| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| lava and feather rock | 11/10/2009 |
Q: I am planning to create some art using lavarock and featherock that I will drill a hole into. My ...
A: Eva, When water freezes, it expands by about 9%. Have you have ever tried to cool a bottle of wine ...
|
| The Poles | 11/6/2009 |
Q: At one time or other, the north and south poles were in different positions (one at the Bermuda ...
A: Allan, Earth's geographic poles have remained more or less in the same place for the last 4 billion ...
|
| School Project | 11/5/2009 |
Q: Hey, I am a eight grader. We are doing a project in our science class about Continental Drift. I was ...
A: Robbie, My life as a geologist has been jam packed with cool stuff. Long ago, I saw a TV program ...
|
| The Big One | 11/4/2009 |
Q: Bell, Thank you for offering to answer our questions here. :-) I live in puerto Vallarta mexico and ...
A: Katelin, Pardon my math. The odds of dying in an earthquake between 1980 and 2001 are closer to 1 ...
|
| Where does "new water" come from? | 10/25/2009 |
Q: Is there a geophysical/chemical process that creates "new water" or is all water simply reprocessed ...
A: Steve, In the early days of this solar system, comets and asteroids collided with each other and ...
|
| geology | 10/14/2009 |
Q: why do igneous intrusions occur in specific areas related to geosynclines and orogenesis.
A: Ivan, Early geologists attempted to explain the origin of mountain ranges and igneous activity by ...
|
| Gold location | 10/13/2009 |
Q: Dr. Bell, I live in Laingsburg Michigan and I'm very much into panning for Gold. Where would I find ...
A: Brian, The best place to start looking for gold is in your library or historical society. Old ...
|
| C-14 dating. How accurate is it? | 10/11/2009 |
Q: A Young Earth Creastist told me the following: "Classically, C14 dating is notoriously inaccurate ...
A: Ray, Your Young Earth friend is misinformed. No one uses or has ever used a geieger counter to ...
|
| Age of rocks | 10/5/2009 |
Q: Can you please explain to me why rocks on earth are a variety of ages? I would have thought all ...
A: Gary, Rocks, the minerals they are composed of, and even the atoms that comprise those minerals are ...
|
| The void left by oil drilling | 9/15/2009 |
Q: After at least 50 years of pumping billions of barrels of oil out of the earth what happens with the ...
A: John, Salt water, oil and gas occupy the space between sand grains in a petroleum reservoir. Gas ...
|
| Physical Geology | 9/4/2009 |
Q: How do fossils help in determining the relative age of strata?
A: Renee, Sometime in the 18th century, natural philosophers (the scientists of their day), discovered ...
|
| Question | 8/29/2009 |
Q: Dr.Thomas, I am back. Yousuf. I want to ask you a question (I am asking too many questions ...
A: Yousuf, If I didn't click the button to answer your question, you wouldn't get another chance to ...
|
| Geology question | 8/27/2009 |
Q: Dr.Thomas Bell, thanks for your previous answers. I appreciate your answers. But I would like to ask ...
A: Yousuf, Mountain chains are created where two tectonic plates collide. The Indian plate is ...
|
| dating of rock | 8/26/2009 |
Q: i have a stone about the size of an apple. it looks to be a meteorite but not the normal ...
A: Darell, This sounds like a very interesting rock. In general though, most rocks cannot be dated by ...
|
| Geology question | 8/25/2009 |
Q: My name is Yousuf. I want to ask you a question about geology. I want to ask that what is really ...
A: Yousuf, Mountains do have roots! Mountain chains are the thickest part of the crust and their base ...
|
| Surface expression of kimberlite | 8/23/2009 |
Q: The surface processes has great impact on weathering. May I know that 'why some kimberlite ...
A: Datta, Very few of the minerals in kimberlite are stable at surface temperature and pressure. ...
|
| Surface expression of kimberlite | 8/22/2009 |
Q: The surface processes has great impact on weathering. May I know that 'why some kimberlite ...
A: Datta Mainkar, Kimeberlites are thought to form by highly explosive volcanic eruptions. The ...
|
| conductive rock | 8/20/2009 |
Q: i have a rock that is about 2 inches and a bit round a little flat its black in color i can get a ...
A: Glen, I'm not sure what your question is here but I assume it has to do with what sort of rock this ...
|
| intracratonic rifting | 8/17/2009 |
Q: I would like to ask about intracratonic rifting such as the one that occurs in Aileron, Central ...
A: Mariah, In general, rifting is thought to occur mainly at divergent plate boundaries like the mid ...
|
| deposition and non deposition | 8/16/2009 |
Q: Is there a difference between disconformity and unconformity ? If yes what is it ?
A: Elisa, Yes, there is a difference. These two geologic terms are applied to different phenomenon. ...
|
| sand | 8/8/2009 |
Q: I was told that the composition of sand is different on every beach. I would also like to know where ...
A: Larry, Sand is rarely produced by erosion on a beach. It nearly always has a more distant source. ...
|
| rock? | 8/5/2009 |
Q: Dr Bell, here is another photo of the stone my husband found. I would send more but I can only ...
A: Amy, The texture of wood is usually unmistakable so I think you can rule that out unless there are ...
|
| buried artifacts | 8/2/2009 |
Q: Where does the earth come from that buries artifacts and creates the different layers that can be ...
