Huge Sinkhole At Russian Potash Mine

Huge Sinkhole At Russian Potash Mine

Giant 130ft wide sinkhole appears near
Russian mine after flooding, forcing
thousands of miners to stay in their homes
the daily mail, November 20, 2014
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2842997/Giant-130ft-wide-sinkhole-appears-near-Russian-flooding-forcing-thousands-miners-stay-homes.html

Images of Giant Russian Sinkhole Linked to
Uralkali Mining Accident Published Online
By Jennifer Monaghan, Nov. 21 2014
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/images-of-giant-russian-sinkhole-linked-to-uralkali-mining-accident-published-online/511636.html

Giant Sinkhole Still Expanding, Russian Potash
Producer Uralkali Says The Moscow Times Dec. 11
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/giant-sinkhole-expanding-by-the-hour-russian-potash-producer-uralkali-says/513127.html
Yours,

Paul H.

Evolution of the Martian Atmosphere

Evolution of the Martian Atmosphere

Tales from a Martian rock: New chemical analysis of
ancient Martian meteorite provides clues to planet's
history of habitability, University of California,
San Diego, Science Daily Dec. 22, 2014
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141222165037.htm
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/tales_from_a_martian_rock
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/22785/20141223/martian-rock-unveils-secrets-about-water-on-early-mars.htm

The paper is:

Shaheen, R., P. B. Niles, K. Chong, C. M. Corrigan,
and M. H. Thiemens, 2014, Carbonate formation
events in ALH 84001 trace the evolution of the Martian
atmosphere. PNAS, Dec. 22, 2014
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/12/17/1315615112

Yours,

Paul H.

Papers About Taphonomy of Fossil Tracks

Papers About Taphonomy of Fossil Tracks

While slumming on the Internet, I came across some
interesting papers about fossil trackways, they include:

Marty, Daniel, 2008, Sedimentology, taphonomy, and
ichnology of Late Jurassic dinosaur tracks from the
Jura carbonate platform (Chevenez—Combe Ronde
track site, NW Switzerland): insights into the tidal-flat
palaeoenvironment and dinosaur diversity, locomotion,
and palaeoecology. PhD these, Goefocus vol. 21,
Département de Géosciences – Sciences de la Terre
Université de Fribourg (Suisse).
http://www.academia.edu/692670/Sedimentology_taphonomy_and_ichnology_of_Late_Jurassic_dinosaur_tracks_from_the_Jura_carbonate_platform_Chevenez_Combe_Ronde_tracksite_NW_Switzerland_insights_into_the_tidal-flat_palaeoenvironment_and_dinosaur_diversity_locomotion_and_palaeoecology

Braillard, L., W. A. Hug, and C. A. Meyer, 2007, Late
Jurassic dinosaur tracksites of the Transjurane
highway (Canton Jura, NW Switzerland): over- view
and measures for their protection and valorisation.
Bulletin für angewandte Geologie (Bulletin of applied
Geology) vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 75–89.
http://www.angewandte-geologie.ch/Dokumente/Archiv/Vol12_1/121_7Martyetal.pdf

Marty, D., A. Strasser, and C. A. Meyer, 2009,
Formation and taphonomy of human footprints in
microbial mats of present-day tidal-flat environments:
implications for the study of fossil footprints. Ichnos.
vol. 16, no. 1–2, pp. 127–142.
http://www.academia.edu/692708/Formation_and_taphonomy_of_human_footprints_in_microbial_mats_of_present-day_tidal-flat_environments_implications_for_the_study_of_fossil_footprints

More publications about dinosaur and other trackways
at: http://pal-a16.academia.edu/Departments/Palaeontologie_A16/Documents
and http://pal-a16.academia.edu/danielmarty

In terms of of Chinese fossils trackways, I came across:

Dai, H., L. Xing , D. Marty, J. Zhang, W. S. Persons,
H. Hu, and Fengping Wang, 2015, Microbially-induced
sedimentary wrinkle structures and possible impact
of microbial mats for the enhanced preservation of
dinosaur tracks from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan
Formation near Qijiang (Chongqing, China) Cretaceous
Research. vol. 53, article no. 98e109
http://www.xinglida.net/pdf/Dai_et_al_2015_Microbial_mats.pdf

