While you probably studied volcanoes a bit when you were in high school, their actual mechanics may still be a bit fuzzy to you. There might have been a few bits and pieces about plate tectonics and pressure, but how these massive eruptions actually occur is usually outside the range of the average person’s knowledge.…
“Precipitation whiplash” is the term used to describe a region that whipsaws back and forth between bone-parching periods of drought and catastrophic wet periods with flooding. As you can imagine, these conditions are highly problematic… and California is about to find out first-hand just how bad it can get. Precipitation Whiplash: A Recipe For…
A farm in Arkansas is trying some radical new tactics in an effort to improve sustainability while increasing production ahead of projected food shortages in the future. But are these efforts enough, and how exactly did this land become known as the “farm of the future?” The “Farm of the Future” Whether you know…
If you enjoy eating fruits or nuts, you can thank California for providing over two-thirds of the entire country’s supply. California is an absolutely critical crop producer in America, but climate change threatens to decimate the state’s ability to keep producing at its current rate. California: A Major Crop Producer A new study, published…
San Francisco’s fourth-tallest skyscraper has a big, expensive problem: it’s sinking. Not only that, but it’s sinking twice as fast as originally feared. How does something like this happen? What can be done? The Curious Case of The Sinking Tower Usually, you might think that a massive, 58-story skyscraper in one of America’s wealthiest…
The cliffs along California’s coastline are eroding faster than you think. Some may even be close to collapse. A new study in the journal Geomorphology identifies some of the most high-risk areas, and attempts to pin down the erosion’s cause. Heading Over The Cliffs As the sea level rises on planet Earth, more serious issues arise…
A new report by Stanford University researchers suggests that a renewed focus on soil might be a “no-risk” approach to combating global warming. What does this mean for our environment and our plans to protect this planet moving forward? Soil Management To Fight Global Warming You might be wondering: what does dirt have to do…
On September 27 and 29, two enormous instances of rockfall proved that geological time includes right now. Huge Rockfall Proves That Geology Marches Forward As we visit Yosemite and marvel at its exquisiteness, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that sometimes nature will display its power in devastating and fatal ways. Larger…
After a school collapsed in Mexico City this month following a devastating 7.1 earthquake, leading to multiple fatalities, officials are coming to the grim conclusion that the building’s foundation may not have been adequate. The resulting analysis is an unfortunate illustration of the critical importance soil engineering plays in constructing new buildings. A School Built…
The Healthy Soils Program Is Ready To Spend The California Department of Food and Agriculture is giving farmers and ranchers until September 19 to apply for a slice of the nearly $7 million in grants earmarked for the Healthy Soils Program. The goal? To subsidize the hopefully soon to be ubiquitous practice of California farmers…
