Life Long Learning: Fall 2012

1. Life Long Learning: Fall 2012 Vagabonds Tramp Eastern Africa Session One “Vagabonds Tramp through Eastern Africa: where the unique geology of the East African Rifts produced the advent of the human species and the Nile flood plain shaped the beginning of human history” The countries of Africa But first something to ponder

2. The mind seems to grow giddy by looking so far into the abyss of time Jay Playfair, 1805 Science: Natural facts discovered by experiment and the testing of hypotheses

3. Humans are creatures who comprehend things they cannot see and believe in things they can not comprehend William Howells What will we find today?

4. What will we find today? Tales of Narnia: C. S. Lewis The countries of Africa but first a word from Peanuts

5. How to get in touch with us May your rock collection never turn to stone!

7. How to contact us: dfb46@caa.columbia.edu askthegeologist@suddenlink.net Geology & history, Un of Penn paper, http://sino-platonic.org/complete/spp203_geology_human_history.pdf http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/video/did-climate-change-shape-human-evolution And now, let’s get ready to tramp the countries of Africa

8. Grab your mental climbing gear and let’s scale the heights of Africa Course Outline

9. Vagabonds Tramp Eastern Africa: Course Outline The countries of Africa

10. The countries of Africa Course definition of eastern Africa How does Africa fit in world geology, but first, Geology in the News

11. Geology in the News News items involving geology from: The New York Times The Austin American Statesman The Williamson Country Sun Items sent to askthegeologist by you An update on Arctic Drilling

12. Geology in the News From the New York Times, June, 24, 2012 Did Interesting trend: each ellipse about equal-distant apart Focus on the Chukchi Sea Leases

13. Focus on the Chukchi Sea Leases & Shell Drilling Next, the Geology of Northern Alaska, the Chukchi Sea, and Shell Leases

14. The Geology of Northern Alaska, the Chukchi Sea, and Shell Drill Site (star) Next, the Geology of Northern Alaska

15. The Geology of Northern Alaska & Shells Drilling in the Chukchi & Beaufort Seas in the Summer 2012 Next, focus on the geology of the Shell 2012 test well in the Beaufort Sea

16. Shell test well 2012: Beaufort Sea Conclusions: Either one of Shell’s wells could find new areas of very large oil & gas reserves but would be very expensive and require new and innovative engineering to get to market. The latest word on Shell’s 2012 drilling plans

17. Interior approves Noble drilling rig Discoverer to drill & set surface casing to 1400 feet well above any high pressure zones that might cause a BP-type blow-out. Shell is waiting on Interior approval of the Arctic Response well control ship Challenger being outfitted in Seattle expected in the Arctic soon.

18. The Arctic Challenger at the Port of Bellingham in Washington on Monday Failed to meet Federal tests! Now a word from David Brooks of the NY Times

19. The facts according to DFB are that we are all claiming our entitlements as citizens of the greatest nation on earth by living a lavish life style that is depleting the vary natural resources that made us the greatest nation. So, in 50 years our grandchildren and great grandchildren will inherit depleted natural resources of Iron, Coal, and Petroleum that will be insufficient for them to be living in a world power!!!! Now on a brighter note: exciting, new educational options

20. Can’t leave Geology in the News without going to the Arctic Sea ice

21. Arctic Sea Ice Melting 2002 Using the scientific method 1979 What do you see that’s unexpected?

22. The Scientific Method Good Old Common Sense 1. Observe and Record Information 2. Imagine an Explanation(s) 3. Test our Explanation(s) 4. Peers review our Conclusion(s) Now back to the Arctic Sea Ice Melting

23. Russia has more then all the others of us combined!! Oh, yes, back to the Arctic Sea Ice melting Arctic Ocean Ownership Areas

24. Arctic Sea Ice melting What do you see that’s unexpected? What ice mass is this? Last, from Sunday’s Statesman. And the answer is this? Greenland

25. China continues to try to find oil & gas reserves

26. Eagle Ford shale fracking

27. Eagle Ford shale fracking

28. Eagle Ford Gas & Oil Shale Fracking A word or two on possible geology field trips

29. The “M” Countries of Africa Eastern Africa Another view Remember the “M” countries in Africa: Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Mozambique, Madagascar, & Mauritius

30. The “M” Countries of Africa Can you find the “M” countries? How does Africa fit in the global pattern of the earth’s rocky crustal plates?

31. Crustal Plates: Both Oceanic & Continental The Earth’s rocky crust is broken into the major plates shown here Indian plate under Asian plate = mountain building Combination Oceanic Combination Combination Combination What rocks comprise the earth’s rocky crust?

32. A Model of the Solid Earth Continental Crust 20 to 50 Miles thick Oceanic Crust The Earth’s Rocky Crust 5 miles thick Focus on Africa

33. Continental Crust How thick is continental crist Oceanic Crust Continental Crust Oceanic Crust Continental Crust Oceanic crust: discovered in the last half of the 20th century Oceanic Crust Oceanic crust: one of five amazing geological discoveries in the last half of the 20th century

34. Earth Cartoon Cross Section 4000 miles = radius 8000 miles How thick is a continent?

35. How thick is a continent? 2000 miles

36. How thick is a continent? 1000 miles

37. How thick is a continent? 500 miles

38. How thick is a continent? 100 miles thick 500 1000 2000 Continental crust is one half to one quarter as thick as this orange line 4000 8000 How thick is oceanic crust? About one tenth of the orange line, too thin to show here!

39. How far does Africa extend? North Pole Cut the earth in half through the poles Africa Center of the earth Equator Conclusion: continents are a thin veneer on the surface of our earth West Yet they move as “plates” over the face of the earth through time South Africa South Pole

40. The Earth’s Crustal Plates Today Crustal plates move during geologic time North American Plate Recent earthquake Eurasian Plate African Plate Pacific Plate Evidence of plate motion Plate motion in geologic time: 1. moves continents into different climate zones and 2. creates mountains when the plates collide From E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology

41. Earthquake Epicenters: 25 years Focus on Africa

42. Earthquake Epicenters: 25 years Focus on Africa Nature and age of oceanic crust

44. Life Long Learning: Fall 2012 Vagabonds Tramp Eastern Africa Session Two “Vagabonds Tramp through Eastern Africa: where the unique geology of the East African Rifts produced the advent of the human species and the Nile flood plain shaped the beginning of human history” Where we left the geology last week

45. “That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams!” Portia, The Merchant of Venice, Act V, Scene 1

46. Come join me, and let’s travel together and see what four geological discoveries made in the last half of the 20th Century will tell sell us about human history; both past, present, and future If you want to travel fast, travel alone If you want to travel far, travel together But first, geology in the News

47. Geology in the News Full page Chevron ad in NYT Next, asteroids and meteors in our solar system Responsible hydro-fracking

48. Orbits of Asteroids and Comets circling our Sun

49. Locations of Asteroid & Comet Impacts in the Western Hemisphere Find the two big ones (red)

50. Locations of Asteroid & Comet Impacts in the Eastern Hemisphere Amazing Geological Discoveries of the Second Half of the 20th Century Findthe one big one (red)