Science

The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals offers extensive research, training, workshops, classes, and educational material on the science of rocks and minerals. Our mineralogy and geology programs are featured in our Education area. There are special events and festivals annually for rock and mineral enthusiasts to learn even more.

Below is a collection earth science-related news, topics, discussions, and information to help you learn more about the study of rocks and minerals.

Zircons are Forever at OMSI SciPub

Events, Local Events, News, Science /

Curator Leslie Moclock will be giving this month’s OMSI Science Pub lecture at the Venetian Theatre & Bistro in Hillsboro, OR. Everyone knows that dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago. But have you ever wondered how we figured out that number? Come discover the secrets of geochronology and learn how scientists determine the age of rocks and fossils. From maps and sledgehammers to radioactive crystals and cutting-edge electronics, this talk illuminates the tools and techniques used to investigate the history of our Earth. Date: Monday, June 27 Time: 7-9 PM $5 suggested cover charge Venetian Theatre & Bistro 253 E. Main St., Hillsboro, Oregon

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New Discoveries at Jewel Cave

Science /

The map of the Jewel Cave National Monument continues to expand in South Dakota. Currently the Jewel Cave holds the claim of the third largest known cave in the world, but it has not always been easy. Back in July of 2011 tours of the mine had to be put on hold when the 28 story elevators for sightseers had a serious mechanical problem. Once the elevators were back on track, the visitors were once again able to enjoy the Monument Center and volunteers were recruited to continue the search for more areas of the cave system. The Cave is now open again with even more to explore and discover. Looking to explore the rocks of North America this summer, consider a trip to South Dakota to this rare and special cave.

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Meteorites Bring the Building Blocks of Life

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Meteorite Day at the Museum May 23, 2015 Visit us at the Rice NW Museum on Saturday, May 23, for our annual Meteorite Day. There will be guest lectures and special events for the family all day. Scientific American reports that life began on meteorites. Well, actually the ingredients necessary to start the building blocks of life on this planet did. The molecules that kick-started life on primordial Earth could have been made in space and delivered by meteorites, according to researchers in Italy. The group synthesised sugars, amino acids and nucleobases with nothing more than formamide, meteorite material and the power of a simulated solar wind, replicating a process they believe cooked up a prebiotic soup long before life existed on Earth. Formamide is a simple organic compound first suggested as a starting material for the formation of prebiotic biomolecules back in 2001. The chemical has been detected in galactic centres and stellar nurseries, as well as comets and satellites. These latest experiments show that formamide, irradiated by the solar wind…and in the presence of powdered meteorites, gave rise to amino acids, carboxylic acids, sugars and nucleosides—the building blocks of DNA and RNA. The scientists speculate that this could mean that life formed on other planets might share similarities with the life formed on earth. The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals features many meteorites on exhibit discovered all around the world from Russia, Argentina, Namibia, the United States, and Australia. The extensive meteorite exhibit was put together by the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory from the Geology Department of Portland State University. Take a moment as you enter the main gallery area near the entrance to run your fingers across the large Gibeon meteorite found in Africa for a bone chilling sensation. Made mostly of iron, touch it and know that you’ve actually touched space metal and maybe even the ingredients to life on this planet. Related Articles The Meteorites at Rice Northwest Rock and Mineral Museum History of the Solar System Found in Meteorite | Rice Northwest Rock and Mineral Museum Meteorite – Wikipedia Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory of Portland State University

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Volcano Watch and Educational Resources

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Interested in volcanoes? The staff at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals are fascinated not only by volcanoes but the geology of them as well. We’ve put together a collection of online resources to help you learn more about active and inactive volcanoes. United States Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program The United States Geological Survey features a Volcano Hazards Program website with an interactive map displaying volcanoes worldwide and their active status, from dormant to high red level warnings. You will also find the latest news on volcanoes, especially those in North America and the United States. Recent reports and photographs of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii are fascinating as the lava moves down roads and into agricultural areas on the big island of Hawaii. You will find Webcams, educational information on US volcanoes, Podcasts and Videos, Elevated Volcanic Activity Updates, Monitoring data, and an amazing Photoglossary with photographs and definitions of volcanic terms. For the locals living in and around the Rice Museum, the Cascades Volcano Observatory keeps us informed as to activity in the Cascade Mountains from Washington to Northern California. They reported in February on a new study that designates the at-risk areas of Washington State and Oregon. Washington State lahar-hazard zones contain an estimated 191,555 residents, 108,719 employees at 8,807 businesses, 433 public venues that attract visitors, and 354 dependent-care facilities with individuals who will need assistance to evacuate during an emergency. Mount Rainier lahar-hazard zones contain the highest percentage of assets, followed by Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. Residential populations within lahar-prone areas increased between 1990 and 2010, mainly in the Mount Rainier lahar-hazard zone, with some communities doubling and tripling their at-risk population. Many of these new residents may be unaware of the lahar threat. See the Simplified Hazard Maps for the Cascade Volcano area for fascinating details on the Volcano Hazard Zones.