A: Russell, It is hard to give you a specific answer because your question is so general. Soil can ...
|
| rock? or bone? | 7/31/2009 |
Q: Bell, My husband works at a granite shop that also sells river stones and rocks for landscaping. ...
A: Amy, Please get your sample wet, when it is still damp on the surface but not dry, take a closeup ...
|
| Is evolution a fairytale for kids? | 7/26/2009 |
Q: Evilution/Evolution is a fairytale for kids?
A: Mach, According to Norse myth, the worlds of Muspelheim and Niflheim collided and life was born. ...
|
| Niagra Escarpment | 7/25/2009 |
Q: I understand that the Niagra Escarpment was formed in the Silurian by sea sediment deposits, but ...
A: Bob, The rocks that form the escarpment were deposited in the Silurian but the Niagara Escarpment ...
|
| Gold In Florida? | 7/20/2009 |
Q: any known natural gold finds in Florida,however small?
A: Dave, The Spanish were certainly convinced that there was gold in Florida when they settled it. ...
|
| THE 4.5 BILLION YEAR OLD EARTH | 7/14/2009 |
Q: I am a Christian involved in the whole creation/evolution debate for various reasons, and have been ...
A: Mike, Several so called 'controversies' currently being discussed in our society are far from ...
|
| Magnetism? | 7/11/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if some places on earth have more magnetism than other places? Like kind of other ...
A: James, I encourage you to look at the sites I recommended. It is obvious that the strength and ...
|
| heat resistent rock | 7/10/2009 |
Q: I am looking for some rock that can withstand heat. I am building an outdoor fireplace and looking ...
A: Carmen, The problem you are trying to solve is an old one. Long before recorded history a few ...
|
| Magnetism? | 7/7/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if some places on earth have more magnetism than other places? Like kind of other ...
A: James, Our planet's magnetic field varies in intensity and direction everywhere on Earth and both ...
|
| South-Eastern Missouri Rock / Mineral ID | 7/6/2009 |
Q: Dr. Bell, I'm hoping you can help me determine the composition and age of this specimen. I found ...
A: Brad, I can't be sure from the picture and description you sent but it looks like a fragment of ...
|
| continental drift | 7/4/2009 |
Q: I would like to know if modern GPS has accurately measured the rate of separation of Europe and ...
A: Glenn, I've done a little research on your question and the answers come as a complete surprise to ...
|
| Moon Rocks | 7/3/2009 |
Q: Today I had a debate with a co-worker regarding whether or not the United States successfully landed ...
A: Tom, I doubt that you can convince your adversary of the authenticity of the Apollo program and I ...
|
| Limestone | 7/1/2009 |
Q: what do we use limestone for????
A: Bob, Limestone is composed of the mineral calcite which is composed of the elements calcium, ...
|
| Mineral Resources | 6/29/2009 |
Q: How do geologists in the field find clues about the distribution of rock types if they are buried ...
A: Annette, Soil and vegetation obscure bedrock over most of the continents. Never the less, ...
|
| Rare Earth elements | 6/27/2009 |
Q: Bell. My question concerns Rare earth elements. What are they and are they considered "rare". I ...
A: Tony, Rare Earth elements are not particularly rare at all. Take a look at the chart about half ...
|
| Radiometric Dating | 6/26/2009 |
Q: Bell, I'm an undergraduate student who is working towards a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary ...
A: Tom, The theory upon which radiometric dating is well established and it sounds as if you have a ...
|
| Structural Geology | 6/23/2009 |
Q: What is a limb and hinge line?
A: Kashif, These two terms are used to describe geometric elements of folded rocks. To help you ...
|
| depth | 6/22/2009 |
Q: If I dug a 6 foot deep hole in my yard how far back in time would the layers of dirt be. I guess I ...
A: Mark, If you live at the mouth of the Mississippi River, you could have six feet of new 'dirt' in ...
|
| soil temperature | 6/21/2009 |
Q: What would the temp be at a ten feet below the surface in zip code area 12134 which in Northville, ...
A: Eric, At that shallow depth, the temperature will vary by season. In general, if the water table ...
|
| Geogolgy | 6/17/2009 |
Q: 1. What is the principal landform of karst landscapes? 2. Do caves primarily form in limestone? 3. ...
A: Nikki, You are asking questions about two related subjects, mass wasting and karst landscapes. The ...
|
| Heat sources that drive metamorphism | 6/15/2009 |
Q: I have been browsing the internet for quite a bit in search of the heat sources that drive ...
A: Mariah, Lets start by separating the source of heat from the mechanisms of heat transport. ...
|
| rock/stone identification | 6/14/2009 |
Q: I have a rock that my grandparents (they have both passed away) picked up while hiking many years ...
A: Sally, Well, that helps a little bit. I only see one picture but it is revealing. This is not man ...
|
| rock/stone identification | 6/12/2009 |
Q: I have a rock that my grandparents (they have both passed away) picked up while hiking many years ...
A: Sally, I'd be happy to help you but I need some picture. You should take two sets, one of the dry ...
|
| Obsidian vases in Museum | 6/8/2009 |
Q: I'm curious about the beautiful obsidian vases I saw in the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. ...
A: Jennifer, I found your question and description of obsidian artifacts interesting. Until now, the ...
|
| double major | 6/1/2009 |
Q: i just want to take your consultant about my double major i have already fininshed my B.Sc. in soil ...