More PDF files about Chinese fossil trackways can be
found and downloaded from either http://www.xinglida.net
or https://web.archive.org/web/20141218153426/http://xinglida.net/

Finally, there is summary paper (book chapter) about
the well-known dinosaur tracks of Dinosaur Valley
State Park, Texas:

Farlow, J. O. M. O'brien, G. J. Kuban, B. F. Dattilo,
K. T. Bates, P. L. Falkingham, L. Pinuela, A. Rose,
A. Freels, C. Kumagai, C. Libben, J. Smith, and J.
Whitcraft, 2012, Dinosaur Tracksites of the Paluxy
River Valley (Glen Rose Formation, Lower Cretaceous),
Dinosaur Valley State Park, Somervell County, Texas.
Actas de V Jrnadas Internacionales sobre Paleontologia
de Dinosaurios y su Entorno, Salas de los Infantes,
Burgos. pp. 41 - 69. http://opus.ipfw.edu/geosci_facpubs/69
and http://opus.ipfw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=geosci_facpubs

Yours,

Paul H.

Cyber Criminals Hijack Identities of Science Journals

Cyber Criminals Hijack Identities of Science Journals

Cyber criminals are stealing the identity of reputable science journals by creating fake web sites and using them to collect author fees, These fees disappear to Armenia and other countries. They most commonly target journals that lack dedicated websites of their
own. In some cases, such websites have collected author fees of up to 500 dollars from authors for a
paper that never gets published.

Go see:

You think this journal is real? Science Guide
http://www.scienceguide.nl/201303/you-think-this-journal-is-real.aspx

Archives des Sciences Warning
http://www.unige.ch/sphn/Publications/ArchivesSciences/Archives.html

Paleonet: "fake" journals
http://mailman.nhm.ac.uk/archives/paleonet/2006/2014-December/003408.html
http://mailman.nhm.ac.uk/archives/paleonet/2006/2014-December/date.html

There is a list of hijacked sceince journals at:

Hijacked journal list 2014, first edition, June 2014
Dr. Mehrdad Jalalian. Academic Journalism,
Publication Ethics
http://www.mehrdadjalalian.com/index.php/list-of-hijacked-journals-and-fake-publishers/30-hiajcked-journal-list-2014-first-edition-june-2014

Other articles are:

Journal hijackers target science and open access Research Information, August 11, 2014
http://www.researchinformation.info/news/news_story.php?news_id=1660

Sample of acceptance letter issued by journal hijackers who control the counterfeit website for
the hijacked journal "FAUNA ROSSII I SOPREDEL NYKH STRAN" Dr. Mehrdad Jalalian.
Academic Journalism, Publication Ethics
http://www.mehrdadjalalian.com/index.php/updates-of-hijacked-journals/60-sample-of-acceptance-letter-issued-by-journal-hijackers-who-control-the-counterfeit-website-for-the-hijacked-journal-fauna-rossii-i-sopredel-nykh-stran

4th counterfeit website is detected for "Texas journal of science" Dr. Mehrdad Jalalian.
http://www.mehrdadjalalian.com/index.php/updates-of-hijacked-journals/57-a-4th-counterfeit-website-is-detected-for-texas-journal-of-science

Yours,

Paul H.

Hijacked journal list 2014, first edition, June 2014

Hijacked journal list 2014, first edition, June 2014

Hijacked journal list 2014, first edition, June 2014
Dr. Mehrdad Jalalian. Academic Journalism,
Publication Ethics
http://www.mehrdadjalalian.com/index.php/list-of-hijacked-journals-and-fake-publishers/30-hiajcked-journal-list-2014-first-edition-june-2014

Journal hijackers target science and open access
Research Information, August 11, 2014
http://www.researchinformation.info/news/news_story.php?news_id=1660

Sample of acceptance letter issued by journal
hijackers who control the counterfeit website for
the hijacked journal "FAUNA ROSSII I
SOPREDEL NYKH STRAN" Dr. Mehrdad Jalalian.
Academic Journalism, Publication Ethics
http://www.mehrdadjalalian.com/index.php/updates-of-hijacked-journals/60-sample-of-acceptance-letter-issued-by-journal-hijackers-who-control-the-counterfeit-website-for-the-hijacked-journal-fauna-rossii-i-sopredel-nykh-stran

4th counterfeit website is detected for "Texas
journal of science" Dr. Mehrdad Jalalian.
http://www.mehrdadjalalian.com/index.php/updates-of-hijacked-journals/57-a-4th-counterfeit-website-is-detected-for-texas-journal-of-science

Yours,

Paul H.

