What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas: 2012 Edition

Happy holidays from Evelyn, Jackie, Zayna, and Samira (who dislikes her Santa hat).

Do you have a geologist (or several) in your family, and you’re not sure what to buy them for Christmas? Good news! The Georneys “What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas” (or Chanukah, Newtonmas, etc.) 2012 holiday gift guide is here.

I also recommend looking through the previous Georneys “What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas” lists:

2011 Edition

2010 Edition- Part I

2010 Edition- Part II

You may also want to consider a book from Dana Hunter’s recent list of must-read geology books.

Gift #1: Journey to the Center of the Earth, the Board Game

JCE_BoardGame1 — Journey to the Center of the Earth, the board game! Picture taken by me.

My husband and I recently purchased this game, and I highly recommend it. You can read more about the game here, and you can buy it on Amazon.com here.

Cost: $20

Gift #2: Eurypterid Stuffed Animal

Eurypterid_med — An adorable eurypterid stuffed animal. Picture from: http://www.museumoftheearth.org/store/storeitemdetails.php?pubID=5743.

The eurypterid is the state fossil of New York. You can buy a cuddly version here at the Museum of the Earth online store. My fellow AGU blogger Callan Bentley has one of these for his baby boy Baxter.

Cost: $12

Gift #3: Ocean Sediment Pottery from “The Soft Earth”

Bermudarise — A bowl made with sediments from the Bermuda Rise. Picture from “The Soft Earth” website.

“The Soft Earth” is a pottery studio located in Woods Hole, MA (nearby Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). The studio sells beautiful pottery that is made using ocean sediments from all over the world. You can buy the pottery from the studio’s online store here. This pottery isn’t cheap, but it makes for unique and special gifts that any geologist will treasure!

Cost: Variable, most items are $100 to >$300

Gift #4: Mars Rover Curiosity Hot Wheels Toy

MarsRover_hotwheels — Curiosity… the Hot Wheels version! Picture from Amazon.com.

Hot Wheels has come out with a Mars rover Curiosity toy, which you can buy here. This makes a perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite geologist!

Cost: $10

Gift #5: An Earth Scientist’s Periodic Table of the Elements and Their Ions

815PeriodicTable48e02a-Layer#1 — Earth Scientist’s Periodic Table of the Elements and their Ions. Picture from here: http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/PT.html. Click to enlarge.

For the geochemist in your family, I highly recommend a copy of “An Earth Scientist’s Periodic Table of the Elements and Their Ions.” You can purchase a copy of this specialized periodic table at the Geological Society of America’s online bookstore here.

Cost: $10

Gift #6: Geological Tricorder

geologytricorder — Star Trek Geological Tricorder! Picture from Amazon.com.

For the Star Trek fan / geologist in the family, the Star Trek Original Series Geological Tricorder is a must and can be bought from Amazon.com here. This is certainly on my Christmas wish list this year! Actually, I wish I had a real tricorder for my geology research… maybe someone will give me a handheld XRF for Christmas?

Cost: $70

Gift #7: Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry

stable isotope — One of the MSA’s wonderful review books. Picture from the MSA website.

The “Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry” book series published by the Mineralogical Society of America is a very useful resource. Ask the geologists in your family which books in the series they’d like, and then order the books here.

Cost: $30-$50

Gift #8: Geology Jewelry from Surly-Ramics

fossilbracelet — A fossil-filled bracelet. Picture from the Surly-Ramics Etsy Shop.

Surly-Ramics makes all sorts of fun, often science-themed jewelry… including some pieces with geology themes! Browse the Surly-Ramics Etsy Shop here.

Cost: $18-$50

Gift #9: Cummingtonite T-Shirt

Geologists love puns. Buy this punny t-shirt here … and dare the geologist in your family to wear it!

Cost: $25

Gift #10: Something From the Geokittehs CafePress Shop

A mug from the Geokittehs CafePress shop.

Update: The Geokittehs shop is now closed… perhaps it will re-open one day when we have more time.