A: Hany, Instead of getting a second B.Sc., why not take enough geology courses to get a double major. ...
|
| Why do we have seasons? | 5/31/2009 |
Q: I was just wondering how the angle of inclination affects length of daylight and how solar energy ...
A: Yarko, Earth rotates on its axis daily and orbits the Sun annually. Earth's rotational axis is ...
|
| Young Earth Theory | 5/30/2009 |
Q: Many Christians and non Christians believe in a youn Earth theory. I was told Carbon Dating of ...
A: Ray, Carbon dating is only valid for a material about 60,000 years old or less so it is not used to ...
|
| Smith Rocks Oregon | 5/8/2009 |
Q: The Rhyolite ash (tuff) that forms the climbing walls of Smith Rocks in Terrebonne OR is shades of ...
A: Michele, I have never seen the Smith Rocks but in general, rhyolite tuff is composed of the ...
|
| ice | 5/5/2009 |
Q: When did first ice form on earth? When did last ice age end? When did "little" ice age hit Europe? ...
A: Romina, Water ice was part of the solar nebula that the Earth formed from so the 'first ice' ...
|
| iron pyrite | 4/28/2009 |
Q: I would like to perform a lab in school in which I make Iron Pyrite, more commonly known as Fools' ...
A: Stephen, There is no simple way to make pyrite in the lab without expensive equipment and hazardous ...
|
| Petrified Wood | 4/25/2009 |
Q: How do you determine what species of tree a piece of petrified wood once was? ANSWER: Rick, ...
A: Rick, Silica is one of the most abundant elements in the crust. The common mineral SiO2 (quartz) ...
|
| Petrified Wood | 4/24/2009 |
Q: How do you determine what species of tree a piece of petrified wood once was?
A: Rick, Petrified wood can be found in at least two geologic environments. On the slopes of some ...
|
| Change in the axial tilt of Earth. | 4/23/2009 |
Q: I would be pleased to know what will happen if our Earth undergoes a change in its Axial tilt to 90 ...
A: Raghav, All of the planets in the Solar System except Uranus rotate on an axis that is ...
|
| metallic rocks | 4/11/2009 |
Q: my friends dad bought a property in mexico a while back and he started to dig and what he found was ...
A: Osiris, In general, rocks containing significant amounts of copper minerals have bright green or ...
|
| planetary formation of water | 2/26/2009 |
Q: Bell: First, I wish to thank you for contributing to our quest for knowledge. Secondly, I believe ...
A: Dan Sorry to take so long to answer your question. I have been traveling and the internet ...
|
| Grand Canyon formation | 2/25/2009 |
Q: My son and I were reading your answer and we were both wondering why the canyon is so much wider ...
A: Bill, The Colorado River is like a conveyor belt. As debris is washed or falls off the canyon ...
|
| Great Plains | 2/20/2009 |
Q: What are the Great Plains and how were they formed?
A: Cheyanne, The Great Plains of North America consist of a broad area of grasslands east of the Rocky ...
|
| Mapping | 2/17/2009 |
Q: Can you assist me in the basics of producing a base map manually use field data?
A: Mikes, There are several ways to do this. The old way was to acquire a suitable base map from a ...
|
| Weird rock | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I found this weird rock behind my house a few years back. I haven't seen it anywhere else since I ...
A: Rowan, If it is soft enough for you to carve it with a knife, it is probably the clay ...
|
| Earthquakes | 1/28/2009 |
Q: Im in 8th grade. And in science we are learning about earthquakes and volcanoes. One of my class ...
A: Victoria, There is no simple answer to your question. The energy released in a seismic event ...
|
| geology | 1/27/2009 |
Q: I am an young earth creationist and noticed you stated the earth is 4.6 billons yrs old.By what ...
A: Kevin, I'm not sure what an evolutionist is. It's not a religious or political affiliation and as ...
|
| pollymetalic nodual? | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I found these rocks out side of Fort Collins Colorado, East side in the prairie. Some are dark and ...
A: Heidi, You haven't asked a question here but I will comment on your find. These are iron oxide ...
|
| geology | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I am an young earth creationist and noticed you stated the earth is 4.6 billons yrs old.By what ...
A: Kevin, The age of the Earth or for that matter the age of any part of the Earth cannot be directly ...
|
| moutnains and shock | 1/17/2009 |
Q: the person who claimed that mountains 'prevent' shock show me this article : "IN NATURE of the ...
A: I don't see how this brief note in Nature is very relevant to your friend's hypothesis: "Since ...
|
| interiors of earth | 1/9/2009 |
Q: temp and pressure of crust, upper mantle, transition zone, lower mantle, D", outer core, inner core
A: Shanky, I'm not sure what your question is. All that I see here is a list. Take a look at these ...
|
| soil temperature at 10 feet | 1/8/2009 |
Q: Is there any way i can find a graph that will show me the different ground temperatures in Alberta, ...
A: Kirby, I am not aware of such a graph and I suspect it would be hard to generalize over a large ...
|
| vocanos | 1/3/2009 |
Q: what is a violent eruption ,fluid eruption and a pyrocratic eruption
A: Devon, If you are close enough to a volcanic vent, any eruption is violent! Volcanic eruptions ...
|
| property of mountains | 12/26/2008 |
Q: Thomas Bell, I have some knowledge on plate tectonics theory, but the following statement about ...
