Landslide in Alaska's Taan Fjord

Ground view of the landslide scar in Taan Fjord.

In October, 2015, the land gave way in a remote Alaskan fjord letting loose 200 million tons of rock. When the rock entered the sea, it sent a wave 600 feet high up onto the other side. No one saw it, except those monitoring a seismograph at Columbia University in New York. You can read an article about the event here.

Note the landslide scar at the head or the fjord to the left of the glacier.

Giant Paleoburrows in South America Thought to be Dug by Ground Sloths

Discover Magazine is reporting on giant paleoburrows that have been identified in the Amazon Basin in South America. The burrows are thought to have been excavated by Ice Age megafauna.

The morphology of the caves as well as the youthful nature of the material they are found in, suggests that they were dug perhaps by giant ground sloths or giant armadillos. The full article in Discover Magazine can be read here. (The images I have included in this post are from the article).

Researchers note that these paleoburrows have been also identified from the southern Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, but not across the border in Uruguay. They also have not been identified north of the Amazon. Now some are beginning to wonder if they simply have not been recognized, although a lack of suitable rock type or the distribution of species could also explain their absence elsewhere.

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Honors "Carving Grand Canyon" with the 2016 Geosciences in the Media Award

I was honored this past November to receive the Geosciences in the Media Award from the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists for my book, "Carving Grand Canyon." I am honored to have this book recognized. First published in 2005 by the Grand Canyon Association, it was re-released in a 2nd edition in 2012. The book highlights the history of thought on how and when the Grand Canyon may have formed and details all of the current theories. You can read reviews on Amazon of the book here.

All of the past awardees for this honor can be found at this link. In 2014 another one of my books co-authored with Dr. Ron Blakey won the same award - "Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau."  Reviews on Amazon.com can be seen here.

Thanks to everyone who reads and shares my books. Geology rocks!