UM Geological Sciences



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New Zealand field trip full of real-time geology lessons *
Ingrid Hendy and Sam Mukasa led a 14-day field trip that included visits to volcanoes, geothermal fields, a gold mine, a geological fault and a cave illuminated by the luminescent larvae of a species of fungus gnat. Slideshow link

Henry Pollack: A World Without Ice *
Henry Pollack has published a new book with a Foreward by Al Gore. Read Henry's interview in the San Francisco Chronicle, and the article in Michigan Today.

Trackway analysis shows how dinosaurs coped with slippery slopes *
Jeff Wilson and colleagues created a high-resolution map of a fossilized trackway surface in southern Africa using a combination of traditional mapping techniques and a 3D surface scanner. Differences in how early dinosaurs made adjustments to cope with the terrain provide insight into the later evolution of the group. The study is published online in the open-access journal PLoS ONE. Slideshow link

Youxue Zhang's study on coal mining hazard published *
New research by Youxue Zhang and colleagues at Peking University suggests that instantaneous coal outbursts in underground mines occur through a process very similar to what happens during explosive volcanic eruptions. The research is described in a paper in the October issue of the journal Geology.

Lyuba is coming to the Field Museum in Chicago
Dan Fisher is the lead curator of the exhibit "Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age" March 5-September 6, 2010.

Catherine Badgley and John Finarelli present findings at SVP in Bristol, UK *
As reported in Nature News, Catherine Badgley and John Finarelli propose that tectonic activity isolates mountain-dwelling species from those at lower altitudes and may give rise to the development of new species.

Rob Van der Voo's new book *
Rob Van der Voo contributed to a new book on paleomagnetism. Click on the link above for the University of California Press web site.
See also http://magician.ucsd.edu/Essentials/for the online version.

Graduate Student Nadja Insel's Article on Andean Rainfall *
Congratulations go to graduate student Nadja Insel whose article on Andean rainfall was highlighted in the September 2009 issue of Nature Geoscience.

Ehlers/Poulsen article selected as Editor's Choice (PDF)
An article by Todd Ehlers and Chris Poulsen's was selected as an Editor's Choice in Science. The article explored the relation between Andean uplift and paleoclimate of South America.

Selena Smith's Article on virtual taphonomy was published in PNAS *
Virtual taphonomy using synchrotron tomographic microscopy reveals cryptic features and internal structure of modern and fossil plants Click on the link for the abstract.

Dan Fisher is on the Team Studying the Baby Mammoth Lyuba
Paleontologist Dan Fisher told USA Today that clay and soot covering baby mammoth Lyuba helped to preserve her body until she was discovered thousands of years later.

Youxue Zhang has a new book Geochemical Kinetics
Princeton University Press has published a new book by Dr. Zhang on the application of chemical kinetics to geological problems, both theoretical and practical.

Phil Gingerich is Featured in a Podcast on Fossils from Egypt *
A limestone countertop and a practiced eye played roles in the discovery of a trove of ancient mammal fossils that may shed light on the origins of African wildlife.

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