A: Perhaps he or she has an example of when or where this might have happened but it was prevented by ...
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| property of mountains | 12/25/2008 |
Q: Thomas Bell, I have some knowledge on plate tectonics theory, but the following statement about ...
A: Anissa, As I said in my first post, earthquakes tend to be common in mountain ranges particularly ...
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| property of mountains | 12/24/2008 |
Q: Thomas Bell, I have some knowledge on plate tectonics theory, but the following statement about ...
A: Anissa, I have never heard such an hypothesis proposed before. I am not sure what your friend ...
|
| relating underground soil temperature | 11/4/2008 |
Q: please, would you insist me what should be an approximate depth below "ground level" in order to get ...
A: mrinal, The only help you might get to solve this specific problem would be from people who have ...
|
| 1st grade science project | 10/30/2008 |
Q: My daughter's 1st grade science project is on the freeze/thaw cycle. Part of the assignment is to ...
A: Shaylen, I'm happy to answer your questions. 1. I was 24 when I decided to become a geologist and ...
|
| unusual rock from central Montana | 10/29/2008 |
Q: I live near the Judith Mountains in Montana. On a side hill, in only one area, we find what we call ...
A: Mitzi, This was once a well formed crystal that has been replaced by some other material, perhaps ...
|
| oxygen | 10/22/2008 |
Q: i am asking u if u would know because im not that smart and my teache thinks i am if u know what the ...
A: Owen, You may be smarter than you think. There is a big difference between not being smart and ...
|
| fossils | 10/20/2008 |
Q: how can we find the age of fossils using c14 without knowing the initial amount of carbon14 present ...
A: Sanga, Carbon 14 dating is only used to date organic material less than about 60,000 years old. ...
|
| Geology: How? | 10/19/2008 |
Q: If petroleum is so deep within the Earth, how did it get there since it comes from plants, etc? I ...
A: Lou, Petroleum does come from plants but probably not the ones you are thinking of. The primary ...
|
| escarpment vs cliff | 10/11/2008 |
Q: What is the difference between an escarpment and a cliff? I am not a native english speaker and from ...
A: Najwa, The difference between a cliff and an escarpment is one of scale. Escarpments are large ...
|
| Calculation of gold in thio complex | 9/28/2008 |
Q: Reading the work of Art Pansze, I would like to know how to calculate the weight of gold in a cubic ...
A: Gerry, If the concentration you provide is that of gold, not the complex itself, the calculation is ...
|
| question | 9/11/2008 |
Q: what are the functions of mountains? do mountains prevent shaking of earth or do mountains maintain ...
A: Kallis, Earth does wobble on its axis but this is not caused by the size or distribution of ...
|
| main subjects | 9/2/2008 |
Q: what are the main subjects of geology? e.g. hurricane, volcanic eruption, tsunami, etc.
A: Katie, The scope of the science of geology is not very well defined anymore. Our boundaries used ...
|
| flagstones | 8/25/2008 |
Q: i know flagstone isnt a great geological term but how do flagstones form, which environment do they ...
A: William, Flagstone is a stone mason's term, not a geologic term. Flagstone is frequently sandstone ...
|
| heating earths mantle | 8/22/2008 |
Q: I read that the earth's mantle is heated by the radioactive decay of Thorium, Uranium, and ...
A: Robert, You are correct about the source of the heat. Let me start with a simple analogy then ...
|
| Iron pyrite vs gold | 8/6/2008 |
Q: How do you differentiate between gold and iron pyrite. I was hoping a magnet would do it but from ...
A: Jerry, Gold is a metallic element with a melting point of about 2000 deg F and it is very soft. ...
|
| geological exploration | 7/29/2008 |
Q: I,m geologist.I,d like studying about geological exploration.I want to know how to apply the ...
A: Sam, Mineral exploration requires a working knowledge of many subfields of geology so there is no ...
|
| Creek gold | 7/27/2008 |
Q: Does washed gold bits in an ice-cold stream with some kind of greenish and orangeish algae(?)on ...
A: Maggie, In general, it is not a great idea to drink creek or river water unless you know for a fact ...
|
| Natural Poison Gas traps in Africa?? | 7/18/2008 |
Q: I remember seeing in a nature show a segment about these low lying pockets of poisonous gas. Animals ...
A: Amanda, Sorry to take so long with my response. No you are not crazy! Here is a link to give you ...
|
| techtonics | 7/9/2008 |
Q: If the Atlantic plate is subducting under the east coast and the west coast is under similar ...
A: Joanna, Earth has a thin skin so the crustal forces that are in play a thousand miles or more from ...
|
| braided and meandering rivers | 7/8/2008 |
Q: significance of braided and meandering river channels to mineral exploration
A: Ann, It depends what mineral you are looking for. Meandering streams develop on river ...
|
| sesmic wves | 6/30/2008 |
Q: what is sesmic waves? is it a e-m wave like X ray or gamma ray? how it is responsible for demage of ...
A: Sabir, Seismic waves are shock waves that are generated by earthquakes, landslides, magma movement, ...
|
| magnetic/gravity anomalies | 6/22/2008 |
Q: What type or combination of rocks/minerals might: a) Give a magnetic anomaly, but not a gravity ...
