EGU Blogs

Fabian Wadsworth and Rebecca Hearne May 25, 2016

Great walls of fire – Vitrification and thermal engineering in the British Iron Age

It’s long been recognised the peoples of European prehistory occasionally, and quite deliberately, melted the rocks from which their hilltop enclosures were made. But why did they do it? In today’s blog post Fabian Wadsworth and Rebecca Hearne explore this question. Burning questions Throughout the European Bronze and Iron Ages (spanning 2600 years from 3200 BC to 600 BC), people constructed stone ...[Read More]

GeoLog

Imaggeo on Mondays: Moving images – Photo Contest 2016

Laura Roberts-Artal May 23, 2016

Since 2010, the European Geosciences Union (EGU) has been holding an annual photo competition and exhibit in association with its General Assembly and with Imaggeo – the EGU’s open access image repository. In addition to the still photographs, imaggeo also accepts moving images – short videos – which are also a part of the annual photo contest. However, 20 or more images have to be submitted ...[Read More]

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Geomorphology

Short video on Geomorphology – Sediment Dynamics in high-mountain Environments

Sabine Kraushaar May 22, 2016

Geomorphology is the science of processes shaping the earth surface. Especially in high-mountain environments, where the relief is steep, these processes move a great amount of material. This 10 minute video features Geomorphologists from different parts of the world, explaining what happens when glaciers retreat and expose sediments to erosion and how it affects us humans. Furthermore it attempts ...[Read More]

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Seismology

Writing boost: Being a reviewer

Kathrin Spieker May 20, 2016

I don’t know how you feel … but after a stressful month to prepare for EGU and a month relaxing and getting back to work, it is now time for the last part of tips for writing, submitting, and reviewing. The last two times we have talked about scientific writing and the submission process. Today, I will shed light on reviewing papers and how that can boost your writing. There are many “ ...[Read More]

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Biogeosciences

Coffee break biogeosciences – New coral reef at Amazon river mouth discovered

Jasper Bloemen May 20, 2016

At the Amazon river mouth, a huge 9,300 sq km coral reef system has been found below the muddy waters off the mouth of the river Amazon. As corals mostly thrive in clear, sunlit, salt water, and the waters near the mouth of the Amazon are some of the muddiest in the world, the discovery of this almost 2000 km long reef leaves scientists puzzled about the potential extent of coral reefs worldwide. ...[Read More]

GeoLog

Livers, guts and gills: understanding how organisms become fossils

Laura Roberts-Artal May 20, 2016

It’s 10am and Thomas Clements, a 3rd year palaeobiology PhD Student, is getting ready to check on his latest experiment. Full kited up in what can only be described as a space suit, Thomas carefully approaches the fume cupboard home to his latest specimen: a decaying seabass, balanced on a specially designed ‘hammock’ in a tank of salty water. Opening the lid to check on the rotting fish, Thomas i ...[Read More]

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Cryospheric Sciences

Image of The Week – Tumbling Rocks

Emma C. Smith May 20, 2016

This photo captures a rockfall at the summit of Tour de Ronde, 3792 m above sea level in the Mont Blanc Massif. On 27 August 2015, around 15000 m3 of rock fell from the steep walls of the mountain. Why do mountains crumble ? Rockfalls such as the one on the photo have been linked to thawing permafrost. The exact mechanism that leads to these events is not fully understood, however, it is thought ...[Read More]

GeoLog

Share the work you presented at EGU 2016: upload your presentations for online publication

Laura Roberts-Artal May 18, 2016

This year it is, once again, possible to upload your oral presentations, PICO presentations and posters from EGU 2016 for online publication alongside your abstract, giving all participants a chance to revisit your contribution – hurrah for open science! Files can be in either PowerPoint or PDF format. Note that presentations will be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence. ...[Read More]

GeoLog

Imaggeo on Mondays: Half dome at sunset

Laura Roberts-Artal May 16, 2016

Yosemite’s Half Dome stands, majestic, over a granite dominated terrain in the Yosemite Valley area; one of the most beautiful landscapes in northern America, and arguably, the world – it is also an Earth scientist’ playground. Stamped into the west slope of the Sierra Nevada range, the Yosemite Valley is a collection of lush forests, deep valleys, meandering rivers and streams, all punctua ...[Read More]

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Seismology

4 ways to have your say

Laura Ermert May 13, 2016

A couple of weeks ago, we promised a more detailed review of our experience at the General Assembly 2016. Here is something we deemed worthy to spread word about. EGU is dedicated to geoscience, so the first thing we are all looking for in the general assembly and EGU’s journals is…interesting science! Duh. But science doesn’t live in an isolated space of labs and computing centers. There is ample ...[Read More]