Question for the geologists. Is a substance considered a “mineral” if it doesn’t occur in nature?
Just saw this, and thought, “okay, but you’d never find a naturally occurring sample of pure potassium” (for example)
https://www.compoundchem.com/2022/11/28/mohs-hardness-scale/
Made an iOS Shortcut to let you follow someone from a different Mastodon instance without the copy/paste hoop-jumping.
https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/e109c8e6b8c0420c902134049b13c064
Once added to your Shortcuts app, you can share a Profile (or webpage or text that contains a profile link or username) to this Shortcut to be taken to the Follow confirmation page without ever copying or pasting anything.
Let me know if you find it helpful or run into any issues.
My most well known photo from the field, and well timed being very nearly the anniversary of the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake sequence. This is the "Wall of Waiau" on the Leader fault. This scarp is actually a bit of a quirk of nature, no prior rupture here and effective localised normal movement due to topography on an oblique thrust and right lateral fault.
#geology #fault #earthquake #photography #EarthScience #nz
“As protests erupted in China, pro-govt accounts spammed Twitter, overwhelmed its defenses, & made it harder to find info about protests.
Ex-Twitter workers say the technique was known to them, but that many working on the issue left during the Musk era.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/27/twitter-china-spam-protests/
My daughter, Andie, showing Dad she's being safe while traveling.
She's the only person wearing a mask at Pearson Airport this morning.
😢
My favorite part about this shot is that this Japanese Maple is like 4 feet tall, so you have to get real low as there's only a foot or so of space between the leaves and the ground. And also, there's a line of 4 or 5 photographers standing behind you waiting for their turn. 😂 😂
Ten months after the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted, sending 1.9 km3 of ejecta into the atmosphere, sunsets still seem unusually vivid.
The first image was taken last night. As a point of comparison, I took the second image on photographic film in July 1991 after the comparably energetic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines.
This is one of my favourite educational images so I’m going to share it just because. #languages #world
“For deep time is measured in units that humble the human instant: millennia, epochs and aeons, instead of minutes, months and years. Deep time is kept by rock, ice, stalactites, seabed sediments and the drift of tectonic plates. Seen in deep time, things come alive that seemed inert. New responsibilities declare themselves. Ice breathes. Rock has tides. Mountains rise and fall. We live on a restless Earth.”
― Robert Macfarlane, Underland: A Deep Time Journey
I swore I would share this astonishing rock face whenever I saw it on the bird site, so since I’ve migrated, I have to bring it here :)
The rock face was likely originally a #gneiss - a foliated #metamorphic rock where light minerals and dark minerals form in alternating bands due to high heat and pressure. This rock was further complexly folded and refolded during continental collisions and mountain building.
The rock face also has an unusual & beautiful texture caused by the more erodible bands partially eroding. Some have likened the texture to Damascus, metal forging technique.
All the details you are asking yourself are here: https://the-geophysicist.com/caledonian-folding-in-saltstraumen
Perfect afternoon to work on our #Chanukah and #Christmas cards to send to friends and family. This year, perhaps more than ever, we must each hold up a light in the darkness, persevere in the face of adversity. #WeNotMe
As a geology undergrad I learned something that changed me forever - the set of Rocky Mountains we see today is the second set of Rockies that have stood there and replaced the Ancestral Rockies. It took millions of years for them to form, millions to erode away, and millions to form again. That concept of the vastness of time - “deep time” - is a cognitive shift and a humbling one. To learn more about the Ancestral Rockies, read Dr. Jack Share’s excellent blog, “Written In Stone”
Risks to Mastodon with increasing popularity
Interesting comment on Hackernews regarding a possible scenario/long term risk should Mastodon threaten the corporate sphere of social media.
Retired Chem/Physics/Earth Sciences teacher. I'm interested in everything.
I like a good debate that introduces me to other perspectives. I don't waste much time with people who devolve to name-calling or insults, aside to call them out on it.
I think society performs at its best when we take care of others, especially the weakest among us. That means a strong social safety net, with "free" healthcare, education, and public transit. It's a dream, I know.
30+ years of explaining stuff to teenagers has left me with some habits... I'm not a mansplainer, but I *do* like to find ways to 'splain stuff to receptive ears 😊
I like dogs, cats, and astronomy pictures with a bias towards the shorter wavelengths (kinda leaves out all those lovely Hα pics 😄).
The first thing I look at when shopping for cars is headroom/legroom. Saves a lot of time.