SQ dates

A mudflow destroyed the city of Herculaneum

Construction began on the Leaning Tower of Pisa

James Hutton presented the rock cycle to the Royal Society of Edinburgh

James Hutton published his book Theory of the Earth

Global population reached 1 billion

A volcanic eruption at Tambora released massive quantities of ash

Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift

An earthquake triggered a landslide in Kansu, China

United States farmers plowed 5 million new acres of land

Global population reached 2 billion

Alfred Wegener died

Drought first prompted use of the High Plains aquifer for irrigation; Philip Kuenen discovered the strength of turbidity currents; wind erosion damages the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl

The Dust Bowl began; United States farmers produced record crop levels; Pacific Ocean temperatures dropped

14 dust storms recorded in the United States

40 dust storms recorded in the United States; President Roosevelt issued first farming and mortgage relief act

United States government introduced numerous new programs, including the Farm Security Administration and the Works Progress Administration

Due to the Dust Bowl, 35 million acres of farmland laid useless and ruined; Taylor Grazing Act secured land for federal protection

The Dust Bowl ended

Increased precipitation and improved economic conditions helped end the Dust Bowl

Oil drilling began in the Ghawar oil fields in Saudi Arabia

Drought once again prompted use of the High Plains aquifer for irrigation; the phenomenon of paleomagnetism was discovered

M. King Hubbert predicted oil production in the United States would start declining in the early 1970s

An earthquake triggered a landslide in Madison Canyon in Montana

The United States started the Deep-Sea Drilling Program; the scientific community accepted the theory of plate tectonics; paleomagnetic bands in the ocean floor provided evidence for plate tectonics

A landslide into the Vaiont Reservoir triggered massive waves

Earthquakes in Alaska triggered landslides throughout the state

Earthquakes in British Colombia triggered the Hope Mountain landslides

Mine waste fell in a landslide in Aberfan, Wales

A landslide occurred during the construction of the Libby dam in Montana

An intense storm triggered landslides in Brazil

An offshore drilling platform released oil onto the beaches of Santa Barbara, California

Oil production in the United States peaked; companies attempted to mine the oil shales in Utah

Coal mine wastes in a dam broke loose and triggered a landslide in Buffalo Hallow, West Virginia

Global population reached 4 billion

United States increased coal consumption in response to elevated oil prices

A well near the Yucatan coast blew out, releasing oil into the Gulf of Mexico

Companies abandoned the oil shales in Utah

Severe soil erosion occurred in Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Montana

Selenium levels caused issues with fish and waterfowl in the San Joaquin Valley; a landslide in Utah caused 200 million dollars of damage

The oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran ashore in Alaska

Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines

1.3 million new homes began construction in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey predicted that total available oil resources are double the current known reserves

The United States consumed 97 quadrillion Btu of energy; 6.8 gigatons of carbon released through energy consumption worldwide

Worldwide oil production reached 30 billion barrels

Global population reached 6.8 billion; global energy consumption reached 460 quads

Colin Campbell predicted world oil production will begin to decline soon after this year

Global population expected to reach 8 billion

Production from Alberta’s tar sands could supply 5% of the world’s oil demand

Global population is expected to reach 12.5 billion