Last but not least, I recommend buying an item from the Geokittehs CafePress Shop that my friend and fellow geoblogger Dana Hunter and I run. The goal of the shop is to raise funds so that Dana can afford a plane ticket to come visit me in South Africa. I need her to come visit so that I can take her on some wonderful georneys here! If we raise more money than we need for Dana’s ticket, we’ll donate the excess earnings to needy animal shelters. Dana is planning some exciting new merchandise for the shop, so check for that over the next few weeks. If you’re not familiar with Geokittehs, set aside a few minutes for procrastination and check out the blog here.

Cost: $12 to $21

A Christmas Rock: Island Time!

Happy Newtonmas / Christmas to everyone!

To celebrate, here’s a very big Christmas rock– Christmas Island, which is located in the Indian Ocean south of Indonesia.

The island was dubbed “Christmas Island” by Captain William Mynors of the East India Ship Company, who arrived at the island on Christmas Day, 25th December, 1643. Geologically, the island consists of basalt (originating from a submarine volcano) on which limestone (made primarily from coral and other marine critters) has developed. The island also has rich phosphorite deposits, which are believed to have formed as lagoonal (shallow, quiet water) sediments.

In addition to some interesting geology, Christmas Island also has some fantastic wildlife, including a unique and diverse bird population. There’s very few people on the island, and there are some gorgeous beaches. Sounds like an ideal vacation spot– maybe I’ll try to spend a Christmas there one day… although I imagine that must be a busy time of year for the island.

What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas: 2011 Edition

Last year, I wrote two popular posts titled What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas and What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas- Part II. There are many good gift ideas on those two lists, so be sure to check them out in addition to this year’s list.

Update: Matt Hall over at the Agile* blog also has lists of good gifts for geologists, with a focus on geophysicists. Here’s the 2011 list and here’s the 2010 list.

Gift #1: Planet and Moon Ornaments:

Jupiter Christmas Tree Ornament. Image taken from the Planetary Society Cafe Press Shop: http://www.cafepress.com/planetaryshop.598235977.

I think these planet and moon ornaments from The Planetary Society are fantastic. My only complaint is that Saturn doesn’t have rings, which is sad.

Cost: $9 each

Gift #2: Plush Microbe Holiday Ornament Set:

Plush Microbe Holiday Ornament Set. Image from ThinkGeek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/e39e/

For the geobiologist in your family, I recommend the Plush Microbe Holiday Ornament Set, which is going to adorn my own Christmas tree this year (thanks for the early Christmas present, mom!). Aren’t these little microbes extra cute when they’re all decked out for the holidays?

Cost: $20 / set

Gift #3: A Map from the USGS Store:

A New and Correct Map of the World, circa 1702. Image from USGS Map Store Website.

Did you know that the United States Geological Survey has an incredible online map store? When my geologist husband and I were furnishing our new apartment, we spent a few hours drooling over the gorgeous maps in this store. Geologists do love maps! I’m especially fond of the historical maps, such as the one above which is “A New and Correct Map of the World” from 1702. My husband and I decided to put this map in our living room, and it looks great!

Cost: Variable, generally $15 – $30

Gift #4: Knitted Dinosaurs:

A crocheted triceratops. Image taken from the Frugal Knitting Haus website.

Is your geologist also a knitter? Or are you a knitter? Then I recommend purchasing dinosaur knitting patterns and either giving the pattern to your geologist knitter or knitting one of the dinosaurs yourself.

There are actually several dinosuar knitting patterns on the market, but for a simple set of patterns I recommend ordering Jean Greenhowe’s book “Toy Collection,” which contains several dinosaur patterns. In the US this booklet can be ordered from Frugal Knitting Haus for about $10. If you crochet rather than knit, Frugal Knitting Haus also has a booklet containing dinosaur crochet patterns— on sale for only $5!

Cost: $5 – $10 (for the patterns)

Gift #5: Volcano Mug:

Volcano mug. Image taken from the Oogma Mooga website: http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/mug.cgi?mode=view&mug_id=1613

The volcano mug in the picture above with the knitted dinosaur was a gift from a friend a few years ago. Google informs me that this mug is the Hot Lava Java Volcano Mug. The mug has unfortunately been discontinued, but you can find the mug for sale on ebay.

