Category Archives: geology

A deskcrop-full of komatiite

Posted on December 14, 2007 by Chris Rowan

I have on my desk evidence for a hotter mantle 3 billion years ago. Nifty, eh?
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Categories: geology, volcanoes

Martian plate tectonics

Posted on December 12, 2007 by Chris Rowan

Are striped magnetic anomalies on the Red Planet evidence of ancient sea-floor spreading?
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Categories: geology, geophysics, planets, tectonics

Pictures from an undersea eruption

Posted on December 6, 2007 by Chris Rowan

Mid-ocean ridges are a fundamental component of the Earth’s tectonic engine: they mark places on the earth’s surface where two plates are moving apart, creating space for mantle rocks to move upwards, decompress, and melt. Every year, the resulting volcanic … Continue reading →

Categories: geology, tectonics, volcanoes

How the air we breathe became breathable

Posted on November 15, 2007 by Chris Rowan

What geology tells us about the evolution of the Earth’s atmosphere.
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Categories: Archean, geochemistry, geology, paper reviews, past worlds, Proterozoic

An interactive map of UK geology

Posted on November 13, 2007 by Chris Rowan

The BGS have put up a nice interactive map of the UK’s geology (flash required). You can select and deselect rocks of different geological periods to see where they are distributed around Britain and Ireland, and if you hover over … Continue reading →

Categories: geology, links