now marked on the spot, is that outlaw Jesse James made a getaway by leaping the gap on his horse. The location is now a park and also has Devil’s Falls and the Devil’s Stairway nearby.
When Satan needs a rest, he chooses Devils Throne, a summit in Idaho County, Idaho. It forms part of the Seven Devils Mountains. Or the Devil’s Chair in San Gabriel Mountains is part of the Devil’s Punchbowl.
What is really haunting the Devil’s Swamp in Scotlandville, Louisiana are nasty chemicals that have been poured into it, destroying the ecosystem over the years leaving ghosts of those animals (and people) dead from pollution. Beware when visiting this toxic stew. The Seven Devils Swamp natural area in Arkansas, however, is a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
Part of the Craters of the Moon National monument, Idaho, Devil’s Orchard has trees and vegetation growing from the flood basalt lava flows of the Snake River Plain volcanic province. The Orchard is a group of lava-transported cinder cone fragments that were once part of the North Crater cinder cone but broke off and were carried away by a new lava flow. The place is described as “otherworldly” with the black rocks providing no shade. Shoshone legend speaks of a serpent on a mountain who, angered by lightning, coiled around and squeezed the mountain until liquid rock flowed, fire shot from cracks, and the mountain exploded. Craters of the Moon National Monument was proclaimed on May 2, 1924 by U.S. President Calvin Coolidge to “preserve the unusual and weird volcanic formations”
Devil’s Orchard, IdahoIn the Big South Fork National River and Recreation area in Kentucky/Tennessee, legend has it that a band of brothers looking for salt drilled a well so deep that it hit oil. They became concerned that the well was so deep, it might reach Hell. Finally, they did strike something, but instead of salt brine coming out of the ground a black, smelly, sticky liquid came oozing out of the pipe. These explorers did not know what oil was, and since they were of a religious nature, they were disturbed about the new-found product. When they saw how this black substance burned, they called it Devil’s Tar. One of the crew was sent downstream with a sample but his raft overturned at the rapids. Later, he told the story that the devil himself, angry at the invasion of his domain, leaped from one of the rocks onto the raft sinking it. The rapids were named the Devils Jump.
Two other Devil’s Jumps occur in England. Three little hills near Frensham are said to have been thrown up by the Devil taking three enormous leaps. The Devil’s Jumps in Churt, county of Surrey, (also known as Devil’s Three Jumps) are a series of three small hills made of “ironstone” making them resistant to erosion. The devil made his mark all around this area, according to legend, as several local landmarks play into the story of his visit. For example, the tale goes that Devil made off with the cauldron of the witch, Mother Ludlam. As she chased him, the Devil’s leaps kicked up hills now known as the Devil’s Jumps. He left the cauldron on Kettlebury Hill and also left a valley known as the Devil’s Punch Bowl.
Another tale tells that the Devil amused himself by leaping from the top of each hill to the next. This annoyed the god Thor who picked up a boulder and threw it at the Devil, causing him to flee. The boulder remains at Devil’s Jumps. The same story is told of the Devil’s Jumps near Treyford on the South Downs in West Sussex though these are barrows upon which the Devil jumped. Other round barrows in Stoughton are also called the Devil’s humps.
Similar to the Jumps are the Devils Footprints – grassy meadows that top some peaks in the Appalachian mountains, particularly in the Great Smoky Mountains. These peaks, also called “balds” are where trees won’t grow, legendarily because the devil himself stepped there. More realistic theories are that the treeless patches are the result of past clearing, animal grazing or burning. Or that the soil, climate, or biota prevents trees from growing. It’s not clear why some summits are bald where others are not.
Apparent “footprints” in rock appear at Devils Foot Rock. Many colorful tales are told of the Devil himself leaving the prints as he pursued maidens or stomped in frustration.
Devil’s Promenade in extreme southwestern Missouri is the site of a regionally noted “spook light”. The locals named the four-mile-long gravel road on the border between southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma west of the small town of Hornet, Missouri. Hornet is famous for the Hornet Spooklight (also called the Joplin spooklight) – a seemingly unexplained light that appears in the distance. Some have explained it as normal lights from cars or trains and others insist it is paranormal in nature. The bridge along the Devil’s Promenade was originally a rickety wooden bridge. Legend had it that “anyone who walked back and forth across the bridge five times (or seven or three depending on who you ask) very slowly and asking for the Devil to appear, he would either answer three questions, grant three wishes or of course, kill you. Again this depends on the version you hear.” A concrete bridge was constructed and the story seems to have diminished. One story of the light’s origin was that it is the Devil swinging his Jack-o-lantern. Other stories, according to the Prarie Ghosts website, says the light represents the spirit of two young Quapaw Indians who died in the area. Another claimed the light was the spirit of an Osage Indian chief who had been beheaded on the Devil’s Promenade. As with many spook light stories, the light represents a torch carried by the ghost as he searches for his missing head. The torch motif also shows up in the version of the legend that a miner is searching in vain for his missing children by lantern light. Tellers of these tales claim that the lights and legends existed in Native lore prior to the construction of this road.