A: Jarrad, Rocks that contain ferromagnetic elements like iron or nickel are magnetic. These elements ...
|
| Age of Fossils | 6/21/2008 |
Q: In your reply to the Age of fossils question you stated, "First, sedimentary rocks that overlie ...
A: Charlize, I don't mean to shake your faith but I assume you have an open mind otherwise you ...
|
| Rock harder than Mohs 7 that will not scratch glass | 6/18/2008 |
Q: The clean inside of the rock easily bites into and scrathes the unglazed side of a ceramic tile. It ...
A: James, If this is basalt, the main mineral would be olivine which has a hardness of 6.5-7. Olivine ...
|
| partial colour blindness | 6/14/2008 |
Q: i want to study geology as a honours subject in ug course.i have a partial color blind problem. is ...
A: Sabyasachi, Geology is a big field but there are some specialities within geology where partial ...
|
| round chert-like rocks | 5/23/2008 |
Q: I have found many hand-sized rocks in a field near where I live (border of Los Angeles-Ventura ...
A: Kathy, Agate is microcrystalline quartz and is not really a geologic term. This is a term ...
|
| Grand canyon strata composition | 5/22/2008 |
Q: Someone told me that the Grand Canyon, from top to bottom, is composed of sedimentary rock ...
A: Teri, You have most of the story right and I am glad to see someone was paying attention during HS ...
|
| climate change | 5/19/2008 |
Q: if someone studies climate change would they be called a geologist?
A: Stacy, Geologists have been studying climate change long before anyone thought it might be a short ...
|
| Question | 5/18/2008 |
Q: Why might the depth that a sample is taken be important to the results of a geochemical survey? ...
A: Kris, Bulk leach extractable gold (BLEG)is an attempt to solve the nugget problem by extracting all ...
|
| Question | 5/17/2008 |
Q: Why might the depth that a sample is taken be important to the results of a geochemical survey? ...
A: Kris, Geochemical samples are taken for many different purposes. Each purpose has its own logic ...
|
| soil microbiology | 5/13/2008 |
Q: sir can you please tell me what actually is water teble.and how it is related to salinity? ANSWER: ...
A: Bushra, I am not sure I understand your question without knowing more about the area you are ...
|
| soil microbiology | 5/12/2008 |
Q: sir can you please tell me what actually is water teble.and how it is related to salinity?
A: Bushra, Soil and bedrock have open space in them, either cracks or space between grains. This open ...
|
| Question about Bronze. | 5/11/2008 |
Q: I am in the process of planning a novel and came across a problem. A character in my book is ...
A: Tonisha, Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin and harder than either copper or tin which are fairly ...
|
| lOWEST iSLAND | 5/8/2008 |
Q: Not sure if this is a geology question, but it's worth shot. According to Guinness (U.S. edition, ...
A: Steve, Nice geographic trivia question. It does have a geology angle though. Ethiopia includes ...
|
| ancient oceans | 5/2/2008 |
Q: When I was a kid, I collected trilobites, always found in hard silt. Last year I went to the Smoky ...
A: David, It is safe to say that there has been beach sand throughout most of Earth's history. ...
|
| stone formation time | 4/25/2008 |
Q: Could you recomend a good website/book that tells how long it takes for rocks/stones to form? Thanks
A: Tzeitel, Rocks fall into one of three categories, igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Igenous ...
|
| i have a question | 4/23/2008 |
Q: Is the atmosphere part of the geosphere
A: Chareese, Sorry to take so long with this. Your question seems to have slipped past me. Earth's ...
|
| what rock do i have | 4/22/2008 |
Q: how do i know/check what kind of rock i have?
A: Zoey, Rocks are divided into three main types, igneous (formed from a melted rock), sedimentary ...
|
| renewable energy resources | 4/18/2008 |
Q: Uner what conditions are the reneable energy resourses viable econimically and what are they?
A: Meshack, This may be one of the most important questions of our time. By far, we get most of our ...
|
| Dating the age of out planet | 3/23/2008 |
Q: It is estimated that our planet is 4.5 billion years old. The half time figure of Uranium 238 decay ...
A: Shalom, This is just a coincidence. Half the uranium on earth has decayed and is either now Pb206 ...
|
| GOLD ORE | 3/20/2008 |
Q: IN DIGGING UP AN AREA OF LAND ON MY PROPERTY THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR JUMPED DOWN AND CLAIMED THE ROCK ...
A: Mark, I hope you have struck gold! The best way to know for sure is to chip some of the best ...
|
| soil microbiology | 3/16/2008 |
Q: why erosion is high in barren land?
A: Ali, Vegetation protects soils from erosion so barren ground is far more susceptible to erosion ...
|
| plate motion rock types | 3/11/2008 |
Q: In parts of major mountain belts there are sequences of rocks that geologist interpret as slices of ...
A: Faye, These types of sequences are called ophialites and consist of oceanic crust that is ...
|
| meteorites | 3/5/2008 |
Q: i heard that no rocks can have their very own crystal lattices? i have a rock that even my amature ...
A: The term crystal lattice refers to the atomic structure of a crystal. You are looking at individual ...
|
| polar reversal | 2/8/2008 |
Q: how does polar reverasal takes place?
