Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

UTAH USGS blog

Utah's Geological Survey blog via geology.com

Book Recommendations Wanted

What are your favorite earth science books?

Tell us... by sending an email to "diannal20@yahoo.com" or by leaving a comment on this post.  Books will be added to a new feature of the web site - a list of ESCONI member favorite earth science books...

General Meeting: Friday, Sept. 11, Jack Wittry speaker

Time to mark your calendars.... the next ESCONI general meeting will be Friday, September 11 at 8:00 pm, College of Dupage, Building K, Room #131.

Jack Wittry will speak on, "Antediluvian Phytology Illustrated by a Collection of the Fossil Remains of Plants Peculiar to the Coal Formation of Mazon Creek."

Field Trip & ESCONI Yahoo Group

Dave Carlson runs an on-line, e-mail discussion group for ESCONI members. (Another benefit of being a member!)

He just posted about a field trip to Larson/Vulcan Quarry:

The trip to Larson/Vulcan Quarry on Sept 19 from 9 to 11:30 AM is confirmed! I have permission to bring in 20 ESCONI members. Also along at the same time will be Reed Scherer's Invertebrate Paleontology class from NIU. We will meet at the office on Barber Greene Road (east of Sycamore) at 9 AM. Age limit is 18. Wear clothes appropriate for being in a quarry (no sandals, etc), and bring a hard hat if you have one. Carpooling is strongly encouraged to limit the number of vehicles in the quarry. At the quarry, expect a short presentation about the work there followed by safety training before collecting. I will distribute a form (document file) to those signing up that must be filled out and brought along. Anyone interested in going should contact me to be added to the list.

Scott's Rock Trips

Interesting web site displaying photos and descriptions of this person's rock hunting trips. The latest trip was to an open pit mine on Rainbow Ridge in Virgin Valley Nevada for opals. (via geology.com)

Continuing Dinosaur Discoveries in Australia

Via ABC News Australia:

"Dinosaur bones around 97 million years old have been found in south-west Queensland....

..."The discoveries made this year confirm the site is likely to be of great significance, not only for Australia, but for a wider scientific understanding of the age of dinosaurs," Mr Hocknull said.

Other discoveries in the region include a long-necked plant-eating sauropod, Rhoetosaurus, found in the 1930s at Roma and believed to be 170 million years old...."

Image created by  William Stout

World Faces Possible Shortage of Technology Minerals

Via the Telegraph:

A draft report by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has called for a total ban on foreign shipments of terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, thulium, and lutetium. Other metals such as neodymium, europium, cerium, and lanthanum will be restricted to a combined export quota of 35,000 tonnes a year, far below global needs.....

Mr Stephens said China had put global competitors out of business in the early 1990s by flooding the market, leading to the closure of the biggest US rare earth mine at Mountain Pass in California - now being revived by Molycorp Minerals.

New technologies have since increased the value and strategic importance of these metals, but it will take years for fresh supply to come on stream from deposits in Australia, North America, and South Africa. The rare earth family are hard to find, and harder to extract....

USGS fact sheet 087-02: "Rare Earth Elements—Critical Resources for High Technology

A Rockhunting Trip to India

From the "Spirifer" Geological Society, great photos from a rockhound's collecting trip to India. (via geology.com)

How You Can Post to ESCONI Site

All ESCONI members can post to this site.  Currently four members are set up to post.

If you would like to post to the site, send me an e-mail at "diannal20@yahoo.com" (remove the quotations) and I'll send you information on how to get setup to post to the site.

So far, members have posted on trips, meetings and finds. Select the Member Posts option from the menu on the left to see member posts.

Want to Be Notified of ESCONI Web Posts?

If you would like to be notified by email of new ESCONI web posts, look at the bottom right of the screen for the Notifixious button. Click the button and follow the instructions to sign up for automatic updates.

Science Quiz

Take the Pew Research Science Quiz.

Photos of New Fossils From Messel Pit

From National Geographic, photos of new fossils at Messel Pit in Germany.

