Author Archives: GeoMetrx

Ice Tsunami – Say What? Mother Nature sure has some interesting tricks up her sleeve. Wind, rain, snow, sleet, floods, mudslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts, dust storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and much more. But have you ever heard of an ice tsunami? … Continue reading →

A Valentine from the Heart In February 2012, Payam Rajabi, who had recently moved to San Francisco for a new job, pumped out a ‘Valentine from the Heart’ for his girlfriend Clare, who was still living in Toronto, by cycling … Continue reading →

Hollywood has long been a source of imagination and awe, incorporating some pretty amazing and futuristic ideas, particularly in SciFi movies. Holographs and other virtual imagery (think Matrix and Avatar) come to mind. And for all of the Star Wars … Continue reading →

Arctic Paradise: Lofoten Norway As winter approaches our thoughts drift to warm tropical Caribbean getaways. The sound of the Beach Boys’ Kokomo playing softly in the background… Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you, Bahamas, Bermuda, c’mon pretty mama… …as … Continue reading →

Never before have we been able to see the forest for the trees in such detail.  Scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center in Falmouth, MA compiled the “National Biomass and Carbon Dataset for the year 2000” (NBCD2000) generating a … Continue reading →

Geography in the News: Book Release Susan Schulten, a self-proclaimed map enthusiast, author and history professor at the University of Denver, has recently published her second book, Mapping the Nation: History and Cartography in Nineteenth-Century America, (University of Chicago Press, … Continue reading →

Geography in the News: Money Map Poster Heraclitus (535 B.C. – 475 B.C.), is the Greek philosopher credited with coining the phrase, “nothing endures but change,” which has often been translated to the saying we are more familiar with “the … Continue reading →

Long-term Health Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster A new report on the long-term global health impacts of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, as a result of the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, were released earlier this week in the … Continue reading →

This past April marked the two-year ‘anniversary’ of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, when the offshore drilling rig being leased by BP exploded and sank off the coast of Louisiana. The disaster resulted in 4.9 million barrels of oil being spewed … Continue reading →

Understanding Latitude and Longitude The map grid system of coordinates, latitude and longitude, can pinpoint any location on earth. The system was developed back in the middle ages and is still in use today. When looking at a map, latitude … Continue reading →

Geography in the News: Space Taxis   The reality of vacations to outer space and checking in at a hotel on the moon is closer than one might think, though some of the first private businesses to operate in the … Continue reading →

Geography in the News: Wind Farms   Mention ‘wind farming’ and you are likely to whip up a debate faster than Dorothy’s house was whisked away in The Wizard of Oz!  Wind is generally considered to be the second largest … Continue reading →

Earth Day 2012: NASA Unveils Update “State of Flux” Website   Earth Day 2012, which is observed each year on April 22nd, took place this past weekend and was marked by celebrations around the world. Earth Day is an opportunity … Continue reading →

Gas Prices, Sanctions and Speculations   One thing almost every American is acutely aware of these days is the price of a gallon of gasoline. Up until the last two weeks, prices had been steadily rising, fueling fears that prices … Continue reading →

EARTH Platinum – World’s Largest Atlas   At a whopping 6 ft. tall by 4.5 ft. wide (9 ft. when opened) and weighing in at 264 pounds, the Millennium House publishers of Sydney Australia created the World’s Largest Atlas: EARTH … Continue reading →

Geography in the News: Solar Energy Industry Flares in 2011   The Solar Energy industry in the U.S. is experiencing tremendous growth.  2011 was a record breaking year for installations of photovoltaics (PV), which convert sunlight directly to electricity.  The … Continue reading →

Geography in the News We learn from a young age that our oceans are one of our most valuable resources.  They cover more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface (71% and rising) and contain 97% of Earth’s water (1% is … Continue reading →

For the past six years, the U.S. has been making steady progress toward achieving energy independence. According to Bloomberg, we are now meeting more than 80% of our own energy demands, which is the highest level achieved since 1992. The … Continue reading →

Most of us are familiar with what has become known as the “Groundhog Day Effect,” or recurring / repetitive events, based on the blockbuster film starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell, but what about a “Groundhog Year Effect?”  Well, brace … Continue reading →

Most of us probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the weather in space.  Wait, weather in space?  Indeed, space experiences disturbances in its environment and since weather terms are a familiar way of describing atmospheric disturbances on … Continue reading →