Publications
These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.
Filter Total Items: 16785
Mineral resource of the month: chromium
Chromium is an important metal used as an alloying element in cast iron, steel and superalloys, as well as in refractory and numerous chemical applications.
Authors
John F. Papp
Asbestos
The term asbestos is a generic designation referring usually to six types of naturally occurring mineral fibers that are or have been commercially exploited. These fibers belong to two mineral groups: serpentines and amphiboles. The serpentine group is represented by a single asbestiform variety-chrysotile. There also are five commercial asbestiform varieties of amphiboles-anthophyllite asbestos,
Authors
Robert Virta
Mineral resource of the month: garnet
Garnet, the birthstone for the month of January, has been used as a gemstone for centuries. Garnet necklaces dating from the Bronze Age have been found in graves, and garnet is found among the ornaments adorning the oldest Egyptian mummies. However, garnet’s characteristics, such as its relatively high hardness and chemical inertness, make it ideal for many industrial applications.
Authors
Donald W. Olson
Mineral resource of the month: potash
The article offers basic information about the mineral resource potash. According to the author, potash is the generic term for a variety of mined and manufactured salts that contain the mineral potassium in a water-soluble form. The author adds that potash is used in fertilizers, soaps and detergents, glass and ceramics, and alkaline batteries.
Authors
Stephen M. Jasinski
Mineral resource of the month: titanium
Titanium is hip - at least when it comes to airplanes and jewelry. Known for its high strength-to weight ratio and its resistance to corrosion, titanium and its alloys can also be found in everything from knee replacements to eyeglass frames to baseball bats to fighter planes.
Authors
Joseph Gambogi
Mineral resource of the month: indium
Geologically, the occurrence of indium minerals is rare. The element most often occurs as a sulfide inclusion or substitutes in other base-metal minerals, including cassiterite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and stannite. Indium’s abundance in the crust is estimated to be 0.05 parts per million, which makes it more abundant than silver, but it is so widely disseminated that it does not occur in high en
Authors
Amy C. Tolcin
Mineral resource of the month: gypsum
You may not realize it, but the walls of your office are probably made from a mineral: gypsum. Gypsum is an abundant, evaporite-derived sedimentary mineral with deposits located throughout the world. It is often associated with paleoenvironmental lake and marine environments. In its pure form, gypsum consists of calcium sulfate dihydrate, although most crude gypsum naturally occurs in combination
Authors
Robert D. Crangle
U.S. Geological Survey: A synopsis of Three-dimensional Modeling
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a multidisciplinary agency that provides assessments of natural resources (geological, hydrological, biological), the disturbances that affect those resources, and the disturbances that affect the built environment, natural landscapes, and human society. Until now, USGS map products have been generated and distributed primarily as 2-D maps, occasionally providi
Authors
Linda J. Jacobsen, Pierre D. Glynn, Geoff A. Phelps, Randall C. Orndorff, Gerald W. Bawden, V. J. S. Grauch
Paleogene calcareous nannofossils of Southern Maryland, South Dover Bridge Core, USA
No abstract available
Authors
Jean M. Self-Trail
Notes on the geology and meteorology of sites infected with white-nose syndrome before July 2010 in Southeastern United States
Since 2006, numerous bat colonies in North America have experienced unusually high incidences of mortality. In these colonies, bats are infected by a white fungus named Geomyces destructans, which has been observed on bat muzzles, noses, ears, and (or) wings. Although it is not exactly certain how and why these bats are dying, this condition has been named white-nose syndrome (WNS). WNS appears to
Authors
Christopher S. Swezey, Christopher P. Garrity
Swimming and other activities: applied aspects of fish swimming performance
Human activities such as hydropower development, water withdrawals, and commercial fisheries often put fish species at risk. Engineered solutions designed to protect species or their life stages are frequently based on assumptions about swimming performance and behaviors. In many cases, however, the appropriate data to support these designs are either unavailable or misapplied. This article provid
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Furunculosis and other aeromonad diseases
No abstract available.
Authors
Rocco C. Cipriano, Brian Austin