Geology Today最新文献

Long-term preservation of landforms produces a geological record that can be used to unravel past Earth surface processes in space and time. Identification and analysis of landforms has been revolutionized by the availability of high-resolution (metre-scale) topographic survey data covering extensive areas, using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). Airborne LiDAR has been in widespread use for over two decades; but due to increasing availability of data, some regions are only just beginning to be ‘explored’ in this way. In this article, we showcase high-resolution topography derived from airborne LiDAR survey data across South Island, New Zealand. We evidence a variety of tectonic, glacial, fluvial, hillslope and other landforms hitherto undetected within mountainous areas and beneath forests. We discuss how the characteristics of shape, size, position and association can differentiate landforms from one another, and how combinations of landforms enable landsystems to be identified that are diagnostic of past environmental conditions.

The evolving landscape of military geoscience demands the integration of advanced geospatial technologies to enhance situational awareness, decision-making and operational efficiency in military operations. This article focuses on the critical role of geographical information systems, remote sensing, artificial intelligence and drones in modern warfare, particularly in urban environments, such as those seen in current conflicts. These technologies are essential for navigating the complexities of contemporary warfare, especially when civilian protection and infrastructure preservation are key concerns. Additionally, the growing reliance on real-time geospatial data raises challenges related to data management, disinformation and ethical and cybersecurity concerns, particularly through the media and social platforms. As military operations continue to evolve, future success will depend on the seamless integration of these technologies across multiple domains. However, achieving this requires not only technological innovation but also a strong commitment to ethical standards and robust security measures to safeguard their application in conflict zones.

Complementing earlier articles in Geology Today that have featured military applications of geology during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this article helps to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2025. It shows that ‘military geologists’ sometimes helped to initiate national geological mapping and that, as a wartime imperative, they notably adapted geological maps to create innovative hydrogeological, engineering geological and terrain assessment maps for military use. Examples come from work by British, German and US’ military geologists—primarily from the 1939–1945 war.

At Trinity—the world's first nuclear weapons testing site—large quantities of soil were drawn into the fireball to redeposit either downwind as radioactive fallout or in the near-field as a unique, anthropogenic silicate glass trinitite. Manhattan Project physicists and chemists came to see soils at the Trinity site as a useful medium to assess the explosive power of the weapon they had developed. They devised ingenious ways to enter the high radiation field of the post-detonation crater at Ground Zero in order to sample soil bearing the radioisotope footprint of the fireball. A blend of out-of-the-box thinking, battle-proven US Army military hardware, gutsy geotechnical improvisation and emerging environmental radioactivity analytical capabilities provided the answers needed by strategists at this critical stage in the Second World War.

Recent events in conflict zones have shown that the successful detection and characterization of buried military complexes is vitally important for geoforensic investigators globally, to reduce or solve criminal activities, address national security threats and avoid potential terrorist attacks. However, this can often prove difficult, particularly in urban areas. Generally, desktop studies assess pre-existing information that then inform appropriate survey design and technique(s) selection. Survey results then produce accurate plans of subsurface targets, with numerical modelling and correction for above-ground infrastructure provide confidence in interpretations. All investigations are of course unique, and require individual phased investigative approaches to improve detection rates of such important buried targets.

We all have books on the shelves of our personal libraries, not collecting dust, but regularly being pulled down and referred to despite their age. I have several that are still there and being used almost 50 years after I bought them, all wise investments, indeed. Directory of British Fossiliferous Localities is particularly cherished, capturing the flavour of geological fieldwork in a time now sadly lost.

A brief review of diamond mining covers the succession of dominating resources, from India to South Africa, to elsewhere in Africa and then to Russia and Canada. Kimberlite pipes have come to be recognized as the explosive transporters of diamonds upwards from their high-pressure sources in the deep crust and upper mantle of Archaean cratons.

President Trump's announcement of his desire to buy or annex Greenland—if necessary by military force—has projected this hitherto little-known territory into the international headlines. This article looks briefly at Greenland's widely quoted promise of hitherto untapped, but fabulously rich natural resources, examining America's history of land acquisition and its claim to Greenland. It provides a brief overview of the geography of Greenland, followed by its history and a description of geopolitical factors, before taking an overview of its possible exploitable mineral resources.

The mid-Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of Morocco contains an overabundance of giant theropod dinosaurs, including Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus—both longer than Tyrannosaurus. Compared to modern and other Mesozoic continental ecosystems, in which herbivores represent most of the vertebrate biomass, predators are overrepresented in the mid-Cretaceous of North Africa. The reason is thought to be niche partitioning, with Spinosaurus being semi or perhaps even fully aquatic with other large theropods having a more traditional lifestyle. These conclusions are based on evidence from stable isotopes, skeletal anatomy and biomechanical studies which we will discuss in this article.