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Geosciences
Computational Geometry Modeling of the Neolithic Circular Ditch in Vinoř, Prague
This tutorial is a follow-up to a recent post by the author herself about archeoastronomical modeling of Central European Neolithic Circular Ditches [1], or roundels, with Wolfram 3D graphical primitives. Here, the focus will be instead on the use of mesh-based primitives from computational geometry to build a realistic 3D model of a roundel recently […]
Global 3D Depth-Magnitude Distribution of 2025 Earthquakes
The majority of earthquakes around the world can be found along continental plate boundaries, either due to divergent plate boundaries where new oceanic crust is generated, or at convergent plate boundaries where collisions and subduction can occur. Earthquakes can also be caused by the motion of magma below the surface as it moves, melts, and […]
Fire in the Hole! Exploring the Yellowstone Calderas with GeoGraphics and USGS Data
Yellowstone National Park has long been known for its active geysers. These geysers are a surface indication of subterranean volcanic activity in the park. In fact, Yellowstone is actually the location of the Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano: a volcano with an exceptionally large magma reservoir. The park has had a history of many explosive eruptions over the last two million years or so.
I’ve found that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains data on the various volcanic calderas and related features, which makes it perfect for computational exploration with the Wolfram Language. This data is in the form of SHP files and related data stored as a ZIP archive. Thanks to the detail of this available data, we can use the Wolfram Language and, in particular, GeoGraphics to get a better picture of what this data is telling us.