Tag Archives: geology

Will the Yellowstone erupt?

Guest blog by Ryan Riols and Jacqueline Casteel Yellowstone National Park, located in the western United States is considered a super volcano.  So what exactly is a super volcano? According to R.S.J Sparks, A super eruption is a scaled up version of a typical volcanic outburst. Each is caused by a rising and growing chamber […]

“The disappearing nutrient”

An interesting article in Nature says that we’re running out of phosphate across the world.  Phosphate is a very critical nutrient that’s required for plant growth and is usually mined in some parts of the world.  Apparently, there’s less than 50 years worth of high quality phosphate available that could be mined.  Running out could […]

Magnetic Reversal

In yesterday’s class, we discussed why the core is extremely important for survival of the planet. I also mentioned briefly that Earth’s magnetic field could be reversed. Consequences of such a reversal are still being speculated. Here’s a link to PBS’ NOVA piece on magnetic storms, that will give you additional insight on such reversals. […]