Stretchy Salt, No Surprise

Salt Block Unexpectedly Stretches -- ScienceDaily (2009-06-24)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624093317.htm

I'm surprised by this article (see above). I thought the nature of salt and its ability to "flow" was fairly well known and accepted by the scientific community. I took a tour of a salt mine a while back and observed with my own eyes how the salt had flowed around a door frame, nearly swallowing it up, just in the few years since the door had been installed. Yet, when you hold the salt in your hand it is solid and hard, shattering if you were to hit it with your rock hammer. A curious trait, agreed, but recognized as characteristic nonetheless. Geologists have recognized the evidence for salt tectonics for quite some time now. Can someone explain to me what is so new about this finding? Is it the scale of the stretchiness? Is it the tool used to test the salt? Is it the mechanism(s) by which the salt stretches?

To me, the article just provides additional support to the theories of salt deformation and models for the advancement of salt (as observed in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere).

Maybe I'm just missing the point??

Props to the Geo-Blogs

Since I am a newbie blogger, I figured I'd do a little research on the other geo-blogs on the www. I must admit I was very surprised to find so many already out there. I'm not sure why I'm surprised...maybe because I just never came across any of them until I started looking.

As a result of this endeavor, you will now find a list of "Other Geo-Related Blogs" at the right side of the screen. I've found these to be entertaining, informative, and diverse in their coverage of geology and related topics. Take a field trip of your own and check them out. Perhaps you'll end up like me, now following a horde of various blogs, tweets, and RSS feeds. I'm expecting to be buried under more information than I can handle. But I love it! I would be delighted to continue adding to the list, so if there are any suggestions, please let me know!

In my search, I stumbled across a few topics in other blogs that peaked my interest. These include a discussion regarding the usefulness (or not) of the iPhone and its apps for field work. Check out the blog at Highly Allochthonous to participate in the discussion. Pretty interesting stuff! There was also a mention of the USGS earthquake hazards program and reports regarding North Korean nuclear activity on the Adventures in the world of Geology blog. Seeing as my family is planning a trip to Hawaii soon, this was of particular interest. I also found several meme lists to be entertaining and enlightening (such as 10 Things Every Geologist Should Know). (In case you are unfamiliar with a meme list, it is well-defined at The Daily Meme.)

I hope that in the coming weeks I am able to contribute something of value to the community of geo-bloggers. Let me know if you come across something of interest to share!

Getting Started.

I want to bring geology to you, from across town, across the country, across the ocean, around the world. I want to get you involved...in understanding, in contributing, in supporting the study of our planet. Geology is all around us. Opportunities to appreciate the marvelous processes of our Earth are abundant. The questions we have about these processes are even moreso abundant.

I plan to share some interesting bits of geo-news, provide information on opportunities in local geological societies, and engage in discussions on topics Earth-related. I won't claim to be an expert on many things...I still kind of consider myself a NeoGeo, with only about 10 years of experience in deepwater seismic interpretation. 10 years is just enough time to start getting a little comfortable with deepwater seismic interpretation, but geology is so much more than that. I have much to learn. We can learn together.

I welcome anyone who wants to chime in with their own thoughts, experiences, or questions. We'll take this field trip together.