Unifying Model for the Fossilization of Soft-Bodied Organisms

Unifying Model for the Fossilization of Soft-Bodied Organisms

550-million-year-old fossils provide new clues
about fossil formation. PhysOrg, Dec. 18, 2104
http://phys.org/news/2014-12-million-year-old-fossils-clues-fossil-formation.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218120844.htm

550 Million Year Old Fossils Provide New
Clues about Fossil Formation by Fran Webber
MU News Bureau, December 17, 2014
http://research.missouri.edu/news/story.php?476

The paper is;

Schiffbauer, J. D., s. Xiao, Y. Cai, A. F.
Wallace, H. Hua, J. Hunter, H. Xu, Y. Peng,
and A. J. Kaufman, 2014, A unifying model
for Neoproterozoic–Palaeozoic exceptional
fossil preservation through pyritization and
carbonaceous compression. Nature
Communications. vol. 5, article number:
5754, doi:10.1038/ncomms6754
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/141217/ncomms6754/abs/ncomms6754.html

A related article is:

Soft Fossils: A rare fossil find offers a window
into Cambrian life, University of Missouri
http://illumination.missouri.edu/s14/soft_fossils

Yours,

Paul H.

K/Pg Extinction Might Have Almost Killed Off Mammals Also

K/Pg Extinction Might Have Almost Killed Off Mammals Also

Asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs may have nearly
knocked off mammals, too, Pensoft Publishers,
Science Daily December 17, 2014
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141217101314.htm
http://www.pensoft.net/news.php?n=451&SESID=3b8ec3935301d193da5982b1c3e69685

Williamson, T. E., S. L. Brusatte, and G. P. Wilson,
2014, The origin and early evolution of metatherian
mammals: the Cretaceous record. ZooKeys. vol. 465,
pp. 1-76. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.465.8178
http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=4342

Yours,

Paul H.

Mastodons Disappeared from Beringia Before Human Colonization

Mastodons Disappeared from Beringia Before Human Colonization

Mastodons Disappeared from Beringia before
Ancient Humans Arrived by Sci-News.com
http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/science-mastodons-beringia-ancient-humans-02311.html

Missing the Mastodon by Brian Switek
National Geographic, December 9, 2014
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/09/missing-the-mastodon/

Mastodon fossils in Alaska and Yukon suggest
local extinction long before human colonization
Science Daily, December 1, 2014
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141201163231.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-12/amon-amm112614.php

The paper is:

Zazula, G., R. MacPhee, J. Metcalfe, A. Reyes,
F. Brock, P. Druckenmiller, P. Groves, C.
Harington, G. Hodgins, M. Kunz, F. Longstaffe,
D. Mann, H. McDonald, S. Nalawade-Chavan, and
J. Southon, 2014, American mastodon extirpation
in the Arctic and Subarctic predates human
colonization and terminal Pleistocene climate
change. PNAS. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1416072111
Abstract at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/11/25/1416072111
PDF file at http://www.tc.gov.yk.ca/publications/PNAS-2014-Zazula-1416072111.pdf

Yours,

Paul H

New U-Pb Dates Tie Deccan Traps to Dinosaur Extinction

New U-Pb Dates Tie Deccan Traps to Dinosaur Extinction

New Dates Tie Volcanic Flood to Dinosaur Extinction
by Becky Oskin, Live Science, December 11, 2014
http://www.livescience.com/49097-lava-flows-led-dinosaur-extinction.html

Did a Massive Volcanic Eruption in India kill off the
Dinosaurs? by Joel Achenbush, Washington Post,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/12/11/did-a-massive-volcanic-eruption-in-india-kill-off-the-dinosaurs/

The paper is:
Schoene, B., K. M. Samperton, M. P. Eddy, G.
Keller, T. Adatte, S. A. Bowring, S. F. R. Khadri
and B. Gertsch, 2014, U-Pb geochronology of the
Deccan Traps and relation to the end-Cretaceous
mass extinction. Science (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa0118
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2014/12/10/science.aaa0118

A commentarty is:
Stone, R., 2014, The once-moribund idea that
volcanism helped kill off the dinosaurs gains new
credibility. Science. vol. 346, no. 6215, pp. 1281-1283
DOI: 10.1126/science.346.6215.1281
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/346/6215/1281.summary

Yours,

Paul H.

