Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Gift Idea: Book on Meteorites

Geology.com posted on books about meteorites that you can buy from their site:

Meteorite Hunting by Geoffrey Notkin, cohost of the Meteorite Men television series.

Meteorites by Alain Carion.

Both are available in the Geology.com Store.

 

 

Photo: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=846

Michigan Geological Survey finds new home at WMU

Via WMU:

A state survey with data that can enhance economic development and job creation in Michigan has been transferred to Western Michigan University, making Michigan one of just a few states in the nation to tap a research university to direct the role of mapping, evaluating and researching critical geological resources.

Archaeology Find

Via BBC:

The UK mainland's first fully intact Viking boat burial site has been uncovered in the west Highlands, archaeologists have said.

Junior Paleontologists in the News

Nice article and video on Junior Paleontologists:

At Project Exploration, becoming a Junior Paleontologist (JP) is more than just attending a summer camp. It’s the entrance into a mentorship program that lasts throughout high school, one which can have a lasting effect on a teenager’s future...

Carnotaurus Speed

Via PhysOrg:

Carnotaurus was a seven-metre-long predator with a huge tail muscle that U of A paleontology graduate student Scott Persons says made it one of the fastest running hunters of its time.

Blade Production Lines in Paleo Times

... Archaeology has long associated advanced blade production with the Upper Palaeolithic period, about 30,000-40,000 years ago, linked with the emergence of Homo Sapiens and cultural features such as cave art. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have uncovered evidence which shows that "modern" blade production was also an element of Amudian industry during the late Lower Paleolithic period, 200,000-400,000 years ago as part of the Acheulo-Yabrudian cultural complex, a geographically limited group of hominins who lived in modern-day Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. via Science Daily

Iceland Landslide

From AGU:

On Friday a landslide with an estimated volume of between 700,000 and 1 million cubic metres occurred at Eyjafjarðarsveit in northern Iceland.  The landslide, which appears to have been triggered by heavy rainfall, is quite a dramatic flow-type event. (photos included)

 

How Do You Build a Dinosaur?

Via BBC: (includes good videos too)

We all think that we know what dinosaurs look like, but no human has actually seen one. But recent palaeontological breakthroughs mean that scientists are now able to create the most accurate reproductions ever seen.

BBC's Planet Dinosaur

Don't know who can see this show in the US - it seems to be available for viewing on their web site at least. Planet Dinosaur. Various blogs are reviewing the content of the show of course!

Also, while thinking about media depictions of dinosaurs, you may want to check out the YouTube DinosaursReanimated's Channel and subscribe:

ESCONI Work Day Saturday 10/22 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Come out one and all - we need your help! We have to move our club collection from one part of the building to another part.

Also, for those with bad backs, we could use your help with identifying and making bid sheets. So please stop by to help for one or more hours on Saturday, October 22, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm in 900 Knell Road, Montgomery Illinois. On that day if you have problems finding this storage facility, please call one of a couple people, Jim at 630-400-0750 or John at 630-483-2363.

New Smithsonian Website on Mazon Creek Fossils

Jack Wittry, who is a member of ESCONI, and a well-known expert in Mazon Creek fossils, as well as an author of Mazon Creek Flora, wanted to let us know of the relatively new web site from the Smithsonian National Museum on Natural History on Mazon Creek Fossils. Jack has been working on the Smithsonian's Mazon Creek collection for the last 2-3 years.

The Smithsonian Mazon Creek Fossil web site offers a description of the geology and paleontology of the area, gorgeous photographs of the major groups of Mazon Creek fossils, a glossary and a pronunciation guide.

Gift Ideas: Geologic Quilt

It's that time again - holiday time. And I've been collecting gift ideas. As usual, if you have earth-science gift ideas, just email them to me and I'll be sure to post! (esconiclub@yahoo.com).

Neffra Matthews, who is a geologist, as well as a quilter, creates these lovely geologic quilts. Her company's name is Prehistoric Impressions. You can purchase existing quilts for sale and I think, if I understood correctly, that she also make custom quilts per request.

