Divisions

Cryospheric Sciences

A journey to the Edge of the Ice: Discovering How the Ocean Meets the Polar Sea Ice

Weixin Zhu and Lu Zhou December 12, 2023

Let’s continue the journey of discovering cool facts about sea ice which started with breaking the ice. This time, we’re diving into a fascinating part of the Arctic and Antarctic: the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ). Imagine a place where the vast, frozen world of sea ice meets the moving waters of the ocean underneath. This is the MIZ, a unique area where air, water, and ice mix and mingle. ItR ...[Read More]

GMPV

Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology

How can fossil Geothermal System enhance Present Exploration?

Elisabetta Billotta and Maddalena Perrini December 6, 2023

Geothermal resource development faces a major obstacle: the expensive exploration process. Unsuccessful drilled wells can discourage interest and disrupt economic plans. Understanding the relationship between geologic structures and geothermal fluid flow is critical to successful exploration. Various methods, such as geochemistry, geophysics, structural analysis and modeling, aim to create a relia ...[Read More]

GD

Geodynamics

Exploration of Deep Earthquakes and Planetary Interiors

Ayako Tsuchiyama and edited by Rajani Shrestha December 6, 2023

Cross-sectional view showing location of deep earthquakes

Most earthquakes on Earth start in the shallow, brittle part of the planet. However, there are several regions where earthquakes happen deep in the mantle. Where are these regions? Why do these earthquakes get so deep? In this week’s blog post, Ayako Tsuchiyama from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) takes us on a journey into the mysterious world of deep earthquakes. Growing u ...[Read More]

NH

Natural Hazards

Earth Citizens and Natural Hazards: a few words from the perspective of our environment, the inhabited planet, Earth

Hedieh Soltanpour December 4, 2023

In January 2023, I visited the Amazon Forest in Suriname. During my visit, I met indigenous people known as the Saramaccers, a Maroon tribe residing in the heart of the Amazon Forest. I found it fascinating that the Saramaccers consider themselves an integral part of nature. Their motto is ‘If you respect nature, nature will be your friend and stand by you’. Nature extends a helping ha ...[Read More]

CR

Cryospheric Sciences

Antarctica Uncovered: Exploring the Exposed Surfaces Around the Melting Continent

Evan Quinter December 4, 2023

A photo pf a rocky land with an ice mass in the background. The land has brownish plants.

In 2020, ocean scientists discovered a new island off the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf, naming it after the Norse goddess, Sif. The island is one of many new regions being exposed in the wake of increased ice shelf melting and glacial retreat. While these newly-revealed lands have been discussed in the Arctic and alpine ecosystems, the uncovered island and coastlines of Antarctica have been less ...[Read More]

SM

Seismology

What is Distributed Acoustic Sensing?

EGU Seismology ECS Team December 2, 2023

In this blog we give a succinct introduction to Distributed Acoustic Sensing for the starting seismologist, or the interested reader. The blog is by no means a complete overview and serves as a starting point for you to understand DAS and get started with the data. It was written by SM ECS members Ana Nap and Katinka Tuinstra. By now, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a pretty widely kn ...[Read More]

SSP

Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Palaeontology

Offshore Gaza: gas in deep-water sedimentary reservoir rocks as another element in the conflict

Ramon Lopez December 1, 2023

The conflict between the Israeli state and the Palestinian people revolves not only around the control of land but also extends to the ocean, particularly the sedimentary rocks beneath the seafloor (see oil and natural gas fields in the region in Figure 1). This article aims to analyse the geological aspect, specifically sedimentary rocks with hydrocarbon reservoir potential offshore the Gaza Stri ...[Read More]

GD

Geodynamics

Geodynamica: Earth & Planets – a new diamond open access journal!

Geodynamica Core Team December 1, 2023

Do you want to publish and access papers for free? Do you want to improve the system by promoting equitable publishing alternatives? Then read on to learn about Geodynamica: Earth & Planets: a new community-powered Diamond Open Access Journal (DOAJ)! Join the conversation on discord by following this link. Diamond Open What? Diamond Open Access journals are peer-reviewed journals that are free ...[Read More]

SM

Seismology

State of the ECS: wrapping up 2023!

EGU Seismology ECS Team December 1, 2023

We are glad to open our seismology advent calendar with this blog! Welcome to the State of the ECS, where our ECS members reflect on the year. Hello! Katinka here, writing from a snowy Zürich. Days are shorter, many layers of clothes are needed, and the last scientific effort before Christmas is being pushed for, because 2023 is ending! We as ECS have had a wonderful year, and I’m so ...[Read More]

TS

Tectonics and Structural Geology

TS Must-Read – Bond et al. (2007) What do you think this is? “Conceptual uncertainty” in geoscience interpretation

The Must-read team December 1, 2023

The Must-Read paper by Bond et al. (2007) is a truly original piece of work, focusing on the conceptual uncertainty that occurs when earth scientists carry out a geological interpretation on data with limited resolution and/or spatial coverage. In this example it is about an interpretation of seismic reflection data (Fig. 1), but it can be applied to other situations as well. Conceptual uncertaint ...[Read More]