Cost: About $20 – $30 on ebay

Gift #6: Paleontologist Barbie:

Palentologist Barbie thinks digging for fossils is fun!

Another ebay gem is Paleontologist Barbie. Every geologist should own a geologist Barbie! I purchased my very own Paleontologist Barbie on ebay for about $30. If you’re on a budget or want to cater to a specific geology subdiscipline, find or buy an inexpensive Barbie and make your own geologist Barbie.

Cost: About $30 on ebay

Gift #7: Alvin Deep-Sea Subermsible Keychain:

Alvin Keychain. Image taken from WHOI store website.

The marine geologist in your family might enjoy a present from the online store of my home institution of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). From this online store you can order all sorts of neat WHOI gear, including T-shirts, mugs, and toys. One of my favorite items in the store is a keychain of the deep-sea submersible Alvin.

Cost: $7.95 (for the Alvin keychain)

Gift #8: Geology Jewelry from Surly-Ramics:

Lucy Fossil Skeleton necklace from Surly-Ramics.

I recommended my friend Amy’s trilobite jewelry in last year’s gift guide, and I’ll recommend it again this year. I’ll also recommend her dinosaur jewelry and her Lucy fossil skeleton jewelry. Amy also has a variety of other scientific themed jewelry– be sure to browse her Etsy shop. Amy can also take special orders if there’s something particular you have in mind. Just send her an email.

Cost: $20 – $30

Gift #9: Kindle Touch:

The Kindle Touch. Image taken from Amazon.com.

Geologists generally travel fairly often. An ereader such as a Kindle is a great gift for the traveling geologist who wants some reading for the airplane or that field season. I just ordered myself a Kindle Touch as a Christmas gift to myself, and I’m extremely happy with it. I’ve never owned an ereader before, and I’m amazed at how many books I now have at my fingertips on the extremely lightweight Kindle Touch. Also, the battery seems to last a very long time– weeks, depending on use. I’m definitely going to take my Kindle with me on all my travels.

If you want to give a really great gift, load the Kindle Touch up with some geology-themed books. See some suggestions for books in my 2010 “What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas” lists.

Does your geologist already own an ereader? Then a perfect gift would be a waterproof cover that allows your geologist to take the ereader in the field even when weather conditions are less-than-ideal.

Cost: Kindle Touch– $99 – $149 ; Waterproof Case– $20 and up

Gift #10: Geologic Timescale Poster:

Geologic Timescale poster. Image taken from here: http://ccgm.free.fr/index_fr.html.

What geologist doesn’t want a poster of a detailed geologic timescale? That timescale is sure to come in handy when trying to remember those pesky geologic ages. Geologic timescale posters can be ordered from a variety of places. For example, the Subcommission for Stratigraphic Information of the International Commission on Stratigraphy has a few timescale posters for sale here.

Cost: $10 and up

A Christmas Rock: Fossiliferous Coal

Merry Christmas & Happy Newtonmas, Everyone!

To celebrate, here are some beautiful pictures of coal taken from the interwebs. I’ll take coal rocks like these in my stocking any Christmas!

Fossil ferns in coal from Morocco. Image from Wikipedia Commons.

More ferns in coal. Image taken from here.

Even more ferns in coal. Image taken from here.

And even more fossil plants in coal! Image taken from here.

Yet more pretty coal for a stocking stuffer! You can buy fossils like these here.

What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas- Part II

My What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas post has been attracting some serious (well, for my little blog anyway) traffic over the past few days. Apparently, many people find my blog post by googleing phrases such as “geology christmas gifts,” “geology gifts,” and “what to buy a geologist.” I guess many people are doing their Christmas shopping for their geologist friends and family!

Over the past few days, I’ve thought up another ten items that I think a geologist would like for Christmas. Again, please feel free to post your own suggestions for geological Christmas gifts in the comments!

Gift #1: Trilobite Jewelry from Surlyramics

Image from Surlyramics Etsy shop.

