Articles written by Alexandra Matiella Novak

The Great Lakes region has an abundance of freshwater, and millions of people depend on its resources.

Jan 10, 2012 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

A recent study uses JAXA's GOSAT satellite data to better understand regional carbon dioxide emissions and uncertainties.

Nov 3, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Local geology is considered when picking gravesites, and gravestones are made from a variety of rock types.

Oct 25, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The Central Virginia Seismic Zone is known for its seismic activity, but the M 5.9 earthquake was stronger than expected for this region.

Aug 25, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Yucca Mountain, a proposed and controversial site of nuclear waste storage, was created from large volcanic eruptions.

Jun 28, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Iceland is one of the most volcanically active countries on Earth. The geology of Iceland is a clash between geothermal and glacial activity.

May 26, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Although earthquakes in both China and Japan are equally destructive, the causes of those earthquakes are quite different.

Mar 17, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Japan is known for being tectonically active. The March 11, 2011, earthquake was a result of movement along two major plate boundaries.

Mar 15, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

NPRA, located within Alaska's North Slope, has a complicated geologic evolution, which has also led to large amounts of oil and gas accumulation.

Feb 16, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The Earth is made up of multiple differentiated layers of material. The density and composition of these materials varies with depth.

Feb 9, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

As with any natural hazard, spring flooding can be destructive and not easily predicted. The best defense is to be aware and prepare.

Jan 20, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Eruptions of glowing hot gas from Mt. Etna's numerous vents are a reminder that this volcano is one of the most active in the world.

Jan 17, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Since the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens Volcano eruption, the renewal of life on the volcano has been a major source of research for ecologists.

Jan 5, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The Earth's crust is divided into many pieces, called plates, that float over a fluid mantle. The boundaries between these plates cause geologic activity.

Jan 4, 2011 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Although not active today, volanic activity on the Moon helped shape the unique surface features still visible from Earth.

Dec 21, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The American Geophysical Union issued a press release accusing the LA Times and others for misrepresenting a climate science initiative.

Dec 2, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Diamonds are valued for their beauty and strength, being one of the hardest minerals on Earth. The Hope Diamond is rich in geologic and cultural history.

Dec 1, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

An ore mineral is mined for its economic value. The valuable elements - mostly metals - are extracted from the ore mineral.

Dec 1, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Mineralogy, or the study of minerals, can sound intimidating to children. But this easy, hands-on activity introduces children to some of the basics.

Nov 18, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The current eruption of Mount Merapi Volcano in Indonesia is another event in this volcano's long history of activity.

Oct 27, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The U.S. National Parks System includes some parks that are well-known for their geologic activity and formations.

Oct 26, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The mineral pyrite if often mistaken for gold, but the differences between the two are very obvious, even to an amateur mineralogist.

Sep 29, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The NASA DC-8 research aircraft is used in multiple Earth science studies. In October 2009, the DC-8 flew over Antarctica to survey sea-ice and glaciers.

Sep 27, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Many people confuse the differences between a rock and a mineral. I like to use the analogy of a brick wall that is made of individual bricks.

Sep 17, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Rocks and minerals are used by geologists, paleontologists and archeologists to provide clues to the evolution of Earth and the Solar System.

Sep 14, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The Earth's Moon is made of much of the same material as the Earth - moslty igneous material.

Aug 26, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Volcanoes on Jupiter's moon, Io, are the largest in the Solar System. Current eruptions on Io would cause mass extinctions here on Earth.

Aug 24, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

There are a few minerals that fluoresce when looked at under a longwave or shortwave UV source of light.

Aug 13, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

A USGS report explains shrinking glaciers using three benchmark glaciers in the U.S. that have melted considerably in the last 50 years.

Aug 2, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Not here on Planet Earth, but on other bodies in our solar system, volcanoes exist that erupt ice, also known as cyrovolcanism.

Jul 28, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The Unites States contains vast hydrocarbon reserves of oil, coal and natural gas. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve also maintains over 700 million barrels.

Jul 26, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The US Geological Survey has created a website aimed to inform the public about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and how it will impact the Gulf Coast ecosystem

Jun 30, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The summertime can be a great time for kids to explore the outdoors and learn simple geological principles.

Jun 30, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Petrified wood is actually a rock. The process of fossilization replaces all the wood elements with crystallized minerals.

Jun 16, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Climate change and global warming can be hard to explain to kids. Fortunately, lessons in school are focusing more and more on understanding the environment

Jun 13, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The new field of Earth system science focuses on the interaction of the Earth's systems: atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere.

Jun 12, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

An increase in atmospheric temperatures isn't the only factor leading to melting glaciers. Black soot falling from local pollution is speeding up melting.

Jun 10, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The Gulf of Mexico is well-known as a plentiful source of oil and natural gas. Millions of years of geologic activity have created these mineral resources.

May 7, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The April 2010 eruption of an Iceland volcano highlights the negative impact that ash clouds in the atmosphere can have on aviation operations.

Apr 16, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Magma is the source of all the elements on the planet except those brought by meteorites. Volcanoes recycle these elements through volcanic activity.

Apr 16, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The science behind assigning magnitudes to earthquakes is based on the amplitude of the largest seismic wave created by the earthquake.

Apr 11, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

A paper published in 2004 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters explains a study focusing on regional climate variability and glacier retreat.

Mar 31, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

A February 2003 article published in the journal BioScience explains how scientists predict total glacier loss in one area of Glacier National Park by the year 2030.

Mar 30, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Lava tubes are sub-surface tunnels and caves that insulate lava flows, sometimes for many miles. These formations are common around volcanoes that erupt basaltic lava.

Feb 2, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Birthstones are highly valued for their beauty and are often given as gifts to friends, family and sweethearts.

Jan 29, 2010 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

For young children and tweens, a hands-on Earth science activity or experiment can make a great Christmas gift.

Dec 12, 2009 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

The great Himalaya Mountain Range formed as a result of tectonic forces driving two continental plates towards each other.

Nov 28, 2009 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Some rocks in the core of the Appalachian Mountains are more than 1 billion years old and construction of the mountains relates to the Supercontinent Pangea.

Nov 17, 2009 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Landslides are one of the most destructive geologic processes. They can happen with very little warning almost anywhere in the country.

Nov 16, 2009 - Alexandra Matiella Novak

Lambert Glacier is a major glacier in East Antarctica and is also the largest glacier in the world.

Nov 15, 2009 - Alexandra Matiella Novak