Subscribe Online issue In print Archives Classifieds Advertise Customer Service Search AGI Home	August 30 Wide-open West August 20 Tahoe quakes: business as usual? August 12 Travels in Geology: Roving Oregon's dunes August 5 Whale-bone-eating worms August 4 Slow boat to a small planet July 30 Congo's illegal uranium mining Webextras Archive Travels in Geology Archive Geotimes Poll Whom do you plan to vote for in the U.S. presidential election? George W. Bush John Kerry Ralph Nader Undecided Are geoscience issues (e.g. energy policy) a major factor in your decision? Yes No
Understanding the Mysteries of the Grape Geology and grapes connect in complex ways to produce the perfect glass of wine. Larry Meinert Making Wine in a Changing Climate In a recent taste test, English sparkling wines bested French Champagnes — perhaps heralding a worldwide trend linked to global warming. Gregory Jones The Quest for Better Wine Using Geophysics Probing below the ground can help winemakers better understand what makes their grapes tick. Susan Hubbard and Yoram Rubin	News Notes Doubling the ice record The missing methane link Soils influenced Hawaiian chiefdoms A loophole threatens Yucca Mountain Fossil fetus of flying reptile unearthed Burrowing K/T survivors Pressure shifts in Yellowstone New water model for Southwest Sliding into Saturn Fossil victory in Alabama Geophenomena New explanations for Western drought Energy & Resources Geology and Beer: It's in the water; What's in a name? Mineral of the Month: Tantalum Geoscience Education and Outreach Best in Show A 17-year-old from Fort Meyers, Fla., blew the competition away with her seafloor volcanism project at the recent Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Megan Sever Technology Wine Insurance in the Northeast Even in the wet northeastern United States, vineyards need some extra protection against times of drought. Naomi Lubick
Comment Making an Impact on the Hill The scientific community must champion itself to promote greater recognition and funding of its programs. The Honorable Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) Political Scene Budget Procrastination Policy-makers need to stop dragging their feet when it comes to passing the federal budget. Emily Lehr Wallace Geologic Column California Wines: Well-Shaken and Stirred Earthquake country and wine country collide in California — making for good drinking and high-risk living. Susan Hough	Profiles Susan Solomon: Chemistry in the clouds In Memoriam: Jerry P. Eaton; Jesse Daniel Skelton Check out this month's Energy Notes! Geomedia Geologic wonders hit the highway Book reviews: Geology and Health: Closing the Gap; Desert Heat — Volcanic Fire On the Shelf: Geology and wine On the Web Table of Contents Letter from the Editor Where on Earth? Calendar Classifieds
ON THE COVER Geology plays a powerful role in the development of high-quality wine grapes, and in turn, high-quality wine. Photo of the wine grapes is courtesy of the Wine Institute. Photo of the Chabot Vineyard, Glass Mountain, Napa Valley, is courtesy of David Howell. Cover created by Mark Shaver.	Coming Soon... Later this month: Geologic Column: California Wines — Well-Shaken and Stirred September: Higher Education Get your copy of the AGI Publications Catalog! E mail jr@agiweb.org for more. Visit the Geotimes archive to search for past stories.

SUBSCRIBE

CLASSIFIEDS

CALENDAR

ADVERTISE

FOR AUTHORS

CONTACT US

ARCHIVE

SEARCH

Geotimes Home | AGI Home | Information Services | Geoscience Education | Public Policy | Programs | Publications | Careers © 2025 American Geological Institute. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of the American Geological Institute is expressly prohibited. For all electronic copyright requests, visit: http://www.copyright.com/ccc/do/showConfigurator?WT.mc_id=PubLink