Fake Web Sites Are Involved In Impersonating Scientific Journals

Fake Web Sites Are Involved In Impersonating Scientific Journals

Cyber criminals are stealing the identity of reputable
science journals by creating fake web sites and using
them to collect author fees, These fees disappear to
Armenia and other countries. They most commonly
target journals that lack dedicated websites of their
own. In some cases, such websites have collected
author fees of up to 500 dollars from authors for a
paper that never gets published.

Go see:

You think this journal is real? Science Guide
http://www.scienceguide.nl/201303/you-think-this-journal-is-real.aspx

Archives des Sciences Warning
http://www.unige.ch/sphn/Publications/ArchivesSciences/Archives.html

Paleonet: "fake" journals
http://mailman.nhm.ac.uk/archives/paleonet/2006/2014-December/003408.html
http://mailman.nhm.ac.uk/archives/paleonet/2006/2014-December/date.html

Yours,

Paul H.

States Ban the Sale or Tade of Mammoth Ivory Tusks and Teeth

States Ban the Sale or Tade of Mammoth Ivory Tusks and Teeth

In June, the sale of all antique elephant ivory
and fossil mammoth ivory has been banned
in New York and New Jersey. For some reason
teeth are also included.

States Ban the sale or trade of Mammoth
Ivory Tusks and Teeth. AAPS, Association
of Applied Paleontological Sciences
http://aaps.net/fossil-ivory-ban.html

New York Passes Law Banning Sale of
Elephant & Mammoth Ivory, Jewels du Jour
http://www.jewelsdujour.com/2014/06/new-york-passes-law-banning-sale-of-elephant-mammoth-ivory/

A related web page is:

Elephant versus mammoth ivory
http://www.fws.gov/lab/ivory_natural.php#elephant

Yours,

Paul H.

Detained at LAX for Esquel Meteorite From Argentina

Detained at LAX for Esquel Meteorite From Argentina

In "Re: [meteorite-list] Detained at LAX for Esquel"
( http://www.mail-archive.com/meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com/msg119796.html )
and on Dec. 11, 2014, J Sinclair wrote:

"Fossils have been a recent focus too. Some are
being charged with smuggling and landing in
jail because of current laws."

In June, the sale of all antique elephant ivory
and fossil mammoth ivory has been banned
in New York and New Jersey. For some reason
teeth are also included.

States Ban the sale or trade of Mammoth
Ivory Tusks and Teeth. AAPS, Association
of Applied Paleontological Sciences
http://aaps.net/fossil-ivory-ban.html

New York Passes Law Banning Sale of
Elephant & Mammoth Ivory, Jewels du Jour
http://www.jewelsdujour.com/2014/06/new-york-passes-law-banning-sale-of-elephant-mammoth-ivory/

A related web page is:

Elephant versus mammoth ivory
http://www.fws.gov/lab/ivory_natural.php#elephant

Yours,

Paul H.

Nature makes all articles free to view

Nature makes all articles free to view

Nature makes all articles free to view (Publisher
permits subscribers and media to share read-only
versions of its papers by Richard Van Noorden
Nature.com, 02 December 2014
http://www.nature.com/news/nature-makes-all-articles-free-to-view-1.16460

A New Way to Share Articles—and Help
Advance Science by Mariette DiChristina
Scientific Amwerican, December 1, 2014 |
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/at-scientific-american/2014/12/01/a-new-way-to-share-articlesand-help-advance-science/

Yours,

Paul H.

