Geothermal heat flux is the major unknown when we evaluate the temperature and the presence/absence of water at the bed of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. This information is crucial for the Beyond Epica Oldest Ice project, which aims to find a continuous ice core spanning 1.5 million years (see this previous post). A lot of work has been done* to determine geothermal heat flux under the entire Antarctic ...[Read More]
GeoLog
GeoPolicy: Getting involved with policy at the 2018 General Assembly
The EGU General Assembly is an amazing event, not only because of its size but also due to the number of disciplines represented! This gives scientists, who are diligently focused on their specific research for the majority of the year, the chance to let loose and learn something a bit different. This year’s assembly will host a multitude of science-policy related sessions that aim to help researc ...[Read More]
Geomorphology
A geomorphologist’s winter refuge
– written by Michael Dietze, GFZ Potsdam – Why Swedish, Finnish and German geomorphologists meet in the boreal zone to drill holes into icy rivers and frozen ground. There are many ways to counter the lazy days between Christmas and the EGU meeting. One of the more promising ones is this: think of doing collaborative field work in February, in northern Sweden, on and around a frozen ri ...[Read More]
Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Palaeontology
Picture of March
Geology for Global Development
Speleology and local development
Many of us seek adventures, new experiences and sights in far flung places, but very often there are beautiful wonders right on our doorstep. In today’s post, Barbara Zambelli Azevedo highlights how the promotion of local geological regions can be a valuable and effective way to encourage development and instil a sense of pride in local communities. Plato said in the Allegory of the Cave th ...[Read More]
GeoLog
Union-wide events at EGU 2018
Wondering what to expect at the General Assembly this year? Here are some of the highlights: Union Symposia (US) For events which will have general appeal, regardless of your field of research, look no further than the Union Symposia. The very first session, organized in collaboration with the European and American space agencies (ESA and NASA) will highlight observation missions focused on Earth ...[Read More]
Geodynamics
Help us fight patriarchy, one comic strip at a time!
Women in science/geodynamics: a topic we have discussed before and should continue to discuss, because we’re not there yet. In this new Wit & Wisdom post, Marie Bocher, postdoc at the Seismology and Wave Physics group of ETH Zürich, discusses a range of all-too-common encounters women face and a possible solution to awareness: comics (drawn by Alice Adenis, PhD student at ENS Lyon). You ...[Read More]
Solar-Terrestrial Sciences
Cosmic rays – messengers from space
Cosmic rays (CRs), are not actually rays, but highly energetic charged particles of extraterrestrial origin. The life cycle of a cosmic ray particle starts with its birth at some point in the Universe, its travel at nearly the speed of light and finally with its death ( e.g. at a detector). These highly energetic particles strike our planet from all directions and thus provide a constant backgroun ...[Read More]
GeoLog
Imaggeo on Mondays: The Crossroads of Flood and Drought
This picture was taken on the way back from collecting field measurements at the Lordsburg Playa in southwestern New Mexico, USA. The setting sun highlights the contrast between the dry, cracked soil and the standing water from antecedent rainfall. A playa is a flat topographic depression in arid or semi-arid regions that contains a large amount of deposited sediment. When the surface of the playa ...[Read More]
Natural Hazards
What is coming at the next EGU’s General Assembly?
The next EGU’s General Assembly is taking place in three weeks! We bet you already started planning your program for the week, and that Natural Hazard (NH) sessions are included, and, especially if you are an Early Career Scientist, you have found many sessions and courses targeting your specific needs and interests. What fits more to your interests: Attend talks and posters, learn and improve ski ...[Read More]