Welcome to In the News: A Geomorphologist’s Perspective! The intent of this series is to explore the geology and geomorphology of places that are currently in the news. For this first installment, we’ll do a quick tour of how geological processes have laid the groundwork for current fighting over control of the Strait of Hormuz. …[Read More]
Groundwater has always had an image problem. Throughout my career, I have lost count of how many times we have described groundwater as an “invisible resource” or similar. It is almost a cliché in hydrogeology. We use the phrase because it captures something really fundamental: groundwater is hidden physically, but it has also been hidden …[Read More]
We live in a world full of mysteries and wonders… or at least that is the view of most ancient philosophers, such as perhaps Plato in ancient Greece. Atlantis, the legendary island that lay in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is said to have been completely destroyed overnight. To this day, numerous artists and …[Read More]
Guess who’s back? Back again! Sassy’s back, tell your colleagues! This week I am going to shoot the elephant in the room by answering Will’s question “Is Mobility a plus or a must for a research career?” Now I know I have already answered a similar question some time ago, but a changing world requires …[Read More]
Meteotsunamis or meteorological tsunamis are globally occurring progressive shallow water waves with a period of between 2 to 120 minutes which results from an air-sea interaction. They tend to be initiated by sudden pressure changes and wind stress from moving atmospheric systems with sources ranging from convective clouds, cyclones, squalls, thunderstorms, atmospheric gravity waves and …[Read More]
When Homer wrote The Odyssey nearly three thousand years ago, he described a journey filled with storms, uncertainty, unexpected detours, and the relentless hope of eventually reaching Ithaca. Today’s journeys may no longer cross the Mediterranean, but they continue to test researchers’ resilience in unexpected ways. Not because researchers sail across unknown seas, but because …[Read More]
Introducing our new mini-series by GM Blog co-editor Wioleta Porębna: Great Names in Geomorphology A–Z! Our readers will choose the next name in alphabetical order – leave your suggestions in the comments! Frank Ahnert (12 December 1927 – 10 September 2017) was a German geomorphologist whose work played a pivotal role in establishing quantitative and …[Read More]
The research gap Ocean tides play a significant role on ocean circulation, coastal processes and mass variations. Tides are generated from the gravitational interaction between Earth, Moon and Sun, which typically results in two high and two low tides observed each day. Satellite observations have vastly expanded our understanding of ocean tides. In 2022, the Surface …[Read More]
Posted in: Ocean Sciences | Reviews & Perspectives | Ocean Science Jubilee Special Issue We usually think of ocean salinity as the ocean’s rain gauge. Rain, rivers, and melting ice freshen the surface; evaporation leaves it saltier. Seen from space, these changing patterns reveal how Earth’s water cycle is evolving, with wet regions generally becoming …[Read More]
Congratulations on receiving the OSPP Award 2025! What was your reaction when you found out you had been selected for the award? I was very surprised when I received the email, and I read it several times to make sure it was real. After that, I felt extremely proud of my work because I could …[Read More]
