Talk Archives
When the Earth Quakes
What makes earthquakes happen? How are earthquakes measured? Where do earthquakes occur? Are we at risk in Austin? How do earthquakes damage property and injure people? Can earthquakes be predicted? Dr. Randall Marrett discusses what we know about earthquakes and what we still have to learn.
True Gems: Origins and Identification
Why are natural gems rare? What are the geologic processes that form them? Where are they found? Are natural gems different from man-made gems? What is done to improve the appearance of natural gems? Are such treatments permanent and do they affect gem values? Dr. Mark helper dispels confusion surrounding natural and man-made gems and provides understanding the unique processes and circumstances responsible for gem formation.
Geologic History of Texas: The Making of Texas Over 1.5 Billion Years
As you travel along Texas highways or hike through state or federal parks, do you wonder why there are different rocks in different areas? Or if an area has always looked like it does now? Dr. Richard Kyle share the Geologic History of Texas.
Volcanoes: Killers and Creators
Volcanoes literally create new real estate, by building land above sea leve. One out of twelve humans lives within the danger zone of an active volcano. However, even an "active" volvano can be quiet for hundreds, even thousands of years between eruptions. Dr. Dan Baker discusses the benefits and risks of living bear a volcano.
Studying the Earth From Manned Spacecraft?
From the early Mercury missions (1961) until now, astronauts have been observing and photographing the Earth. Dr. Willam Muehlberger shares the many Earth's surfaces that were first identified by astronaut observations and how insight into geological, atmospheric and oceanic processes can be discerned through these images.
What Happened to the Dinosaurs?
In the 1970s, the theory of plate tectonics suggested that a great episode of volcanic activity led to a severe environmental decline and catastrophic die-off of the dinosaurs and many other species. More recently, a spectacular new hypothesis claims that an asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs in one of the most cataclysmic extinctions in Earth history. Dr. Timothy Rowe looks at new evidence and possible causes for dinosaur extinction.