This study in blues and greys and browns, this combination of fuzziness and sharp edges, where is it? It’s where land and ocean meet and mingle. A place where mud and silt and sand pause half way along an incredible journey that links the destruction of mountains to the creation of new land. It’s an… Continue reading Sediment and sea: from the heights to the depths
Scars, acne and others: circles on the ground
Looking is never just looking. When we gaze at something, we are not passive recipients of an image, instead our brain is constantly looking for patterns. If you are drifting over the earth, whether as an astronaut or via Google Maps then a simple shape such as a circle will ‘jump out’ at you. It turns out… Continue reading Scars, acne and others: circles on the ground
Into the Third Dimension: using Google Maps to know what’s underground
Much of the earth’s surface is covered by sedimentary rocks. These form as sediment settles on the surface. As the types of sediment change – sand to mud to sand again – different layers are formed, some hard some soft. The patterns these layers make are responsible for some of the most interesting Great Geology in Google… Continue reading Into the Third Dimension: using Google Maps to know what’s underground
Looking from the sky at diamonds
When a geologist looks at Google Maps images, we usually filter out any human activity. But in the case of mines, that would be a mistake – the holes humans dig can tell us about the geology. What’s this? A big circular hole in the ground and large piles of bluish mine waste. The shadows are… Continue reading Looking from the sky at diamonds