Favorite Volcano Books

A geoblogger lists their favorite volcano books.

Fossil Find by Indiana University

Via Chicago Tribune:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University scientists say they've discovered a "treasure trove" of fossils in a water-filled cave in the Dominican Republic.

The IU archaeologists went on scuba diving treks in about 30 feet of water in the cave.

They found stone tools, a remarkably preserved primate skull and the claws, jawbone and other bones of several species of Caribbean sloths....

Fossil Auction in Las Vegas

From Art Knowledge News via geology.com:

...One of the largest known Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered will be offered by international auctioneers Bonhams & Butterfields on Saturday, October 3, 2009 during the company’s first Natural History auction to be held at The Venetian ® in Las Vegas. The auction will contain approximately 50 lots of fossils with the centerpiece of the sale focusing on the expertly mounted female T. rex, expected to bring millions of dollars. The rare 66-million year old Tyrannosaurus skeleton – dubbed “Samson” – is arguably one of the three most complete specimens to have been discovered...

NASA Goes Inside a Volcano

From NASA JPL via geology.com:

PASADENA, Calif. -- Scientists have placed high-tech "spiders" inside and around the mouth of Mount St. Helens, one of the most active volcanoes in the United States. Networks such as these could one day be used to respond rapidly to an impending eruption.

On July 14, 2009, these spider pods were lowered by cable from a helicopter hovering about 100 feet up (30 meters) and gently put in hot spots inside and around the volcano crater...

Earth Science Week Oct. 11-17

AGI invites you to take part in Earth Science Week 2009! Being held October 11-17, Earth Science Week 2009 will encourage people everywhere to explore the natural world and learn about the geosciences.

“Understanding Climate,” the theme of Earth Science Week 2009, will promote scientific understanding of a timely, vital topic: Earth’s climate.

Also, anyone of any age can enter the International Year of Planet Earth & Earth Science Week 2009 Photography Contest  by October 16.

The photograph should focus on "Exploring Earth Science Around the World."

"No matter where in the world you live, Earth science can be found all around you. Just step outdoors, and you find it in rivers and lakes, in the sky above you, and in the ground under your feet. Earth science includes geology, oceanography, meteorology, hydrology, paleontology, and other geosciences. Show people engaged in Earth science exploration in the natural environment of your part of the world!"

New Salary Survey Gives Hope to Geoscientists

Via EPMagazine:

... While companies are holding off on hiring for the time being, the Report suggests a likely return to actively hiring both development and exploration geologists and geophysicists. “Those geotechs with the stronger workstation skills in Petra and/or Geographix in addition to GIS software experience will continue to command the higher end of the pay scale,” the report says....

Calling on Women Geoscientists

Via ScienceBlogs

Over the past several years, the geoscience blogosphere has blossomed so much that this fall, the Geological Society of America (GSA) will be convening a Pardee Keynote Symposium called "Google Earth to Geoblogs: Digital Innovations in the Geosciences." Kim Hannula started wondering how blogs serve women geoscientists. Kim recruited the rest of us and we decided to approach this problem as scientists - by collecting data and analyzing the results.

Specifically, we'd like to know how blogs might help in the recruitment and retention of women and minorities. We plan to discuss our results at the GSA session on "Techniques and Tools for Effective Recruitment, Retention and Promotion of Women and Minorities in the Geosciences." We have designed a survey, gone through the Institutional Review Board process (completely foreign to us geologists), and now we need help from you.

To start the survey, click here.

Geologist Killed by Mob

From InfoMine.com via AP:

Mob kills noted geologist in Kenya mine dispute
By TOM ODULA (AP) – 4 hours ago

NAIROBI, Kenya — Assailants armed with arrows, spears and machetes killed a Scottish-born geologist in an apparent dispute over mining rights in southeast Kenya, police said Thursday.

A lawmaker who knew the geologist said Campbell Bridges, 72, had received death threats and Bridges' attackers were incited to kill him...