Our neighbouring planet Venus is gaining popularity in the terrestrial planetary sciences, especially since the selection of three new Venus missions by NASA and ESA in 2021. Now, for the first time ever, scientists have directly observed surface changes that indicate active volcanism on Venus. This discovery was made with data from NASA’s 30-year-old Magellan mission and is only a small preview f ...[Read More]
Today is the World Water Day, held every year on 22 March since 1993 to celebrate water and to raise awareness of the lack of access to safe water for a large part of the world population. It is also the start of the UN 2023 WATER CONFERENCE (22-24 March), “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite the world around solving the water and sanitation crisis” (citation from World Water Day). I am th ...[Read More]
We started a new series where we interview past Vening-Meinesz medalists about her view and role as a women in science. So far, we have talked with Anny Cazenave and Véronique Dehant, the first and second Vening-Meinesz medalists. Only two years after Véronique Dehant, Martine Feissel-Vernier received the prestigious Vening-Meinesz medal in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments in ...[Read More]
If you Google Pineapple Express you’re likely to end-up with a stoner movie comedy, but for those who live on the West Coast of North America, it has an entirely different meaning. Pineapple Express is a weather phenomenon that refers to a strong atmospheric river that brings heavy rain and moisture to the region. Despite the shared name, the two Pineapple Expresses couldn’t be more di ...[Read More]
Have you ever wondered what dark secrets the Arctic sea ice holds during the harsh winter months? Imagine total darkness in the central Arctic, making it almost impossible to gather scientific information. At this time of the year, usually only satellite observations are available. This changed in September 2019 when a team of scientists collected in situ and airborne data in the central Arctic as ...[Read More]
Large coronal loops around one solar radius in altitude are an important connection between the solar wind and the low solar corona. However, their plasma properties are not well studied, as standard X-ray and UV techniques are not suited to these low-density environments. How does temperature, pressure, and magnetic field strength evolve along these loops? Observable structures in radio emission ...[Read More]
Are you a scientist, researcher, student, practitioner, or stakeholder with an interest in the complex phenomenon of drought and its impacts on societies and ecosystems? If so, we have exciting news for you! The IAHS Panta Rhei scientific decade (2013-2023) working group “Drought in the Anthropocene” (DitA) is advertising an inter-journal special issue entitled “Drought, Society and Ecosystems” to ...[Read More]
We are living in an anisotropic world. From rock-building crystals, ice, and trees growing in your garden to your favourite slice of cake many materials or objects has some anisotropic behaviour. What does this mean? Anisotropy (non-isotropy) implies that a material property depends on the direction of the measurement. In geodynamics we often talk about seismic anisotropy, originating from microsc ...[Read More]
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has just announced that the La Niña episode has officially ended, and from autumn onwards, it should give way to an El Niño phase. But what does that mean? And what is the influence of these weather phenomena on global warming?For those who have never heard of La Niña before, here’s an explanation of this phenomenon. The Earth rotates, so there are ...[Read More]
A few weeks ago we talked with Anny Cazenave, the first Vening-Meinesz medallist, about her view on being a women in science. But, she wasn’t the only influential women in Geodesy that received the Vening-Meinesz medal from the EGU. In 2003, Véronique Dehant was awarded with the Vening-Meinesz medal in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the study of nutations of the Earth ...[Read More]
