Andes

“Smoking Mountain” Popocatépetl and Sinking Slabs

Popocatépetl, in southern Mexico, is North America’s 2nd-highest volcano. This volcano has been erupting for millennia—and the recent activity beginning in late May 2023 is bringing additional concern about the possibility of a significant eruption. The tectonic setting of this volcano has some interesting and unusual characteristics.

By |2023-06-09T08:05:14-07:00June 8th, 2023|Our Amazing Earth|6 Comments

Ancient Boats and Enormous Blocks

How did the ancient Andeans and Egyptians move the massive stone blocks used to build their monumental architecture? With an abundance of human muscle power but only simple hand tools, they needed to be creative. Floating blocks on boats across lakes and along river channels was a possible transport method—but did they have the water and the engineering technology for this?

By |2022-09-29T07:06:34-07:00September 29th, 2022|Ancient Andean Cultures|2 Comments

Buildings That Last

In the earthquake-prone central Andes Mountains, there archaeological sites with monumental adobe and stone block structures standing that were built by ancient people hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Clearly, the ancient builders planned to have their important structures last–-and they had the knowledge to build appropriately for their environment. Buildings that promise to last a long time are also being constructed today.

Fabulous Ancient Andean Fabrics

We recognize an extremely long and rich tradition of fiber arts from the Andes Mountains -- possibly the longest continuous history of fiber use found on earth. From exquisite embroidered shrouds used to wrap mummies many thousands of years ago, to the finely woven tapestry tunics worn by Inca royalty, the artistry of these textiles is exceptional.

By |2022-09-08T14:19:49-07:00March 11th, 2021|Ancient Andean Cultures|4 Comments

Where Lithium Lurks

The demand for lithium is increasing dramatically – and sources of this metal are being sought from the high elevations of the Andes Mountains to the lowlands of Australia. Lithium is widely distributed on our planet, but since concentrations of this metal are typically quite low, relatively few ores that are economical to mine have been found to date. There are currently three major sources.

By |2021-02-19T13:51:39-07:00February 18th, 2021|Our Amazing Earth|4 Comments

Earthquakes, Copper and Helicopters

Geologists love to have a bird’s eye view of landscapes. They are helpful for all types of research - tracing active faults and identifying copper ore deposits among them. In this post there are two stories about geology fieldwork - one about earthquakes in Egypt and the other about copper in Chile, tied together by arid landscapes and helicopters.

By |2021-01-28T20:13:15-07:00January 28th, 2021|Our Amazing Earth|6 Comments
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