A: Madhusuddhan, The geographic poles don't reverse but the magnetic poles do. Earth's core has two ...
|
| Age of fossils | 2/6/2008 |
Q: How do scientist determine the age of a fossil or rock since it doesn't talk or have a date stamp on ...
A: Ford, Lets deal with the last parameter first and work backward. Unless time has been slowing as ...
|
| Age of fossils | 2/5/2008 |
Q: How do scientist determine the age of a fossil or rock since it doesn't talk or have a date stamp on ...
A: Ford, Many rocks do have a 'time stamp' and geologists have been very clever at exploiting them. ...
|
| Salt Origination Oceans | 2/3/2008 |
Q: Dr. Tom: An ongoing discussion I have with my daughter. I believe that ocean salt content comes ...
A: Bill, My compliments to you both for discussing such an interesting topic. Salt is such a simple ...
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| Silicate Rocks | 1/24/2008 |
Q: Quartz and olivine are both very hard 3-D silicate minerals. What is the essential difference ...
A: Katie, Quartz are olivine are minerals which form on opposite sides of the crust. Olivine forms at ...
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| Geology | 1/18/2008 |
Q: What volume (cubic inches, cups, quarts, whatever) of common sand would contain 6 billion or so ...
A: Fred, The grain size of sand as used by geologists among others runs from 0.0625-2.000 mm so an ...
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| volcano--or crater--or both! | 1/17/2008 |
Q: Bell, I live in South Armagh, Northern Ireland--right in the middle of what geologists resolutely ...
A: Dan, With regard to the final part of your question, never give up your curiosity or trying to ...
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| green clays / wyoming | 1/10/2008 |
Q: wondering why much of the green river formation in Wyoming is green in color. what mineral colors it ...
A: Cory, Greetings from Niamey, Most green minerals get their coloration from iron in its reduced ...
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| very strange geode | 1/4/2008 |
Q: I hope you might be able to explain to me how rare it would be to have a geode that seems to be ...
A: Julia, Sounds like you found quite a specimen. Geodes can form in quite a few different rock ...
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| Earth movement | 1/3/2008 |
Q: Today I was wondering where it is that the earth gets its energy to rotate,and why does it rotate ...
A: Niel, Earth's present rotation rate and direction of rotation are inherited from the rotation of ...
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| earth/ocean | 12/31/2007 |
Q: Dr. Bell: I hope this is in your area...and it maybe a bit of a silly question, anyways - I ...
A: Leah, Don't buy a life vest just yet. If parts of southern California drop below sea level, it ...
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| The metamorphic process | 12/17/2007 |
Q: I am taking geology in school and I am having a little trouble with something? The question is how ...
A: Kristy, When minerals crystallize from a melt (magma) at high temperature and pressure they are in ...
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| Master Degree & Deserts | 12/6/2007 |
Q: I am a female from Egypt, and I have a Bachelor Degree in Accounting. I have worked for both ...
A: Noran, I am glad to hear you are moving into geology. Your accounting background will certainly be ...
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| career guide | 11/30/2007 |
Q: Sir I am student of BS GEOLOGY in pakistan.I have to select the special subject in geology out of; ...
A: Kamran, The best direction to go is the one that looks the most interesting to you. In short, ...
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| earthquake | 11/28/2007 |
Q: We are a group of biology teacher 's following a professional Development course, We would happy if ...
A: Khloud, Earthquakes are random events worldwide. Though I am not aware that they are any more ...
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| What am I seeing.. | 11/27/2007 |
Q: Dr. Bell, I'm a retired engineer (specialty water & wastewater) and as such have time on my hands to ...
A: Rick, Nice to hear you are starting a new career. Planetary geology is a great subject and there ...
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| Flood Basalt | 11/22/2007 |
Q: I've been reading some things about mass extinctions, and I have learned that possibly one of these ...
A: Jeph, The origin of flood basalts (traps) are still unclear. There are several extensive traps of ...
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| Plate Tectonics!! | 11/9/2007 |
Q: How do you think Plate Tectonics effects Greenwood, South Carolina???
A: CNA, Yes, even Greenwood SC is affected by plate tectonics. Greenwood is firmly planted on the ...
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| Geology | 11/8/2007 |
Q: Why is the core hotter than the other parts of the earth? Why is the mantle above the core? Why are ...
A: Daniella, Earth has a layered structure consisting of an inner and outer core, lower and upper ...
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| Impact Craters & Earthquakes | 11/5/2007 |
Q: Thomas Bell, I am interested in Impact Craters and earthquakes. I was wondering about a huge, ...
A: Leona, We live in a cosmic shooting gallery and from time to time get hit pretty hard. Earth's ...
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| A question about rocks | 11/1/2007 |
Q: What is the most rare mineral?
A: Constanza The most common mineral in Earth's crust is quartz. The rarest mineral would be ...
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| school science fair questions about craters | 10/29/2007 |
Q: Bell, Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for me for a science fair project that ...
A: Matthew, This sounds like a really fun experiment. Before I offer some tips on the experiment, ...
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| i don't know what i've found &I would like know | 10/18/2007 |
Q: I FOUND THESE WHAT-EVER THEY ARE IN A LAKE , THAT IS FULL OF QUARTZ CRYSTAL {WHACHITA LAKE IN ...
A: Connie, Your discovery sounds very interesting. It is hard to tell just what you have found ...