Amy Davis Roth is a talented artist. She makes all kinds of pretty ceramic jewelry- art you can wear, as she puts it! I am particularly fond of Amy’s trilobite jewelry. I think I just might have to order some trilobite jewelry for myself for Christmas… or coax my fiance (who has yet to buy me a gift, as far as I know) into ordering some for me. You can check out Amy’s trilobite– and other jewelry, much of which is skeptical and scientific– on her website, in her Etsy Shop, and in her Artfire Shop.

Best of all, if you use the code “SKEPCHICKMAS” you receive 10% off your purchase… good for the rest of December!

Cost: About $20. Prices vary by item.

Gift #2: Roadside Geology Books

Image from Geology.com store.

The “Roadside Geology” guidebook series is wonderful.These guides give a very accessible overview of the geology of each US state and are great for planning field trips- for geology classes or just for fun- to various geologic features. The books do, indeed, focus on roadside geology. Much geology can be seen at roadcuts, especially in states that have plenty of vegetation and biological thingies covering up the interesting rocks. So, these books tell you where to find the good roadcuts!

But which book to order? Well, you can order the book for the state where your geologist lives. Or you can think of a state they plan to visit and you can order that title.

You can order the Roadside Geology books from Geology.com or from Amazon.com

Cost: About $20 each.

Gift #3: The Age of the Earth

Image from Bookapex.com

This is one of my favorite books. This book explains exactly how we know the age of the Earth, which is about 4.5 billion years old (not 6,000 as the Young Earth Creationists say). I first read this book several years ago when I was curious how we knew the age of the Earth… after all, we don’t have any Earth rocks that are that old. There are a few rocks that are about 4 billion years old, but none that date exactly to the age of the Earth! This book explains how dating of meteorites and the Pb isotope system (in particular) allow geologists to constrain the age of the Earth very well. This book is great read and explains complex isotope dating systems in a straightforward manner. I highly recommend this book for all geologists.

Cost: About $30.

Gift #4: Simon Winchester Books

Image from SimonWinchester.com


Image from SimonWinchester.com.

Image from SimonWinchester.com.

Simon Winchester is a great geology writer- and a great writer in general. My all-time favorite book of Winchester’s is actually “The Professor and the Madman” about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. However, that’s not a geology themed book… so for geology Christmas gifts I recommend these three books: “Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27th, 1883,” “The Map that Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology,” and “A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906.”

Great books- feel free to buy one or all three!

Cost: About $10 each from Amazon.com

Gift #5: A Giant World Map


Image from Amazon.com.

Geologists love maps. They will cover their walls with maps, if their significant others and housemates let them. What better to give a geologist than a giant world map? I recommend the above map, which can be bought here from Amazon.com.

Cost: $83.90 (on sale!) at Amazon.com. You can also purchase a smaller world map- for about $10-20.

Gift #6: Prints from National Geographic

Volcanic eruption and lightening in the ash plume in Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland. Image and caption from NationalGeographic.com.

There are hundreds of photographs- including many with geological themes- from the National Geographic magazine that you can order as prints here. You can also print your own National Geographic wall art here, which I believe is free! Of course, geologists always take their own pictures in the field- but some of the National Geographic images, such as the one above of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption, are absolutely stunning.

Cost: About $20-$200 (depending on size and framing).

Gift #7: Hand Lens

Image from GeologyOutfitters.com.

Geologists use hand lenses to magnify rock features (mostly minerals) in the field for identification. A good hand lens is a very useful tool for a geologist! You can order high-quality hand lenses here.

Cost: About $30-$40.

Gift #8: A Gift Certificate to an Outdoor Shop

Image from SierraTradingPost.com.

Geologist love buying hiking gear- field shirts, hiking boots, hats, fleeces, and so on. So, a gift certificate to an outdoor shop such as Sierra Trading Post, EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports), The North Face, REI, L.L.Bean, Patagonia, etc. is sure to be a hit. If you don’t like giving gift cards, just order your geologist a field hat or shirt or even some warm wool socks.

