/sci/ - Science & Math

>>7342648
I'm glad you're a geologist, I have a large stalagmite that needs to be examined ;)

>>7342648
How exactly is obsidian made?

>most threads like this just reference to wiki articles, please explain it in your own words.

>>7342648
I know it's a bit weird, but can I turn my cat's ashes into a diamond or other mineral, and if yes, what would be the cost price for this?

>>7342669
Obsidian is a result of a lava cooling extremely rapidly, usually right on the surface where it is exposed to air, or when a lava flow is erupted into water. Individual mineral grains crystallize out at a specific range of temperatures, and when the lava is rapidly cooled as above, there is no time for individual grains to form so it instead forms a glass.

>>7342648
What do you think about basalt's future as a construction material?

>>7342680
Diamonds are a result of pure carbon undergoing extreme pressure and temperature, deep within the earth. I don't know the economics of artificial diamond production, but I assume its not cheap, although I remember hearing something about a company that will do this with ashes, Google can be more of a help than I in this case.

>>7342692
I can't say I have heard of it being used as such, but it is a generally durable rock so I'd imagine it wouldn't be the WORST thing one could build with.

Have a nice contact on me

Here's a nice example of cross bedding in a sandstone.

>>7342648
What is your favorite kind of rock? Why?

>>7342648
Why does every geologist I meet make that rock pun?

>>7342718
My favorite kind of rock is an Eclogite, they're very colorful and also fairly rare. It's often called the "Christmas tree" rock

>>7342706
It's being extruded into fibers for composites, and also into larger diameter rebar for use in concrete structures instead of steel rebar. Basalt wool, made by blowing high pressure air over molten basalt, is also used as insulation.

It's kind of a new thing that's really starting to gain momentum, but do you think a different mineral would be better suited to the job?

>>7342731
Wow I've never heard of that before! The asbestos group of minerals are the best insulators but of course we all know why that was discontinued

>>7342722
Cuz it's a gneiss pun ;)

>>7342648
Is Quartz the only natural mineral that exhibits the piezoelectric effect? If not, which others do? If so, could you elaborate on how this effect is produced?

>>7342648

Posting in a rare bread. What is the mechanism for fluorescence in crystals under UV light and please exceed the 'dey absorb and reemit photons a longer visible wavelengths' pleb tier understanding I currently possess.

>>7342760
Electrons get excited by the light, and bump up to a higher energy orbital as a result of absorbing the photon, and as they "fall" back to their original orbital they re-emit that photon

>>7342648
Degree level? Job? What's the highest level of math that you were forced to learn? What's the highest level of math that you've actually used in practical pursuits? What programming languages were you forced to learn? What programming languages have you actually used in practical pursuits?

>>7342829
B.S. in geology only, working for the usgs right now. Only had to take calculus 2, and it's not necessarily a language but I have to be proficient in GIS which I use always in the office when I'm not out doing fieldwork

>>7342834
Thank you, that is useful!

>>7342829
Tbh the picture for "what I expected " is the majority of my work

>>7342648
why are you a geologist you dummy

>>7342834
how much fieldwork is there? salary?
considering the major

>>7342834
What GIS(s) does USGS use? ArcGIS?

how much work do you do with hydrologists?

why aren't you working for big oil, you cuck?

>>7342648

What do you think of the Stone Spheres of Costa Rica?

>>7342869

<- fictitious example

how do I work my geology degree to avoid as much mindnumbingly boring GIS/statistics/computing nonsense? Mineralogy?

>>7342934

>GEO DEGREE

BLEHBLEHBLEEH

Does somebody have the geo version from /sci/ goes to a party thread?

>>7342869
Spheres are hollow, balls are solid.

How do I make a beautiful anti-syncline layer cake?

>>7342934
not op, but get a phd or work in oil

>>7342962

uhh, well that's what they're called.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_spheres_of_Costa_Rica

If you really want to play a semantics game, spheres don't exist in the physical world, they're concepts.

Alright Mr. Geography, what do I have here? Forget to include coin for scale but the larger shell on the left is about the size of a dime.

