Abstract Paleokarst breccias are a common feature of sedimentary rift basins. The Billefjorden Trough in the High Arctic archipelago Svalbard is an example such rift. Here Carboniferous stratigraphy exhibits intervals paleokarst formed by gypsum dissolution. In this study we integrate digital outcrop models (DOMs) with 2D ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey to extrapolate external irregular g...

Ectaetia capdoliensis sp. n., first Cretaceous and oldest representative of the scatopsid subfamily Ectaetiinae, is described from the Late Albian / Early Cenomanian amber of southwestern France. This fossil demonstrates the remarkable morphological stability of these flies since at least the mid-Cretaceous. It suggests the presence of rotten wood under wet palaeoenvironment for the correspondi...

This paper presents two classroom activities which have students analyze, collect, and interpret geologic data. The material is targeted at distance learning, although it can function well in the as pseudo-field trips. activity based around Virtual Outcrop Models (VOMs), created using Structure from Motion – Multi-view Stereo photogrammetry, of outcrops: first a folded outcrop southern Death Va...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Worldwide, many plant species are confined to open, shallow-soil, rocky habitats. Although several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this habitat specificity, none has been convincing. We suggest that the high level of endemism on shallow soils is related to the edaphic specialization needed to survive in these often extremely drought-prone habitats. Previous research...

A long-standing goal of Mars environmental studies is to understand the role of water throughout its geologic history. The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Opportunity has worked towards this goal by investigating bedrock exposures within craters in Meridiani Planum. Each crater provides an opportunity to test and refine models proposed for the formation of the Meridiani bedrock. The sulfate-rich b...