Similar Posts

St. Francis Dam Disaster Site – Facts & Geology
The St. Francis Dam Disaster The St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928 was the failure of a large concrete gravity dam due to unmitigated geologic hazards, causing over 55 miles of violent flooding, and over 400 deaths. It is said to be California’s worst engineering catastrophe to date. Updated April 11, 2024. Saint Francis Dam…

Geology of Needles, California & Hydrogeology
Geology of Needles, California & Hydrogeology This post is a briefing on the geology of Needles, California. Some geological and hydrogeological data may be incomplete or pending review. Nonetheless, students, geologists, and earth scientists are welcome to openly critique, question, or contribute information to this post using the comments function below. All data is subject…

PCBs Contamination in Killer Whales and Orca Pollution
PCBs Contamination in Killer Whales and Orca Pollution PCBs contamination in killer whales and orca pollution is an increasing concern in the environmental science community. Recent studies indicate hazardous levels of industrial chemicals exist in the bodies of orcas and other marine mammals, worldwide. In fact, toxicologists now hypothesize that rising concentrations of carcinogens like…

What is Common Opal?
What is Common Opal? Common Opal is a specific type of opal that usually exists in one color, and has no play-of-color when flashed with light. Unlike precious opal, common opal appears to be “glassy” with transparent and translucent properties. A common blue opal or fire opal gemstone will predominantly reflect one pigment of color from any…

Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy involves harnessing natural volcanic heat within the Earth’s crust and converting it to electricity aboveground. The “heat beneath our feet” comes from groundwater aquifer systems that flow near molten rock. And the high-temperature groundwater runs through a series of expansion tanks and power turbines to generate electricity. Updated June 3, 2023….

What is Precious Opal?
What is Precious Opal? Precious opal is any type of natural opal gemstone that shows a “play of color,” such as flakes of variable colors reflecting from inside the specimen upon white light exposure. Unlike common opal, a precious stone can reflect multiple colors from a single viewpoint. For an example of an opal stone…