A number of
A controversial theory put forth by Arizona-based geophysicist Allan West a few years ago is looking more likely with new evidence found in recent weeks. West proposed that a comet or asteroid explosion just above the earth's surface at the end of the last Ice Age 12,900 years ago created a massive shock wave and heat pulse that set large parts of the northern hemisphere ablaze.
acquired by design firm Stantec for an undisclosed amount. McIntosh has more than 200 employees in McIntosh gives Stantec a foothold in the active mining sector. According to the Stantec press release, McIntosh is a leader in
underground mining engineering and services range from mine conceptualization through mine feasibility, detail engineering and design for construction, procurement and construction management. The firm's specialties include underground mining methods, mine development, deep shafts, materials handling systems and complete infrastructure in support of underground operations.
McIntosh produced a downloadable book on underground hard rock mining, The Hard Rock Miner's Handbook, which contains twenty-nine chapters covering geology through mining, mine development, infrastructure, and mineral processing.
Nick Tew, the State Geologist of Alabama, is the incomin
g president of the Association of American State Geologists, and this morning he sent out a letter to AASG members outlining his goals and priorities for the next year. Below are a few excerpts from that letter:
"Our country and the world face many challenges over the coming years and the nation’s geological surveys have a huge role to play in addressing a number of these challenges. Among these are energy, mineral, and water resources and supplies; natural hazards; and climate change, but there are also many others.
"...there has been no other time in the history of this nation, save perhaps in the early days when our predecessors were engaged in the initial delineation and development of our natural resources, that the work of the geological surveys was more important than it is today. We are uniquely positioned to make significant contributions as we seek to provide for the long term societal well-being, economic viability, and overall security of the
"...the collective voice of the State Geologists is indeed powerful. Our voice and perspectives are unique and we enjoy great respect as providers of unbiased scientific information that can inform and influence the development of sound public policy. Our challenge, however, is to make our voice heard in an authoritative and effective way and, as we know, this is an area where we can improve. It is critically important, especially during this time of significant transition in the body politic, that we carefully and thoughtfully craft our message and organize in a way that assures that this message is delivered effectively and efficiently."
The small town of Crown King, one of the last inhabited small mining towns in Arizona, is being evacuated because of approaching wild fires. The town was named after the mine that operated there in the late 1800s. [right, crownking.com]
The new issue of Science carries a special section on the results of the MESSENGER mission to Mercury, which arrived in January and imaged half of the part of the planet that was not seen by the Mariner 10 spacecraft in the 1970s.
Geology professor Mark Robinson at ASU is lead author on one paper in the journal that discovered widespread volcanism across Mercury. Impact craters are common, but Robinson and co-authors conclude that much of the planet was resurfaced by volcanic activity that is either low in iron, or where the iron is locked up in non-silicate minerals.
UA planetary geologist Robert Strom is lead author on a companion paper examining crater densities that supports the conclusion that planetary resurfacing by volcanism took place after the early bombardment phase.