I briefly met her at the GSA conference at a University of Kansas alumni event and it was such fun to hear about how she melds her knowledge of geology with her quilting process.

 

 

Paleostudy Group National Fossil Day Event

Wow. So many people who brought in so many of their fossils!

 

 

All kinds of specimens - first time prime and unknown, large and small specimens, dark and light, old and not so old... Karen Nordquist looked like she was writing down the specifics, so look for more info in the newsletter!

 

Two members presented - one on his latest Paleontology finds in the chalk area of Niobrara Chalk Formation and another on the color striations of gastropoda.

 

  Great time had by all.

Events for 2nd half of October, 2011

Sat. 10/22	Archaeology Study Group. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161. Floyd Rogers will present on Flintnapping. Attend this session to learn how to make arrowheads.
Fri. 10/28	Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Building K, Rm 161.

Also, the Burpee Museum in Rockford just opened with their new Ice Age Mammals exhibit:

Find out all about the last ice age; the mammals that survived and those that didn't. See skulls and bones of ice age beasts, and detailed artwork of what they looked like. Touch a real mammoth tusk! Hear scientists' stories as they recount their Arctic adventures and discoveries. It's a cool experience! 

Graphic used with permission from the Burpee Museum.

Peoria Academy of Science's Geology Club

Nice article about Peoria Academy of Science's Geology Club. The club is now offering Lapidary classes.

GSA Annual Meeting, 2011, More Media on Kraken

As I noted on an earlier post, Elaine Lord, an ESCONI member, attended what I call the Triassic Kraken session at the GSA meeting, where the room was packed and people were stacked out into the hall. While there, Elaine heard people exclaiming, "outgrageous", "brilliant"...  In any case, the presentation has captured the imagination of media.

NPR Science Friday interviewed paleontologist Mark McMenamin yesterday, which lets you hear the information for yourself.

DNA Analysis Helps Resolve Paleo Questions

From geology.com via University of Pennsylvania

“University of Pennsylvania evolutionary biologists have resolved a long-standing paleontological problem by reconciling the fossil record of species diversity with modern DNA samples.” Quoted from the University of Pennsylvania press release.

Asteroid and Bird Deaths

From Yale Daily News:

... A new study by Yale geology and geophysics postdoctoral associate Nicholas Longrich suggests that the massive asteroid strike that wiped out dinosaurs 65 million years ago was also responsible for the deaths of many bird species. Longrich’s paper, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, asserts that the many thousands of bird species that exist today evolved from the few dozen that survived the event. Experts in the field said the findings shed light on more than just the history of birds: They expand understanding of extinction events for a wide range of species.

GSA Annual Meeting, 2011, Opportunities for Students

I still am thinking about the great opportunities that the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting offers to undergrad and graduate geoscience students:

• Mentor programs
• Short courses
• Employment Service Center
• Field Trips
• Graduate School Information
• And many other events that provide networking, e.g., alumni parties, presentations, interviews with grad school professors, ...

In the next few days, I'll share brief notes from two presentations I attended on Mineral Resources and Rare Earth Minerals. If you want to read some other's notes and thoughts on other presentations at the GSA, check out the GSA blog roll.

But until then, I do want to quickly mention one presentation that got people buzzing and media attention... the Triassic Kraken talk, in which the idea presented, as I understand it, is that "Kraken" arranged their dead in an artistic manner. Geotweeps reviews the outcome. Christian Science Monitor wrote a couple articles.

Elaine attended the presentation. People were packed into the room and out into the hall. She heard people whispering to each other during the talk -  "Brilliant" or  "Outlandish".

Tibetan Plateau Fossils

Via Scientific American:

"We think that the Tibetan Plateau may be a cradle for the origins of some of the Ice Age giants," said study author Xiaoming Wang, a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Such large, furry mammals ruled the world during Earth's cold snap from 2.6 million to about 12,000 years ago. "It just happens to have the right environment to basically let animals acclimate themselves and be ready for the Ice Age cold."