310 Answered Questions for the topic geology

04/04/19

Where can obsidian be found?
Where is obsidian found?Is it typically found on the surface or underground? If underground, how far under (meters or feet would be perfect)?Also, is it found everywhere on Earth, or just in areas... more
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04/04/19

How significant is a planet's density to the formation of life?
I'm doing some writing set on a fictional earthlike planet that for reasons needs to be substantially larger than Earth but can't have substantially higher gravity. I've been able to compromise... more
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04/04/19

Why do crystals, like quartz and diamonds, form in different colors?
Some crystals, like quartz and diamonds, form in a variety of different colors. For example, quartz can be clear, 'foggy', pink, yellow, and even blue. - What happens during the crystal's... more
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Geology Volcanology

04/02/19

Are coral cays and coral atolls just volcanic islands?
Are coral cays and coral atolls just a different type of volcanic island? When I hear: "volcanic island" I think at places like Moorea or Hawaii, but ultimately, coral cays and coral atolls lay... more
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03/27/19

How accurate is the law of superposition?
Recently I started being more interested in the rational details of the sciences (... being often challenged about them by a creationist friend) and one of the creationist 'theories' I've... more
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03/27/19

In what geological situations can I find gold?
I've heard that gold ore is often associated with quartz veins. What geological processes enable gold particles to naturally cluster together like this? What characteristics/properties should I... more
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03/27/19

Why is continental crust less dense than oceanic?
Why is it that continental crust is less dense than oceanic, where in fact continental crust is thicker than oceanic crust?
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03/27/19

Why silicon is abundant in earth surface?
What is the reason for having silicon in so large quantity on earth surface?
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03/27/19

viable geothermal energy supply from exhausted fracked gas wells?
The UK legislator with primary responsibility for energy has claimed that exhausted fracked natural-gas wells will be suitable for re-use as a geothermal energy supply (not necessarily geothermal... more
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03/26/19

What lithologies are deemed most suitable for the storage of nuclear waste?
I have visited storage- and test facilities that are within salt and clay (Opalinuston) lithologies. What are other lithologies that are considered for the storage of nuclear waste and what are... more
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03/26/19

How can I tell if a rock is really petrified wood?
I found a rock in the Mojave desert and it resembles a tree branch including what appears to be wood grain. Is there some test or observation that can be done at home to conclusively answer my... more
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Geology Science

03/25/19

Plate tectonics theory is supported because as you move out the Mid-Atlantic ridge, the rocks?
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03/25/19

Which is a reason that many organisms that have existed on earth have no fossils left?
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03/24/19

earth science question
what are the 3 types of techtonic plates
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03/19/19

What is the difference between eluvium and alluvium?
I was reading about kimberlite on Wikipedia and it mentioned eluvium. I've heard of alluvium, alluvial fans, alluvial deposits, etc. However, when I looked up eluvium, it sounded exactly like... more
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03/19/19

What was the first rock in the rock cycle?
I am an undergraduate student but I am a tutor at a High School, and one student asked me. Attempting to explain the rock cycle "if one rock turns into the other then which came first" my gut is... more
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03/19/19

How and where do double-terminated crystals form?
How and where do double-terminated crystals form? Most terminated crystals form by 'growing' out of a rock. Which causes one side to be flat,(or whatever the shape of the rock it 'grew' out of was... more
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03/19/19

Magma resultant from group 1 and group 2 elements?
I was recently speaking with a geology professor over lunch at a university who has a theory that I've never heard before. His postulation was quite compelling and I was hoping to do a little... more
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Geology Fossils Rocks

03/19/19

How can a non-geologist identify a rock?
I found a rock on a beach in north-east Evia, Greece. Half is light gray, and half is dark gray. There are white (or very light gray) thin lines that form swirls throughout, crossing the light/dark... more
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03/19/19

Is there a reason most mountain ranges seem to run parallel to coastlines?
Eyeballing a map of the world, it seems that most mountain ranges that don't occur along continental fault lines run parallel to coastlines. Is there a reason for this?
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03/19/19

Why are there more intense earthquakes in Iran than in Iraq?
Why are there more intense earthquakes in Iran than in Iraq, if they are so close together?I often hear news items of earthquakes in Iran that are higher on the Richter Scale than those that happen... more
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03/19/19

How to interpret the use of late and early Tertiary from older literature?
When reading older papers how should I interpret the use of "Late Tertiary" and "Early Tertiary"? Would these periods equate to Paleogene and Neogene, or was there a different accepted boundary... more
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03/19/19

Why do rocks on other solar system bodies that have an atmosphere seem to be flat?
Images taken by landers on Titan and Venus and Mars show landscapes where rocks, to me at least, are surprisingly flat. Being used to walking around in forests with roundish meter sized boulders,... more
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03/19/19

What is the reasoning behind the statement "Faulting will occur along the plane where the shear stress is the highest"?
In "An Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes and Earth Structure", authors Seth Stein and Michael Wysession made the statement: "Faulting will occur along the plane where the shear stress is the... more
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Geology

03/19/19

How has the relative ratio of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks changed over Earth's history?
Has the relative ratio of sedimentary over igneous rocks increased, simply as a result of more and more of the Earth's rock being exposed to sedimentary processes?Or has it increased only for the... more
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