Spooky Geology is a science-based look at mysterious earth phenomena, geologic anomalies, and the endless weird ideas about rocks and the earth that are a bit abnormal, paranormal, or supernatural.
Spooky: Causing fear and unease; mysterious, freaky, weird, uncanny, unsettling, eerie; unnatural, unearthly.
I started the SpookyGeology.com web site in 2017 to explore the human ideas of haunted earth, mysterious natural phenomena, and strange anomalies. From ancient geomythology to modern “signs of the times”, from the atmospheric to the center core, there are hundreds of topics that fit under this spooky label. No one was comprehensively exploring this weird nature niche. I originally started with the following categories, but sometimes it’s difficult to pin topics to a label.
Click on the individual categories to see all posts for that topic.
Locations that have special characteristics or unusual features that result in an awe-inspiring “sense of place”. They feel eerie, unnatural, sacred, mystical, or are revered as so unique that they are attributed to being inhabited by spirits or created by supernatural entities.
A broad category of beliefs and legends associated with the earth that are believed to manifest outside scientific understanding or are rejected by mainstream academics. Most commonly, these topics are associated with secret earth “energies” that the diligent person can “tap”.
Fantastic fringe ideas about how the earth was created and how it operates today based on religious or other non-scientific thought processes. Often, these alternative world-views resonate with political ideologies.
All manner of natural objects or geomorphic features of the earth with strange and surprising qualities that appear non-natural, out-of-place, or imbued with special powers. Often based on a misunderstanding of complex natural processes, they may be interpreted as supernatural.
Special circumstances or geological processes can result in rare or remarkable features or events that are dangerous or deadly. It appears the planet cares not for the life on its surface and will indiscriminately destroy it. Often, human actions exacerbate the hazards.
Take a whirlwind tour of the spooky geology sphere of topics.
This presenation by Dr. Thomas Holtz, Univ. of Maryland professor, prompted me to start Spooky Geology. The talk was from Balticon 50 on May 30, 2016 about paranormal concepts related to the nature of our planet, featuring discussions on Atlantis, Lemuria, the hollow Earth, sunken continents, a concave Earth, and everything made of Nummulitids (forams).
Holtz points out that many of these ideas were not crazy at the time but seemed plausible based on the science of the time. He connects all the idea with their founders and popularizers as well as with famous science fiction and fantasy literature that borrowed them.
I hope you enjoy this unique content at the intersection of geology with the weird and paranormal.