>>7342979
Not op, but also a geologist, you got a coral, two bivalves, and some echinoids.

>>7342648
For someone who wants to become a vertebrate paleontologist and is a bio major what geology courses should he take?

What research topic in your field turns you on?

Will we ever be able to predict earthquakes with 100% accuracy?

How big is your beard?

>>7342998
>how big is your beard

This guy understands

>>7342751
Geochem fag here.

A few other minerals are piezoelectric (some tourmalines, axinite, dravinite for example) as well as amber (the word electricity comes from the greek word for amber: elektron) but amber isn't actually a mineral.

I don't know too much about piezoelectricity so this might be wrong, but iirc the effect is caused because the minerals have assymetric distribution of ions within the crystal lattice and when the crystal is deformed the change in orientation between these is what causes the electricity

>>7342648
I actually had a real question I really wanted answered a few months ago, but now I have forgotten it. Stupid brain of mine

>>7343006
Interesting, as a physics minor I wanted to know more about the effect because its increased prevalence in energy production.

So the earth's core is as hot as the surface of the sun, but hardly any heat escapes out. Is that because the crust is really insulating?

>>7342648
If the earth's heat only came from residual heat and sunshine (no heat from radioactive decay), would the earth be warmer at the crust than the core?

>>7343075
Don't forget about the mantle

>>7342979
Bryozoa, brachiopods, and a few crinoid calyx

>>7342648
In your opinion how did the civilizations move giant multi-ton stones? Like at easter island? Or how about at machu picchu? I mean those stones are so tightly packed you can't even fit a piece of paper between them. Also they are between 20-50 tons.

>>7343319
Also to add on machu picchu its on a mountian and at 7,970 ft above sea level. So it must have been some feat(nigh impossible) if they used the tools at hand. But lets use a better example, easter island. Now they made stone statues that way tons. Some people say they used log rollers but after a few hundred years the native trees went extincted because of rats eating the seeds. Yet until their demise they were making these damn things and moving them. So hwo did these old ass cultures move these?

Dirt=loam=humus true or false?

>>7343353
False

>>7343330
>>7343319

The Easter Island question has officially been solved, all you need to move them is a couple of ropes and a bunch of people who know what they are doing. The trick is to tie the ropes to the top of the head and wobble the islander on to the coast, or wherever you wanted. The Easter Islanders had a myth surrounding their idols which said that they stood and walked into their place. This method along with the Easter Islanders tales confirms that this question has been solved.

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqx6xLFFsao

>>7343376
doesn't that fuck up the bottom?


someone tried that and it scuffed it

>>7343389
Perhaps it was carved after it was in place.

>>7343376
Ight so i guess that makes sense with the ropes.
But one thing that gets me, the statues bottom was getting damaged. So idk about that idea, it may prove you can move the damn things but what about moving them undamaged like the rapa nui? Anyway it will be awhile before we find the real truth of that what about machu picchu?

Is book "Annals of the former World" by McPhee John good?

What beer do you drink during field work?

My great uncle was a geologist. He worked in Afghanistan during the Soviet era.

ok...Mr Geologist. serious question. please take a moment to ponder the possibility. that perhaps...just maybe....the world is actually flat. can you prove it is actually a sphere like everyone proposes? heres a video that raised my suspicion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3nmNfJsKEg

>>7342979
Alright again, Mr. Geometry, what do I have here? On the left, specifically, I know everything else is shit condition.

>>7343389
>>7343393
>>7343399
I'm pretty sure the answers to all of these questions are in the documentary, I'm not an expert but I believe this is the current theory as to how the Easter Islanders were able to move the stones.

>>7343466
Ah it was silly of me to ask these questions to a geologist. I've run into a few geologists and some of them are big into the ancient alien stuff. I thought you'd have a opinion on this.

Any book/online lecture/whatever recommendations for someone trying to get into igneous and experimental petrology? How much mineralogy/cristallography will I need for that?

>>7342648
I heard in this asteroid mining video that we have lots of metal etc on earth, but we cant mine it because its below some outer ring(?)
what is that ring im thinking about?
why cant we mine below it?

vid -- its the second guy ~40m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzDxKMlWXeo

>>7343549
I tried listening to him but he is possibly the worst speaker I have ever heard.

