The blue ice areas of Antarctica are one of the most fascinating parts of the ice sheet. In these regions, snowfall is so low that the ice is laid bare by the wind and consequently sublimates. This exposes beautiful, blue ice surfaces, like an ocean frozen in time. This picture was taken at a site named “Windy Corner” by the Kottas Mountains, in the northernmost part of the Heimefrontf ...[Read More]
A new study combining satellite observations and model simulations shows that clouds increase meltwater runoff in Greenland by one-third compared to a cloud-free scenario. Precipitation effects not considered, clouds above the Greenland ice sheet reduce its Surface Mass Balance (SMB) [red in figure] compared to clear-sky conditions [blue in figure]. Because clouds trap the outgoing radiation from ...[Read More]
Is this concept bed taking earthquake-safety to the next level? The fact is that an earthquake can happen at any time of day. Unfortunately, the reality is that many die trapped under the rubble of their own homes. The featured beds (shown here via YouTube) show various earthquake-proof bed designs. The beds have strong metal structures that enclose when an earthquake strikes. In case of a buildin ...[Read More]
Communicating with the public is increasingly an issue for geoscientists both in research and in industry, but how do we deal with communicating those aspects of our work that are controversial? Many scientists shy away from those issues that are likely to draw the attention of an angry public, because, quite reasonably, they don’t want to be attacked for just doing their job. But these controvers ...[Read More]
Within the scientific community, it is common practice that the peer-review process for a submitted article to a journal is kept anonymous. That is, only the journal Editor selects (and knows) who the referees are, usually three. This is also known as single-blind review. One of the main reason behind this custom is to allow the referees give genuine feedback, without fear of causing any personal ...[Read More]
December 2014, 11:50 p.m., the sun licks the horizon on Derwael ice rise; It’s time to go back to the tent … The shot was taken during the 2014 IceCon Field campaign in East Antarctica (read Brice’s blog post telllling about his first journey to Antarctica). Here, you can also read about the 2016 field season of the IceCon project, which started just a few days ago.
As many return to their desks to continue on their research, take note of these imminent deadlines for the upcoming European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2016. Wednesday 13th of January: EGU2016 call for papers (open until 13:00 CET). Submit your short course ideas. Early Career Scientists are encouraged to run their own short courses either as individuals or as a group. Short courses are us ...[Read More]
The Energy Resources and Environment Division of the EGU are looking to appoint an Early Career Scientist (ECS) representative in 2016. ECS make up a significant proportion of the EGU membership and it’s important to us that their voices are heard. ECS representatives are the link between the Union and its ECS membership. They give a voice to early career researchers and ensure their needs are met ...[Read More]
Christmas greetings from people at Rothera Research Station, Adelaide Island, Antarctica. Rothera, which is the British Antarctic Survey’s largest base in Antarctica, is a centre for marine biology and gateway for getting scientists into their deep field camps. Christmas Day is a regular working day for the staff of around 90. However the chefs will be getting everyone into the festive spiri ...[Read More]
Summer time as an early career geochemist can mean many things, to some it is vacation time, to others it is field season, and yet for others it is time to enroll in a summer school. ECORD, the European Consortium for Ocean Drilling, offers at least one summer school a year. If you work with foraminifera you may be familiar with the Urbino Summer School in Paleoclimatology, sorry to disappoint, bu ...[Read More]