Many impressive masonry structures are named the Devil’s Bridge and have associated lore to go with them. The bridge in Sedona, Arizona, in the Coconino National Forest, is a large natural sandstone arch. In Massachusetts, the Devil’s Bridge is a shallow reef running northwest off the northwest corner of Martha’s Vineyard. This hazard to ships was supposedly created by the mighty giant Moshup. The local Wampanoag tribal history tells the tale:
Moshup was building a bridge to Cuttyhunk with heavy boulders when a giant crab latched onto his foot. In his pain and anger, he gave up leaving a treacherous shoal instead. The area has been the site of several shipwrecks.
In North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest is the Devil’s Courthouse. According to Andrea Lankford:
By bradploeger – originally posted to Flickr as Devil’s Courthouse, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4237496“Cherokees believed an evil spirit [or giant} named Judaculla held court on top of this bare rock summit with a 360 degree view of three states”.
Whiteside Mountain in Jackson County, North Carolina also has a feature of this name. The bare overhanging rock is windy and dangerous.
The Devil’s Apronful cairn consists of a heap of rocks and boulders near Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England. Several natural boulders were used to construct the mound which provides an impressive view both now and back in Bronze Age times. The thousands of rocks of gritstone and sandstone are scattered in a roughly circular area. The area however is mostly limestone. It’s been suggested that the stones were glacial erratics and the stones were gathered by farmers to get them out of the fields. But there are more fantastic origin stories. The Devil was annoyed with people at Clitheroe Castle in the west. To do away with it, he filled an “apron” (quite the visual) with rocks to pitch at them. Most missed and in his rage he dropped the rest on this south side of Pendle Hill, creating Apronful Hill. For the similar Apronful in Yorkshire, the tale is that the Devil was collecting stones in his apron in order to build a bridge or fill in the ravine when his apron string broke (or he tripped) and the stones fell out. The Devil’s Apronful sites were disturbed by curious visitors and looters but are now protected.
The Devil has two “Hopyards”. One is a State Park and public recreation area in East Haddam, Connecticut. There are several ideas about how the place got its curious name. One is that it refers to supernatural origins for the naturally occurring potholes in the area. These potholes were formed by the grinding actions of stones moved downstream by the current when trapped in an eddy, wearing a depression in the rock. To the early settlers the potholes were a great mystery, and as with many “devilish” features, they explained them with references to the supernatural. They thought that the Devil has passed by the falls, accidentally getting his tail wet. This made him so mad he burned holes in the stones with his hooves as he bounded away. A sign in the park tells of the legends regarding the name. Another site with this name is in New Hampshire. This is a boulder-filled ravine where you can sometimes hear water running.
Devil’s Dyke (or ditch) near Bleaklow, in Sussex, England is a deep gully supposedly cut by Satan’s claws when he became enraged at the loss of a prospective soul. Other tales say it is his unfinished ditch as he bet St. Cuthberth he could dig it in one night and flood the town. The tourist-attracting feature is really the result of mass wasting and river erosion into a dip-slope valley. The V-shaped dry valley, the deepest in England, was born from the cold climate of 14,000 years ago when this area of chalk bedrock was covered in snow. During warm seasons, the upper layers of soil and weathered rock slid away with the thaw. Finally, an ancient river carried the material away at the end of the Ice Age. That river is now gone but its valley remains. The high hill showed the surrounding terrain and was used as a defensive position as well as being an impressive location to hold special events. Remains of an Iron Age fort have been found here. The location is managed by the National Trust and is a recreational area. A trail supposedly leads to the alleged burial site of the Devil and his wife. In 1900, a sound called The Howling Terror was heard echoing in the valley. It wasn’t demons but the testing of a new invention called the megaphone being used at the amusement park on the top of the Dyke.
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The information provided here is based on a cursory search of these sites and the entries will be expanded as I discover new source material (or visit them!). Please contact me with your corrections, information (preferably with solid references), and photographs and I will gladly add them to the page. Or, leave your contribution in the comments. Thanks!Book References
Coleman, L. (2001). Mysterious America (Revised edition). Paraview Press.
Lankford, A. (2006). Haunted Hikes. Santa Monica Press.
#devil #DevilPlaces #DevilSBackbone #DevilSElbow #DevilSGarden #DevilSPlayground #DevilSPostpile #DevilSRacecourse #DevilSWindpipe #DevilsLake #MountDiablo #Satan
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Eclipse Anxiety 2024
A portion of the US population is getting nervous due to doomsayers spouting frightening rumors about the coming eclipse on April 8. Misinformation and bogus claims are rampant, particularly with the religious-minded, who regularly use world events to scare people back into the fold.
