What’s in the Box? Double Take
What color is this mineral? Look at it one way, and it appears blue. Turn it sideways, and it becomes bright purple! What exactly is going on?
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.
New Discoveries at Jewel Cave
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 …
Meteorites Bring the Building Blocks of Life
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 …
Volcano Watch and Educational Resources
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 …
15,000 Year Old Agate Knife Found in Oregon
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 …
30,000 Diamonds
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 …
Popocatepetl and Colima Volcanoes in Mexico Erupting
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 …
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Volcano in Iceland Stops Air Traffic
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 …
Earthquake Science
On Sunday, August 24, 2014, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Napa Valley of California. According to the National Geographic, the event was centered about 6.7 miles under the earth and was one of the largest in the area since the 1989 Loma Prieta quake that measured 7.0. Today’s quake was reported by the Earthquake …
Rare Film Footage of Mt. St. Helens Volcanic Eruption
Last year, rare footage of a documentary on Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption from the late 1980s was shared on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zHgwiOK3oU The documentary shows old photographs from before the eruption dating back to the 1950s, exploring the campgrounds, parks, lakes, and forested areas, now changed forever by the destructive forces of the volcano erupting …
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