Does he mean the mantle?

>>7342648

How long ago was the ration of uranium-235/uranium-238 deposits equal to 0.15?

>>7343474
Oh I'm not a geologist, I'm just a guy that has seen a few too many documentaries.

>>7342648
How many rocks have you scratched in your day?

Do you believe in tharapetic power of the magnetic field of crystals? I mean, would you accept scientifically that crystal can heal our bio-energetic field?

>>7342834
Can I get a bit of a geology math roll call for this?

I'm majoring in Geology but unlike this anon I have to take Calc I - III and Diff. Eq, Eng Physics I & II, and the two Chems. This isn't even Geophysics, just regular BSc Geology. Did any other Geologists have to take that many, or does Texas A&M really just like Math? Luckily I'm trying to knock them out as quickly as possible in a community college (that shockingly offers all of them)

Almost makes me want to go all the way and just do GeoPhysics, which needs two additional math classes I think.

If I want to be a paleontologist, and dig up dinosaurs, is geology the way to go? Or should I focus in biology and then something rocks-related?

>>7343920

I'm on a German universtiy, and for our BSc in Geology we have the choice between two "branches", one has one course on linear algebra and then two calc courses, plus two semesters of experimental physics (both are regular courses for physics students), and the other has one linear algebra, one calc, one physics (but all are specifically for non-physicists/mathematicians) and one course of inorganic chemistry.

>>7343926
Depends on what exactly interests you more. If it's just the biological aspects, then do prioritize one bio, but if you want to go more into the stratigraphical aspects then geology is the way to go.

>>7342829
>geophysicist detected
enjoy your endless physics simulations with zero actual fieldwork, fag

>>7342648
I never bother with these types of threads anymore. No-one ever answers my questions. At least in jp they answer my akb48 questions

>>7343881
Nope. That is total nonsense. If anyone tells you that, laugh loudly in their face.

>>7343450
Does it get scratched with an iron nail?

>>7343920
Texas a&m eh? Were you just in Dillon?

>>7343442
Earthquake waves are measurable as they propogate through the earth. Measuring these shows the earth is a sphere, or near enough to one.

>>7343405
Ill usually pick up some in the closest town and I try whatever local brewery stuff looks good.

>>7343116
The pressure of overlying rock works the same as water in the deep ocean, but with rock. It rises 10kb for every 6 miles down.

>>7342998
I'm not sure about the paleontology path sorry.

Research that turns me on is ICPMS work on Icelandic basalts.

No beard my apologies

>>7342934
I would go into petrology. Oil is a lot of statistics and mapping on computers as well.

>>7342853
Don't gimme that schist, it rocks and the people I work with are gneiss.

>>7342857
Not OP, but im a geologist as well going for my MS this fall. Fieldwork depends on what aspect of geology you focus on. Some are in the field constantly, others once a year. Salary vary, just a BS will usually lead to government or environment consulting which can be from 40k to 80k. Ms and oil work can be 100k+. Phd and research can be 40k to 200k, provide you were that good and a leader in something. My strat prof was at 250k a year but he was only one of two in my department to make over 200k.

>>7342998
Most undergrad geos do a invertebrate paleo class and thats it. If you want to do vertebrate full time just do a geo ms and make your thesis about paleo. Look at some schools in the western us ( if american) as theres tons of dinos and such out there. As well as if you are really good UPenn has good paleo as does U of arizona.

>>7343920
I only needed up to Calc 2 which could be replaced by linear algebra or basic stat. One year of physics and one year of chem and done. I do believe Texas A&M is math heavier and they do have a good reputation. I think the IODP have cores there in their repository.

>>7346317

Speaking of that >>7343482

Asking partly for a friend, but why exactly do crystalline minerals form into their respective geometric shapes? I understand at the molecular level, but why would they form as perfect cubes, like pic related, rather than as a cube with multiple smaller cubes jutting off?

>>7346920

Guess you don't understand the molecular level after all.

>>7346944
Maybe I don't. Is it because the smaller outcroppings would be weaker?