Year 10's visit Geohazard conference

Plymouth University hosted the Geohazard Conference on Mon 27th Feb, and we took 12 keen Geologists along.
They learned about the proposed Geothermal Energy plant in Cornwall, which should be running in 2015.
There was a workshop on lava flows, and then some lectures from the Geology lecturers at the Uni (three of which lectured me when I wa there some 13 years ago!!)
However I think the highlight of the day for everyone was meeting and talking to Prof Ian Stewart. He gave an inspirational final lecture and left us all with some real food for thought:

'Invisibility' cloak could dampen blow from earthquakes

Researchers at the University of Manchester have proposed a structure that would protect a building by making it “invisible” to seismic waves.

Researchers say giant rubber cylinders coated with special wave-scattering materials could act as a "seismic waveguide" and dissipate the punch from earth quakes.

Read more here: Invisibility cloak could dampen blow from earthquakes

Which shock waves would this be most effective against?
Where might this be useful?
Are there any draw backs to this idea?

America and Eurasia 'to meet at north pole'

America and Eurasia will crash into each other over the North Pole in 50-200 million years time, according to scientists at Yale University.

They predict Africa and Australia will join the new "supercontinent" too, which will mark the next coming together of the Earth's land masses.

More here:
America and Eurasia to meet at north pole



When was the last time this happened?
What is the evidence for the theory of plate tectonics?
What might be the impacts of the continents joining?

Prehistoric Dinosaur discovered

A newly described species of ancient crocodile with a strange, shield-like skull may have chowed on 13-foot (4-meter) -long fish in Cretaceous-era rivers.

Prehistoric Crocodile Discovered

Could Oil Shale be the answer?

Oil Shale - the next fossil fuel?

As we start to fear that oil and gas reserves are running low, and the cost of exploiting these fossil fuels becomes too great, is it possible that Oil Shale could be a viable solution that should not be dismissed?

From the link above - "By all accounts this resource base is enormous. The largest and highest quality oil shale deposits are in sparsely populated areas of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and the potentially recoverable oil from Western U.S. oil shale deposits is estimated at more than 800 billion barrels, or nearly three times the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia (267 billion)."
"Several technologies have been developed around the world to make oil shale commercially viable in countries including Brazil, China and Estonia."

What is Oil Shale?
What are the environmental and Economic impacts of exploiting Oil Shale?
How does Oil Shale form?

2011 - a year of climate extremes.

According to NOAA scientists, 2011 was a record-breaking year for climate extremes, as much of the United States faced historic levels of heat, precipitation, flooding and severe weather, while La Niña events at both ends of the year impacted weather patterns at home and around the world.

Report of US Climate Extremes

But it wasn't just the States that experienced extreme weather events. From droughts in Texas, to floods in Bangkok, 2011 was book-ended in Europe by extreme cold weather and record snowfall.
The IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) prepared for criticism in November as it posed a theory that linked the extreme weather events to Global Warming.

Extreme Weather caused by global warming?

What is the link between these events and global warming?