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| Noah's ark | 10/16/2007 |
Q: Bell, Even though I only have a B.S. in science, I think I can successfully dispute every argument ...
A: Charlie, The story of Noah's arc is cleary very ancient and probably does have some basis in fact. ...
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| Lunar crater formation impact sequence | 10/9/2007 |
Q: I'm interested in the Arago crater on Mare Tranquilitatus and the series of impacts that created the ...
A: Jack, This sort of relative dating forms the basis for interpreting much of the lunar surface. The ...
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| Mineral | 10/8/2007 |
Q: Hey my name is NEBIYOU and an undergraduate student at ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY in ETHIOPIA. My ...
A: Nebiyou, As a student who has access to the world wide web, you should be learning how to extract ...
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| Arizona gold nuggets in schist | 10/4/2007 |
Q: DR.Bell,Some metal detectorists in Arizona who find small gold nuggets in schist bedrock insist that ...
A: Dave, A quartz matrix is not always present in veinlets and veins that have gold. The matrix may ...
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| FLAGSTONE QUESTION | 9/30/2007 |
Q: WHERE DID THE WORD 'FLAGSTONE' ORIGINATE?
A: Ashlea, I don't know how this variety of stone got its name but I suspect it is very ancient. ...
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| Prospecting | 9/19/2007 |
Q: If you were looking for a "lost" ledge containing gold that reportedly appeared in a small scarp, ...
A: Don, If you enjoy just getting outside, prospecting is a great excuse so don't change hobbies. ...
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| Geology | 9/17/2007 |
Q: How many half lives are required to yield a mineral with 1250 atoms of U 235 and 18750 atoms of Pb ...
A: Mandy, Uranium has several isotopes, the most abundant of which are U238 and U235. Each undergoes ...
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| Geology trouble | 9/10/2007 |
Q: Can you in simple terms break down what the continental feature; shield is, does, and maybe give me ...
A: Kae, Over a hundred years ago, geologists began to recognize that certain parts of the continents ...
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| radioactive decay | 9/3/2007 |
Q: I was wondering if you could explain the process of radioactive decay that the earth's core is going ...
A: Heather, The nuclear processes taking place in the stars and those in Earth's interior are ...
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| the middle of the earth | 9/2/2007 |
Q: My son asked me why the middle of the earth is so hot? I didn't really know what to say. I was ...
A: Heather, Everyone is fascinated by the fact that the planet is so hot inside! I frequently get ...
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| Stratigraphy: Upright Fossils | 8/30/2007 |
Q: I have been researching the debate between evolution and creationism (I am a strong evolutionist). I ...
A: Stan, Fossils are rare enough and those that are fossilized in place even rarer. The first example ...
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| why is blue agate blue? | 8/19/2007 |
Q: My friend is convinced that agate isn't naturally blue, and that blue agate is dyed. I think that ...
A: V Nice of you to ask this question just now. I am visiting with a geologist who is also a serious ...
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| emeralds | 8/9/2007 |
Q: i'm wondering how long it takes for emerald to form? at what depth in the earth (generally)? what ...
A: Emmy-Maie, Emeralds form in metamorphic environments as vein or pegmatite minerals. The range of ...
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| radiometric dating | 8/2/2007 |
Q: I was wondering if you could explain in laymen's terms HOW we know the half life of a radioactive ...
A: Kimberly, Radiometric dating is just one line of evidence of the great age of Earth and the ...
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| the element mercury | 7/29/2007 |
Q: mercury being such a dangerous & deadly what is it's purpose on the earth? does it mix with other ...
A: Ken, Not a silly question at all. Mercury, atomic number 80, is a heavy metal like lead, silver, ...
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| AGE OF ROCKS | 7/24/2007 |
Q: MY HUSBAND STARTED A ROCK QUARRY IN LOUISIANA THIS PAST YEAR. WE HAVE MANY REMARKABLE STONES, ROCKS, ...
A: Teresa, Without seeing the rocks it is hard to answer your question with any certainty. Let me ...
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| earths core | 7/6/2007 |
Q: as far as i am aware there is no continuing source of combustion or nuclear process feeding the ...
A: Feiv, Your intuitions are right on the money if you were a Martian. However, Earth's fires are ...
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| Grad schools | 6/15/2007 |
Q: I am a geology undergraduate student. I will be a senior next year, and need to start my grad school ...
A: Chase, Good choice of professions. You have picked a good time to do this as well since the ...
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| Earth's core | 6/6/2007 |
Q: How is it possible to know what the core or inner core of the earth is like without being able to ...
A: Burt, The composition and state of Earth's core are known by inference and measurement. Please ...
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| lunar lava | 6/5/2007 |
Q: I am interested in how different lava would look like if it cooled in outer space (specifically the ...
A: Kurt, Too bad Neil Armstrong isn't around to answer this one. I admit I know little about the ...
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| Geologists analyzing rocks | 6/4/2007 |
Q: What are the techniques used by geologists to analyze rock samples? And how do other scientists use ...
A: Mary Rock samples serve as a primary source of geologic information for a wide variety of geologic ...
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| earth center | 4/8/2007 |
Q: why it is so hot in the interior of the earth?
A: Rajesh, Earth is heated by nuclear power. Many elements are radioactive. When they decay, they ...
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| Geology on the web | 4/6/2007 |
Q: I was wondering if you knew any good websites that contain rock pictures and their classifications ...
