Pathological Geomorphology

April 3, 2010 2:52 PM

Pathological geomorphology, the blog. Featuring: dunes vs. river, parabolic [not Barchan] dunes, annular drainage, salt! glaciers, thermokarst, and another structurally controlled lake.
posted by ennui.bz (22 comments total)

Awesome. Great post.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 3:09 PM on April 3, 2010

Great find! Bookmarked.
posted by wobh at 3:10 PM on April 3, 2010

What a great find! I have to admit though, I'm a bit put off by the name "pathological." Wouldn't "extreme" work just as well?
posted by tidecat at 3:15 PM on April 3, 2010

A possible explanation for the pathological Mackenzie River delta that came out this week in Nature
posted by lukemeister at 3:37 PM on April 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Fantastic! thanks for sharing this!
posted by leslies at 3:43 PM on April 3, 2010

I find these to be extremely geomorphological, so yes.
posted by scrowdid at 3:44 PM on April 3, 2010

Beautiful, I just wish there was some higher magnification on the photos, I'd like to see what's going on up close as well.
posted by marble at 3:49 PM on April 3, 2010

marble,

Try this (Mackenzie River delta). You can zoom. Click on the "Microsoft VE (labels)" radio button if you want labels.
posted by lukemeister at 3:57 PM on April 3, 2010

MetaFilter: extremely geomorphological.

THERMOKARST! THERMOKARST! THERMOKARST! I LIKE SAYING THERMOKARST!

I also like saying PYROCLASTIC FLOW and SMOCK!
posted by loquacious at 3:57 PM on April 3, 2010 [2 favorites]

Pingo
Not to be confused with Pingu.
posted by lukemeister at 4:32 PM on April 3, 2010

loquacious, your comment reminds me of the main reason I first got into studying geology: its lexicon of satisfying words. Such a poetic science—not only for its wealth of euphonious terms (Bright Angel Shale; the Hadean eon; hornblende) but the ease with which they lend themselves to low punning and wordplay: "nice gneiss," etc.

We had a lot of fun in my Geo 11 lab saying SKARN!! in a pirate voice.
posted by cirripede at 4:42 PM on April 3, 2010 [2 favorites]

Love it. Plus, salt diapirs! For your river-pissing child.
posted by Powerful Religious Baby at 4:46 PM on April 3, 2010

Fantastic.
posted by rtha at 5:05 PM on April 3, 2010

This is fantastic. Great post!

My nick is ultimately derived from geomorphology studies while I was in university. How could I not love this post?
posted by djeo at 5:15 PM on April 3, 2010

Salt glacier?

Also, the Face on Earth.
posted by DU at 6:07 PM on April 3, 2010

cirripede: "its lexicon of satisfying words."

So true. Subduction leading to orogeny. Accretionary wedges. Melange. Prominent boudinage. Although the jokes in Minerals Lab about always looking for cummingtonite in the thin sections got a little old.
posted by Big_B at 7:41 PM on April 3, 2010

Excellent, thanks for posting this!
posted by carter at 7:49 PM on April 3, 2010

Although the jokes in Minerals Lab about always looking for cummingtonite in the thin sections got a little old.

Well, it's just that geologists can't stop thinking about what makes the bed rock.
posted by cirripede at 8:43 PM on April 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

I can't believe no-one's mentioned Cummingtonite.

I just found out that there's a shirt.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 9:24 PM on April 3, 2010

And I can't read. Ta-da!
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 9:24 PM on April 3, 2010

Although the jokes in Minerals Lab about always looking for cummingtonite in the thin sections got a little old.



Oh how this thread has morphed. I loved this-all of it.
posted by ~Sushma~ at 7:28 PM on April 4, 2010

What software, or website, is being used for these images?
posted by unmake at 9:27 PM on April 4, 2010