Six thousand kilometres isn’t a long way. Along the surface of the earth it’s the distance from Beijing to the Middle East. That distance above your head is still well within earth’s orbit and many satellites are much further out. The Middle East and the earth’s orbit are places we understand reasonably well and that… Continue reading Earth’s layered structure
Author: Metageologist
Earth as a planet
Formation of the solar system The earth, our home, is the third of 8 planets orbiting a star, our Sun. Together they make up the solar system. To understand how our planet formed, we need to know how solar systems are created and how they develop. Around 4.5 billion years ago there was a cloud… Continue reading Earth as a planet
How oil is formed
Oil, natural gas and coal are known as fossil fuels. They are extremely useful substances and humans spend lots of time and energy to extract them from the earth. But why are they called fossil fuels, when and how did they form? In an town or village in Ireland on a cool evening there is… Continue reading How oil is formed
The Holocene: from the Ice Age to the Age of Rice
Every day history is being made. This is true for geology as well. Out at sea layers of sand or mud are being laid down that will become the geological records of the future. The period of geological time that we are in right now is called the Holocene epoch, which is part of the… Continue reading The Holocene: from the Ice Age to the Age of Rice