It’s as if we never had a solar eclipse before in the world!
Even though it sometimes feels like we’re regressing, we are in the 21st century. Eclipses have happened repeated, around the world, in the past century. They are predictable and explainable. We can factually document that catastrophes do not accompany them. Yet, here we are… with too many in the audience expecting some cataclysm in the wake of the moon shadow.
The reasons for this are complex and social. Most people still don’t understand nature and they succumb to social pressure to be fearful. Things that sound sciencey are convincing, whereas actual science gets ignored.
An eclipse occurred and nothing happened
A solar eclipse is when the moon passes in a specific alignment between the earth and the sun so that the sun’s light is blocked out for a short while. The shadow moves across the earth’s surface because the earth is turning and the moon is moving. There is nothing particularly dangerous about this condition (unless you aren’t expecting it).
The last solar eclipse in the US occurred on Aug 21, 2017. Self-styled prophet and Nostradamus superfan, John Hogue, self-published a book around that time suggesting that there would be great upheavals as totality passed over two seismic zones – the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) and the Cascadia zone in the northwest. That didn’t happen. To hedge his bets, in case no earthquakes occurred, he also suggested the event was also an omen of bad times to come. We didn’t need an eclipse to signal that since in 2017 more than half the nation were already well aware of suffering through “interesting times”. No psychic powers were needed. I don’t think it’s reasonable to link the eclipse to the pandemic and wars, etc., years later, but being reasonable isn’t cool these days.
A solar eclipse in Hong Kong in July 2009 generated a rumor that a tsunami would occur. People were warned people to stay away from beaches. Again, nothing happened.
These ideas about catastrophes related to eclipses didn’t die even though none of the predictions ever came true.
The buildup
Hullabaloo around the April 8 event is getting louder as we get closer. At first we heard of cities and states in the path of totality declaring states of emergency so extra funds could be used for deploying responders. This is not because of the potential for natural catastrophe but for the possibility for a human disaster. Visitors who want to view the event will be heading into areas that can’t handle the volume. Officials guessed that overcrowding, traffic, potential violent incidents, injuries, and stresses on utilities and other necessary services might be a concern. So they are preparing.
There are rumors of power cuts or outages during the eclipse. This is from a rumor that solar cells will suddenly stop producing during the darkening. I’m always amazed that people think the smart people who run complex systems haven’t thought of this.
From the NY Times:
“I don’t think anything is as predictable as an eclipse,” said Pedro Pizarro, president and chief of executive of Edison International, a California power company, and the chairman of the Edison Electric Institute, a utility trade organization. “You can prepare.”
There are so many superstitions about eclipses – really dumb ones persist, such as the idea that it’s dangerous to be out during the event, particularly for pregnant women. It’s true that animals do act strange because they get confused about the sudden night fall but, again, there is nothing dangerous about it.
Storms are unrelated to the eclipse
The temporary diminishment of solar radiation will cause darkness, a drop in temperature and maybe small changes in wind speed and direction because of the reduction in convection. The cooling only happens for a few minutes. There is no connection to thunderstorms. A misappropriated weather forecast on March 15 in Orlando had some people thinking that the eclipse would generate a giant storm front. This BS hype is par for the course on Reddit.
Earthquakes are unrelated to the eclipse
The connection between eclipses and earthquakes goes back to the Bible. Even though many places around the world have experienced total eclipses and weren’t leveled by a massive quake, the unfounded connection persists. Eclipses and earthquakes have long been viewed as portents from God or “gods”. This wacky idea still hangs on in modern times even though we know they are not arbitrary events – they have a natural cause. The doomsday hype about earthquakes appeared at the time of the 2017 US solar eclipse.
Some religious leaders, who think themselves very special in that they can interpret the Bible and strike fear into their followers, saying that a large quake could occur that would cause massive damage. They encourage people to be prepared. Being prepared for a quake is not unreasonable. But suggesting that a large quake may occur during this time is dangerous and irresponsible. In particular, Tennessee evangelist Perry Stone uses “information” he just learned about the NMSZ (like, yesterday) to convince listeners that Jesus might have been talking specifically about 2024 in the Bible verse that connects earthquakes (in various places) to famine, pestilence and signs from heaven. The sign from heaven is the eclipse, he says. From his videos, Stone Ministries specializes in scaring people with nonsense claims about End Times and evil. This interpretation is a stretch. We are asked to believe that a predicted solar eclipse that occurs in a short time span over the US will herald a global catastrophe. Considering the track record of religious prophecies, I’m going to play the odds and say, “Nah”.
