They hope the estuarine histories these deposits reveal can help the state manage its coastal lands and waters. Cooper provides a detailed account of her work, and of what the team has found so far, in the May 1999 Geotimes . Scanning electron micrograph of the diatom Cyclotella stelligera . From the Indiana University Biology Deptartment's Diatom Home Page . While Cooper is digging in the bottoms of estuaries, geologists studying the Illinois Basin are looking even deeper into Earth without collecting any data.
Petroleum companies send sound waves through Earth to determine if an area contains resources.
The data they collect are also useful to geologists who want to understand the structure of Earth s depths. In the May 1999 Geotimes , John H. McBride describes the secrets the petroleum industry s data have helped his team discover. Bridging the Gap Between Universities and the Public Educating today s students and the public about earth science is a growing challenge. In the latest Geotimes , two Ph.D. candidates at Michigan Technological University William S. Houston and Colleen M. Riley describe how they reach out to and educate the community outside of their university. A challenge in educating the public is bridging the gap between universities and public schools.