Cost: Whatever you want!

Gift #9: More Geology T-Shirts


Sedimentary, My Dear Watson. Image from CafePress.com.

Never volunteer to help a geologist move. Image from CafePress.com.

Geology: rock always wins. Image from CafePress.com.

Geologists don’t really have a dress code… unless that code is breaking any sort of department dress code. Geologists tend to wear fun t-shirts, jeans, and teva sandals to work. CafePress has many great geology t-shirts. Just go to their website and search “geology t-shirt.” Above are few CafePress t-shirts that I like, but there are many others. Go check it out!

Cost: About $20-$30.

Gift #10: Periodic Table of the Elements Shower Curtain


Image from ThinkGeek.com

This gift is ideal for the geochemist! I know that there are sometimes days when I’m thinking about my geochemistry while brushing my teeth or in the shower, and I wish I had a periodic table on hand. The perfect solution is this periodic table shower curtain. If you want something that every geologist (even a geophysicist!) is sure to love, there is also the world map shower curtain (below). You can order the periodic table shower curtain from ThinkGeek.com here and the world map shower curtain from Amazon.com here.

World map shower curtain. Image from Amazon.com.

Cost: About $15-$30.

What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas

Zayna (my cat) in my Newtonmas tree.

Christmas is just over three weeks away. If you’re like me, you’ve recently put up your tree and a few decorations and are contemplating what to buy your friends and relatives. My family isn’t religious, so we celebrate Newtonmas instead of Christmas. We call the holiday Newtonmas because Issac Newton, the famous mathematician and scientist, was born on Christmas Day. We celebrate Newtonmas on the same day as Christmas.

My family is very festive about Newtonmas. My mom often throws a science-themed Newtonmas Party, and we have all kinds of Newtonmas decorations, including a Newtonmas tree. The best thing about a Newtonmas tree is that you don’t have to use an angel or a star as a tree topper (unless you want to). Rather, you can use anything you want! When we lived in Europe for a couple of years, we bought a little Napoleon doll and this has become our traditional tree-topper. Since I’ve moved out of the house and started putting up my own tree, I’ve used various stuffed animals and toys as tree-toppers. This year I’m using the little blue dragon from the “How to Train Your Dragon” movie. Because dragons are cute and are as real as angels, to me anyway. In honor of Newton, my family exchanges gifts and eats delicious food and even plays Christmas music. Because music is pretty, whatever your religious beliefs (or lack thereof).

Many of you may be wondering what to buy a geologist for Christmas/Newtomas. Below I’ve listed a few suggestions of gifts I think a geologist would like. Feel free to post your own suggestions for gifts in the comments!

And Merry Christmas/Chanukah/Newtonmas!

Gift #1: Geology Cake T-Shirt


Image from Threadless.com

This T-shirt is sold by Threadless.com here. Unfortunately, this t-shirt is currently sold out. Everyone should help request a reprint! A quick note is that geoblogger Callan Bentley pointed out in his NOVA blog that the angular unconformity cake/geology layer is highly improbable. Despite that, this is a fun t-shirt!

Cost: $18 (cheaper if it’s on sale!).

Gift #2: Global Warming Mug

Image from Amazon.com

My mom actually bought this mug for me for Christmas several years ago. This mug is great- when empty or filled with cold water, the continents look normal. However, when you add hot water the edges of the continents recede as they would during sea level rise. I’m not sure exactly how much sea level rise this mug represents, but it’s so much fun! You can buy the mug (and watch a video of it being filled with hot water) here.

Cost: $12.95.

Gift #3: Brunton Compass


Image from Brunton.com

A Brunton compass- used for general navigation and taking strike and dip measurements for geologic maps- is a must-have for any geologist. Alas, these compasses are expensive so not all geologists have their own. I finally bought one a couple of years ago, but before that I would always borrow them from the department or friends. Many geologists already own these, so you might want to check first. However, if you’re rich and your geologist friend doesn’t already own one of these, this will make a fantastic gift certain to provoke squeals of delight and dramatic hugs. Brunton compasses can be purchased here.