The New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) may be growing cold.The path of totality does, again, pass over the centrally-located NMSZ along the Mississippi in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Kentucky, (and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone to the northeast) however, this means nothing. The NMSZ is still poorly understood. The large earthquakes it generated in 1811-12 would be devastating if they occurred today. Many people still assume that the next “Big One” could occur in the next century. This is unlikely, though small quakes are frequent. Current research even suggests the fault system may be shutting down, not “overdue” for another large release.
Map of the path of the eclipse of 2017 and that of 2024. The New Madrid and Wabash Valley Seismic zones are roughly located in the red oval. Both eclipse paths cross this area. Geologically, that has no signficance.The moon passing in front of the sun has no bearing on tectonic plates (or volcanic eruptions). Yet, most people know that the phase of the moon affects the earth’s ocean tides. The extra gravitational effects from a new or full moon phase on the entire planet is slight, but we see it in the oceans, which are unbounded and slosh around.
The exerted force on the crust is negligible, except for the small possibility that a large fault already set to rupture gets broken by that little extra push. The data that suggests this may be the case is not fully accepted by seismologists and, regardless, has no practical use in seismic hazards prediction. These small changes associated with tidal stresses on the earth have not convinced scientists that we should worry more about earthquakes every two weeks in line with moon phases. Yet, many crackpots still proclaim that earth tides can predict quakes. They see the celestial bodies in alignment and assume the gravitational pull is increased, but it’s not. The same misapplied ideas may also be leading to those same wind bags spouting about tsunamis or large tidal effects. None of it shakes out.
There are many large earthquakes around the world every year. And there are several lunar and solar eclipses every century. The odds that events will sometimes coincide is inevitable. But they are not caused by each other. If a quake occurred in the US during this eclipse, the chances are that the quake would be small, because there are dozens of small quakes that occur every day. And, if that were to happen on April 8, anywhere in the US, or even weeks later, it would be difficult to stop people from assuming they are related. Human brains want to make connections and attribute causes to a direct observation, and usually to an agency – like God, the Devil, or the government – to form a story in their own minds. But correlations, in the context of our narrow human views, do not mean the events have a causal relationship. Sadly, few people are well versed in understanding natural phenomenon and applying critical thinking. They prefer to believe a dramatic story and share it with others. Thus, we have these kinds of social commotions about interesting events, swirling with misinformation and pseudoscience.
Chill out and enjoy the celestial show!
#2024 #April8 #Bible #earthquake #eclipse #NewMadrid #prediction #prophecy #solarEclipse #soundsSciencey #storms
https://sharonahill.com/?p=8488
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Looking forward to 4 days learning more about geology. 🪨 I don't know much about rock formation and types, and I'm really excited to learn what the geologists have to tell us. What's more, we're travelling through Valais, which is geologically fascinating.
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Hey @frederick, did you read this? I can't believe you're pro-#nuclear now. After all, you were there with me at the #Seabrook protest in 1977, and you wrote this in 2018: "When the nuclear industry demonstrates it can build safe and economic power stations and manage the #ToxicWaste they produce, there will be a role for nuclear energy. Until then, we should base our future energy policy on existing #renewable options."
Do you have some inside information on how the nuclear industry has figured out what to do with the waste? I guess just dump it into the ocean, like #TEPCO? Or bury it in geologically unstable areas, preferably on #NativeAmerican lands (like #YuccaMountain)? Please, enlighten us!
#NoNukes #TEPCOLies #EnvironmentalRacism #UraniumMining #WaterIsLife
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The Planet’s Most Underappreciated Substance: A Detailed Look at Mud
Dirt, Water and Life Mud- the rudimentary inventiom of adding water to dirt to create a sticky, dynamic medium. A substance not only for building childhood memories but a cornerstone of civilization that has shaped landscapes, provided shelter and continues to be an unsung hero of the global carbon cycle. The Geological and Chemical Anatomy of Mud Dirt + Water = Mud, simple right? Not exactly. Geologically, mud is defined as a mixture of silt, clay, and/or loam combined with water. […] -
A new study in Communications Materials used #AI to scan over 1 million rock samples worldwide — searching for natural materials that could replace clinker in #cement and significantly cut global CO₂ emissions.
📄 https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00820-4
Among the most promising sources? Volcanic and sedimentary rocks like rhyolite, tuff, pumice, and andesite — many of which are found in #Ukraine especially in the Carpathians and other geologically active zones.
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#okimyu
conclusion, we'll have to re-write all the history books. again 😁
the smithy is still used at the gusuku period though, maybe an addendum.
this ends the comm, questions.
there is no iron in okinawa, where does the iron come from ? they haven't made analysis so they don't know. people, give money to yomitan for analyses, please.
another question by people who says there used to be iron in okinawa. that's geologically extremely unprobable. the quantities are ridiculously low.