EARTH: A journey through Cuba's culture and geology
2013-07-30
(Press-News.org) Alexandria, VA – Few destinations capture the imagination like Cuba; a forbidden fruit to U.S. citizens since the 1960s. Recently, 14 earth scientists from the U.S.-based Association for Women Geoscientists travelled there to explore its geology and culture.
The expedition is chronicled in the August issue of EARTH Magazine. While Cuba is an intriguing destination as an actor on the global political stage, its geological history captures events that tell scientists even more about the history of the planet.
While there, the scientists studied rocks that captured the extra-terrestrial impact attributed to the demise of the dinosaurs — including shocked quartz and tsunami deposits. The scientists also learned about how local limestone was used to build forts intended to protect Cuba's harbors from pirate attacks. Their guide even took them to sites that represent the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea. The rocks observed in Cuba have been shown to be closely related to the Mediterranean.
Any earth scientist would agree the geologic history contained on this island is astounding. More importantly, these scientists visited Cuba to experience UNESCO World Heritage sites, and share in "people-to-people" experiences between two cultures that continue to be divided. Read more about the geological diversity of Cuba, including miles of underground cave networks and risks posed by a San Andreas-like fault at: http://bit.ly/152DT0u.
Don't miss other exciting stories this month's issue of Earth available at the Digital Newsstand: http://www.earthmagazine.org/digital. Read about the improvements scientists are making in hurricane forecasts, water challenges faced by a tropical paradise, and the discovery of sauropod embryos in southern China.
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Keep up to date with the latest happenings in Earth, energy and the environment news with EARTH magazine online at http://www.earthmagazine.org/. Published by the American Geosciences Institute, EARTH is your source for the science behind the headlines.
The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geosciences education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.
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[Press-News.org] EARTH: A journey through Cuba's culture and geology
