edited by Michaël Pons

The pulsed rise of the Nahuelbuta Range: How glaciers indirectly built a mountain in Patagonia

Ambrosio Vega-Ruiz, edited by Lorenzo Mantiloni and edited by Michaël Pons July 29, 2026

Forearc ranges are a striking example of how tectonic processes shape our planet. The Nahuelbuta Range in southern Chile is one of such settings. This week, Ambrosio Vega-Ruiz from the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Germany, is telling us the story of this remarkable range, exploring how climate feedback can influence tectonic uplift across coastal forearcs. Tectonic uplift before tectonic ...[Read More]

From rifts to reefs: the geodynamic origins of shallow coral reef habitats at passive continental margins

Zhibin Lei, edited by Michaël Pons and illustrated by Lea Pennacchioni July 22, 2026

(Almost) everything wrong with: Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Conor Farrell and edited by Michaël Pons June 10, 2026

Spoiler warning! Have you ever watched a science fiction movie and thought, huh, I wonder if that is actually possible? Now, I hope by the time the dinosaurs turned up during this film, that this transient thought had departed from your mind, but to satisfy the idle curiosity of those who wondered this during Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and perhaps even impart some geodynamical les ...[Read More]

The courage to be disliked: reflections on peer-review processes

Jean-Baptiste Koehl, edited by Constanza Rodriguez Piceda and edited by Michaël Pons February 4, 2026

Although often daunting and discouraging, every academic must navigate the inevitable process of peer review. In this week’s post, Jean-Baptiste Koehl, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oslo (Norway), reflects on what the future of peer review might be. Author disclaimer: The reflections presented here reflect my perspective grounded in my own experience. While peer review is a key mech ...[Read More]

Building the Earth in a sandbox

Conor Farrell and edited by Michaël Pons January 7, 2026

Building the Earth in a sandbox The Main Ethiopian Rift stretches for hundreds of kilometers through Ethiopia, a massive fracture where Africa is slowly tearing apart to birth a new ocean. However, the processes driving this continental breakup remain hidden deep beneath layers of volcanic rock and millions of years of geological history. Today, in a laboratory in the heart of the be ...[Read More]

Cratons: building blocks of continents and their economic importance

Arijit Chakraborty, edited by Constanza Rodriguez Piceda and edited by Michaël Pons December 17, 2025

The 4.5 billion years of geologic evolution has shaped the tectonic processes in Earth we see today. Over the span of time, Earth has changed from being a magma ocean to a tectonically active planet, by transitioning through different tectonic regimes. A silent witness of this journey have been cratons which have survived for billions of years. Therefore cratons preserve clues of past tectonic pr ...[Read More]

Human civilization must survive on geological times: Why and How?

Taras Gerya, Bob Stern and edited by Michaël Pons December 10, 2025

Applying for a PhD in Geoscience: To do or not to do

Conor Farrell and edited by Michaël Pons August 27, 2025

Fresh out of your bachelor’s degree, or more commonly these days, your master’s degree, it can be tempting to pursue your PhD as quickly as possible. While there are compelling reasons to dive straight in, rushing into a PhD might not be your best choice. To be or not to be a researcher? Before you start firing off applications, take a step back. Forget any expectations you had ...[Read More]

Between the Volcano and the Deep Blue Sea: Tales from Montserrat (Part 2)

Lorenzo Mantiloni, edited by Michaël Pons and edited by Constanza Rodriguez Piceda January 15, 2025

In 1995, the Caribbean Island of Montserrat was shaken by the beginning of one of the most significant volcanic eruptions in recent history: one that profoundly changed the natural, social and economical landscape of the country. Three decades later, Soufrière Hills Volcano and its legacy of destruction still shape the lives of Montserrat’s people. Last October, we took you on the first half of ou ...[Read More]

Between the Volcano and the Deep Blue Sea: Tales from Montserrat (Part 1)

Lorenzo Mantiloni, edited by Michaël Pons and edited by Constanza Rodriguez Piceda October 9, 2024

In 1995, the Caribbean Island of Montserrat was shaken by the beginning of one of the most significant volcanic eruptions in recent history: one that profoundly changed the natural, social and economical landscape of the country. Three decades later, Soufrière Hills Volcano and its legacy of destruction still shape the lives of Montserrat’s people. Join us on the first part of our reportage and fi ...[Read More]