Another Crinoid Stem Mistaken For Paleozoic High Technology

Another Crinoid Stem Mistaken For Paleozoic High Technology

Another fossil crinoid stem, in this case an off-center
cross-section of a crinoid stem columnal, has been
mistaken / misrepresented as Paleozoic prehistoric
ancient technology (Ooparts). For the lurid and
rather funny spectacle of people getting excited
over a fragment of a fossil crinoid stem, go read,
using Google Translate or Google Chrome:

НАУЧНАЯ СЕНСАЦИЯ: УЧЕНЫЕ ДОКАЗАЛИ
СУЩЕСТВОВАНИЕ ДРУГОЙ ЦИВИЛИЗАЦИИ
НА ЗЕМЛЕ (Scientific Sensation: Scientists Have
Proved the Existence of Other Civilization on
Earth) МИР НОВОСТЕЙ, ВСЕ ПРАВА ЗАЩИЩЕНЫ
http://mirnov.ru/lenta-novostej/nauchnaja-sensacija-uchenye-dokazali-suschestvovanie-drugoi-civilizacii-na-zemle.html

https://web.archive.org/save/http://mirnov.ru/lenta-novostej/nauchnaja-sensacija-uchenye-dokazali-suschestvovanie-drugoi-civilizacii-na-zemle.html

Ученые обнаружили камень с микрочипом,
которому 250 миллионов лет (Scientists have
discovered a stone with a microchip that 250
million years (Found in the Krasnodar region
stone with a microchip turned upside down
the world of science.) Courier-Media, Russsia.
http://www.kurier-media.ru/articles/55633/ and
https://web.archive.org/save/http://www.kurier-media.ru/articles/55633/

Venemaal leiti mikrokiipi meenutava objektiga
kivi, mille vanus on umbes 250 miljonit aastat
(In Russia found a stone with a microchip, which
is 250 million years old), Keelatud Arheoloogia
(Forbidden Archeology – Estonian)
http://artefaktidjafenomenid.blogspot.com/2014/11/venemaal-leiti-mikrokiibiga-kivi-mille.html and
https://web.archive.org/web/20141129145543/http://artefaktidjafenomenid.blogspot.com/2014/11/venemaal-leiti-mikrokiibiga-kivi-mille.html

For an English translation see Google Translate
or use Google Chrome. Google Translate is at
https://translate.google.com/?hl=en .

Fortunately, there are still some realistic and
rational people left in this world as seen in:

История армавирского камня с «микрочипом»
http://www.ufo-com.net/publications/art-7684-kamen-s-mikrochipom.html 

 and

https://web.archive.org/web/20141129051607/http://www.ufo-com.net/publications/art-7684-kamen-s-mikrochipom.html

For a previous case where people have gone off the
deep end in claiming That fossil crinoids are the
fossilized remains of ancient technology, go look
at “Fossil Russian Screws” - Practical Internet
Jokes Using Crinoid Fossils" at
http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/37499-fossil-russian-screws-practical-internet-jokes-using-crinoid-fossils/

In this case, one of the pictures involved was taken
from Wikimedia, where it was clearly identified as
fossil crinoid columnals..

Yours,

Paul H.

Geology Humor

Geology Humor

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/403212972862209571/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/403212972862209668/

Yours,

Paul H.

60 Years Ago, A Human Was Hit by a Meteorite in Alabama

60 Years Ago, A Human Was Hit by a Meteorite in Alabama

60 Years Ago Today, A Human Was Hit
by a Meteorite by Phil Plait, Slate Magazine,
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/11/30/sylacauga_meteorite_60th_anniversary_of_a_human_hit_by_a_space_rock.html

Rhodri Marsden's Interesting Objects: The
Sylacauga meteorite by R. Marsden, The
Independent, November 28, 2014
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/rhodri-marsdens-interesting-objects-the-sylacauga-meteorite-9887893.html

UA marks anniversary of meteorite hitting
woman, Washington Times, Nov. 27, 2014‎
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/27/ua-marks-anniversary-of-meteorite-hitting-woman/

Other Sources

Hodges Meteorite Strike (Sylacauga Aerolite)
Encyclopedia of Alabma,
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1280

A star fell on Sylacauga '54 meteorite struck
home, woman, changed lives, Decatur Daily
http://archive.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/061130/meteorite.shtml

Yours,

Paul H.