Cost: About $500-$800 depending on the model.

Gift #4: Rite in the Rain All-Weather (Except Wintry Mix) Writing Products:


Image from Amazon.com

The Rite-in-the-Rain people may not be very good at spelling, but they make wonderful notebooks, papers, and pens that are great for using in all sorts of field conditions- rain, snow, and sunshine. My favorite Rite-in-the-Rain product is the geology notebook as it comes with a ruler and all sorts of useful reference pages, such as a geologic timescale, in the back. The Rite-in-the-Rain Geological Field Notebook can be bought from Amazon.com here. Be sure to check out other Rite-in-the-Rain products at their webpage.

Cost (for geology field book): $17.95 on Amazon.com.

Gift #5: GPS

Image from Amazon.com

A GPS is another must-have for a geologist. Fifteen or even ten years ago, GPS units were bulky and expensive. These days, most people have them in their cars to give driving directions. Outdoor (often waterproof) GPS field units are now pocket-sized and very convenient to bring along for fieldwork. Many hikers even use these now. I must admit that I somewhat miss the pre-GPS days when you had to hone your map-and-compass skills, but GPS units are very convenient. Most geologists will already own a GPS so you might check on this first. Perhaps your geologist friend wants a GPS upgrade! There are many types of GPS units, but I find the Garmin etrex to be a great, simple unit to use for my purposes– basic navigation and recording sampling positions.

Cost: About $100-200 for a basic unit.

Gift #6: Annals of the Former World

Image from GoodReads.com

This is an absolutely amazing book by John McPhee, one of my favorite writers. McPhee is an incredible non-fiction writer who personalizes his non-fiction and makes it entertaining by incorporating storytelling techniques. McPhee researched and wrote this book about North American geology by traveling with various geologists. McPhee makes both the geologists and their geology come alive in this masterpiece. If my recommendation isn’t enough, this book won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction.

Cost: $14.28 from Amazon.com here.

Gift #7: Nature’s Fire Undersea Volcano Kinetic Light Sculpture

Image from powscience.com

This “volcano sculpture” looks tacky- and it is! Wonderfully tacky! This volcano sculpture erupts little plastic “magma” beads and makes a rhythmic, sort of soothing, clicky woosh as it does so. Multicolored lights (blue, yellow, pink) flash as the volcano erupts. The only problem with this volcano sculpture is that if you don’t keep it completely filled with water, the little beads tend to float up at the top. By the way, the sculpture doubles as a cat-hypnotizer. My cats will watch it for hours!

Here’s a video of my volcano sculpture:

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

Cost: $27.95 (sale price!) here at The Nature Store.

Gift #8: Foam Rocks

Image from Amazon.com

Fake foam rocks can be ordered from a variety of toy and gift stores. These are great to throw at geology students who aren’t paying attention in class…

Cost: $5-10.

Gift #9: Bad Geology Disaster Movie

Image from Amazon.com

Pretty much every year, my mom and sister buy me a bad geology movie or two. There are dozens upon dozens of these. If you’d like to own “Magma: Volcanic Disaster” you can buy this movie at Amazon.com here for only $11.99. The great thing about bad geology movies, though, is that they are generally fairly cheap. I often find them in the $5 sale bin at Wal-Mart. There are endless options!

Here are a few more movie suggestions:
-Journey to the Center of the Earth (many versions… I highly recommend the 1950s version starring Pat Boone)
-The Core
-Deep Impact
-Dante’s Peak
-The Day After Tomorrow
-Volcano
-Earthquake
-2012

Cost: $5-20.

Gift #10: A Rock
Seriously. Any rock. You can order a pretty mineral off the internet if you want, but the great thing about geologists is that they find pretty much any rock interesting. So, go out in your yard or dirt driveway or down to the beach or your local hiking trail. Look around until you find a rock with pretty, shiny crystals or interesting layers or an interesting texture. Take the rock and put it in a box. Wrap the box and add a note that says, “I found this and thought of you.” Presto! A free gift that any geologist will love!

Cost: Free!