A: Camilla, Many good websites exist with the theme of rock classification. Pictures are probably not ...
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| Dating rocks | 4/1/2007 |
Q: Is testing for levels of carbon-14 used as the main method for dating rocks that are millions of ...
A: Geoff, Many of the elements have different varieties called isotopes. Isotopes are atoms of the ...
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| earthquake | 3/12/2007 |
Q: what are the types of waves accompanied with earthquake ?
A: step by step, Earthquakes occur where two rock bodies suddenly shift along fractures in the crust ...
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| Hot Springs | 3/9/2007 |
Q: Can you tell me about how hot springs are formed? I am interested in the Japan ones. How old are the ...
A: Patricia, Hot springs are a field geologist's dream. Nothing like a remote hot pool to wash the ...
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| Depthness of mountains | 3/8/2007 |
Q: Sir, Do mountains have deep roots beneath the surface of the earth?. In some articles, I read that ...
A: AM, Mountains on continental crust do indeed have "roots" in the sense that the crust is thickened ...
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| Geology | 3/6/2007 |
Q: Why is there more water than land on the earth ? My son asked this question at school and his ...
A: Andy, Earth's crust is composed of two types of rocky plates that 'float' on the upper mantle. ...
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| Reg. mountains | 3/4/2007 |
Q: Sir, Do mountains in any way provide stability to the earth?. Regards.
A: Ameen, All of the inner planets of the solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are primarily ...
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| evolution | 3/3/2007 |
Q: good day!!i just want to ask you how volcanoes formed?are they ready made or is there somethin more ...
A: Analia, Volcanoes hold a special fascination for geologists and the public at large. They are a ...
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| Amazon River Headwaters | 2/28/2007 |
Q: Bell Happened to observe that the headwaters of the Amazon River are precsely 00 00 00 latitude on ...
A: George, The "headwaters" of any stream are not a single point on a map but a line that follows the ...
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| stream gold in michigan | 2/25/2007 |
Q: I own a pristine, gravel bottom stream in N.E. Lower Michigan. It originates in the upper portion ...
A: Phillip, First, if you find some gold don't tell a soul. You don't want to start a gold rush in ...
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| Limestones | 2/16/2007 |
Q: I am in the process of comparing two sets of hills in the UK, about 30 miles apart, the Mendips ...
A: Jonathan, While I am not very familiar with the geology of Britain, I can offer some thoughts about ...
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| Where can I find how Great Barrier Island | 2/15/2007 |
Q: Hell Dr. Bell, First I visited your Stratamodel website, You have had a wonderful career centered ...
A: Chris, Without knowing which continent or body of water Great Barrier Island is located at, I can ...
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| Your thoughts on Geology | 2/14/2007 |
Q: Bell I took a college course in Geology as an elective. The University business program doesnt have ...
A: Chris, Growing up, I had an intense interest in the natural world. This could have led me in many ...
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| Oxygen removed from fossil fuels | 2/9/2007 |
Q: According to politically correct and conventional accepted thought, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, ...
A: Bruce, Despite the misleading commercials of some of the more fossilized oil companies, dinosaur ...
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| Physical Geography Mountain belt formation | 2/6/2007 |
Q: I am trying to have a better understanding of how the accumalation stage ,orogenic stage, uplift ...
A: Tina, Mountain building has intrigued geologists for several hundred years and numerous hypotheses ...
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| physical geology | 2/1/2007 |
Q: What does magnetic anomalies and reversals has in common with continential drift?
A: Cheryl Earth's magnetic field reverses polarity every few hundred thousand years or so. A magnet ...
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| Earths' core | 1/22/2007 |
Q: How did scientists discover the temperature of the earths core, and what makes the core so hot?
A: Andrew There is no way to directly measure the temperature of Earth's core. The best we can do is ...
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| Plate Tectonics | 1/22/2007 |
Q: Could you explain the relationship between plate tectonics and human population growth? I have been ...
A: Jessica While the process of plate tectonics is very slow relative to human time scales it can ...
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| geodes | 1/13/2007 |
Q: my friend and i found a geode and broke it open the crystals were a pink toa yellow color and in ...
A: I hate to disappoint you but diamonds don't form in geodes. Geodes frequently form where a large ...
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| Earth's Age | 1/8/2007 |
Q: How old is the earth?
A: The universe is approximately 14 and one half billion years old. Our solar system formed about four ...
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| ground water exploration | 12/23/2006 |
Q: how many methods are there for ground water exploration?describe every method.
A: Laxmikant You seem quite interested in the subject and with such a broad question, I think it is ...
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| Schumann Resonance | 12/14/2006 |
Q: I have been reading up on schumann resonance. My information comes mostly from the Internet. There ...
A: Amit, Measurements of Schumann Rsonance (SR)have only been made for the last few decades. If there ...
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| Evolution of Earth | 12/13/2006 |
Q: Why do scientists think that Earth is changing and that it has changed in the past?
A: Ashley You can verify for yourself that the Earth is changing. Consider Hurrican Katrina. Before ...
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| Earthquakes and the earth's rotation | 12/8/2006 |
Q: Do major earthquakes lengthen the day they occur in by altering the rotation of the earth? If so, ...
A: Fred, Earth's rotation is impacted by many factors. Among them are the distribution of mass and ...
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