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15,000 Year Old Agate Knife Found in Oregon

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OPB Radio reported on the amazing archaeological discover of a knife carved from agate currently estimated from 15,000 years ago in Eastern Oregon, evidence of what could be the oldest human occupation west of the Rocky Mountains, shaking up many theories on North American human history. Carved from clear orange agate, the stone knife has been described as a Swiss Army Knife of its day with a serrated point edge like a saw and a steep, flaked edge used to carve wood and scrape hides and cut meat from the bones of prey. Blood found on the stone has been tested and found to be Bison antiques, an ancient ancestor of the modern bison or buffalo in North America.

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30,000 Diamonds

News, Science /

A rare diamondiferous peridotite has been found in the Udachny Diamond Mine. The Russian mine is one of the 10 deepest open-pit mines on Earth. A chunk the size of a golf ball has geologists counting the micro-diamonds imbedded within the rock. In addition to diamonds, the 10.5 g rock contains specks of red and green garnet and other minerals. Prof Taylor and his colleagues examined it using a giant X-ray machine to study the diamonds and their relationships with associated materials. They also beamed electrons at the materials inside the diamonds to study the chemicals trapped inside. This created 2D and 3D images which revealed a relationship between minerals. …The images also showed abnormal carbon isotopes for this type of rock, indicating it was originally formed as part of the crust of the Earth, withdrawn by tectonic shifts and transformed into the shimmery rock scientists see today. Along with the 30,000 diamonds fused into the peridotite are red and green garnets making for a beautiful and unusual specimen.

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Popocatepetl and Colima Volcanoes in Mexico Erupting

News, Science /

A webcam focused on Mexico’s volcano, Popcatepetl captured ash erupting, erupt ash from the snow covered upper slopes today. This is one of two active volcanoes in Mexico, the other being Colima with two explosions over this past weekend with ash plumes reaching an estimated 10,000 feet/3km into the skies over the volcano. It’s been over 100 years since Colima was the site of a large eruption so researchers are studying reports as people prepare to evacuate if the volcano continues to show activity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6blib3FoRF4 According to reports from CENA PRED Mexico, the translated report for the recent activity on Popcatepetl states: In the last 24 hours the monitoring system of Popocatepetl volcano registered 57 exhalations accompanied by emission of steam, gas and ash. The most significant was presented at 06:57 and recorded 57 minutes of tremor. During the night glow was observed over the crater. Over a 24 hour period on January 4, CENA PRED reported the Popocatepetl volcano was under a “yellow” alert as they reported “113 low-intensity exhalations” and explosions of “low to intermediate intensity.

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Volcano in Iceland Stops Air Traffic

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National Geographic answers the question, “Why Iceland’s volcanoes have vexed humans for centuries?” Witze says that Iceland’s volcanoes have affected human communities for more than a thousand years and that BárÄ‘arbunga is responsible for the largest eruption anywhere on Earth in the last 10,000 years. Some of the most famous ones in the last couple of decades have been Surtsey, a brand-new island that rose from the waves off the southern coast in 1963, and Heimaey, another island where in 1973 an eruption began in the middle of the night, in the middle of a town. But if you go further back in time you can find much more devastating examples. In the year 1104, the volcano Hekla covered more than half the island with pumice. And in 1783, Laki erupted for eight months, pouring out the biggest lava flow in recorded history. Laki also emitted more than 100 million tons of sulfur dioxide, which drifted over Europe to form a choking fog that damaged crops and changed the climate for years. Iceland has approximately 30 volcanoes, and BárÄ‘arbunga, the largest volcano in that part of the planet, is threatening to erupt. Air traffic over the area is currently suspended. The Iceland Meteorological Office features a live webcam of the glacier covered volcano. We recently covered volcanoes and the havoc they cause in our story on the Mt. St. Helens Volcano.

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