So if you’ve been tracking my blog you will have noticed
that I have pointed out many ways which show that geology is not just about
rocks.
To prove just how diverse this subject is, here is a list of
some headline news from just this week which are part of geology:
1. Giant prehistoric toilet unearthed (BBC News)
Now this headline would catch anyone’s eye. I don’t know about you but when I first saw this I imagined quite literally a large (and smelly) place where prehistoric animals went to go and do their business. But when you read the story, you go on to learn more about a specific species which left these traces.
Now this headline would catch anyone’s eye. I don’t know about you but when I first saw this I imagined quite literally a large (and smelly) place where prehistoric animals went to go and do their business. But when you read the story, you go on to learn more about a specific species which left these traces.
These dinosaurs were called dicynodonts
which were large mammal-like reptiles whose diet was entirely plants, making
them megaherbivores. Dinosaur poo which
has been preserved is called a coprolite, and in this case they discovered coprolites
up to 40cm wide! Finding these is fantastic news for any palaeontologist as
they can provide clues to the environment that the animal was in at the time
such as; the vegetation around, the food chain and even animal behaviour. Because
faeces degrade so easily, finding a site with such good preservation of coprolites
was very exciting for the scientific community, and because the story is so relevant
to any animals (including us), it makes for a fantastic read:
2. Last-minute deal saves fractious UN climate
talks (BBC News)
So this story might sound a little dry, but
the background story behind this is that the UN is trying to find ways to
reduce the negative effects which developed and developing countries may be
having on the changing climate. Behind this debate, there are geologists
studying past climate change who are researching the effects, timing and
frequency of these events to find out as much as possible about how climate
change is controlled.
3. Indonesia raises Sumatra volcano alert to
highest status
Now this one is a bit more exciting! Mount
Sinabung has been showing signs of eruption recently which means and so the
local authorities have been raised from "stand-by" to
"caution". This has meant drastic changes for local people who are
advised not to go closer than 5km away from the crater and 15,000 villagers in
the area have been moved to temporary shelters. As you can imagine this brings
masses of disruption to everyday life for these people and it is up to the
scientists (including geologists) to determine when it is safe for them to
return to their homes.
These are but a few examples this week of
how geology and being able to communicate it fit into real world scenarios.
Keep an eye out, and when you see an interesting story, take a minute to
consider if there is a connection to geoscience, I bet you’ll be surprised by
how often there is.
Happy reading!
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