Picture a volcano, like the one you learned about in primary school. Can you see it? Is it a big rocky mountain, perhaps with a bubbling pool of lava at the top? Is it perched above a chasm of subterranean molten rock? I bet you didn’t picture this: You’d be forgiven for mistaking these small volcanoes for a scene from the Lord of the Rings, or maybe a grassy version of the surface of Mars (in fac ...[Read More]
NASA’s InSight mission: detecting ‘earthquakes*’ on the surface of Mars
In three days’ time, NASA’s InSight Lander is expected to plunge through Mars’ atmosphere before parachuting down to a controlled landing on the flat plains of the Elysium Planitia. Once the dust has settled, a solar powered robotic arm will painstakingly unload the precious instruments stored onboard onto the planet’s surface, carefully guided by scientists back on Earth. These instruments are de ...[Read More]
NASA’s Juno mission reveals Jupiter’s magnetic field greatly differs from Earth’s
NASA scientists have revealed surprising new information about Jupiter’s magnetic field from data gathered by their space probe, Juno. Unlike earth’s magnetic field, which is symmetrical in the North and South Poles, Jupiter’s magnetic field has startlingly different magnetic signatures at the two poles. The information has been collected as part of the Juno program, NASA’s latest mission to unrav ...[Read More]
What’s on in Vienna this weekend
The General Assembly has come to an end, with only a few hours left to go. Many of the participants will make their way home over the weekend, but if you’ve chosen to stay on for a little longer, then this list of cultural activities and things to do in Vienna might just be the ticket! Relax with Vienna’s best coffee You can’t visit Vienna without going for a coffee and a slice of Sacher torte in ...[Read More]
EGU geoscientists are out of this world!
Space science has always been an exciting relative of the geosciences, and so it may come as no surprise that the woman who could become Germany’s first female astronaut attended the EGU General Assembly this year. Insa Thiele-Eich has made it to the final of Germany’s ‘Die Astronautin’ competition, which intends to send a German female astronaut to the International Space Station for a ten day re ...[Read More]
Conversations on being a woman in Geoscience
While at this year’s General Assembly in Vienna, Keri McNamara, one of the EGU’s press assistants, spoke to a number of female geoscientists (at different career stages), to get their perspective on what being a female in geosciences is like. At this year’s EGU General Assembly I decided to construct a blog out of conversations I had with several women in geoscience, to learn about the ...[Read More]
Heat waves in cities getting worse under climate change
The effects of climate change are being felt all over the world but towns and cities are feeling most hot-under-the collar, a new study finds. Cities are usually warmer than their surroundings due to the urban heat island effect where artificial surfaces absorb more heat than their natural counterparts. Coupled with the loss of the shady effects of trees, urban areas regularly record the hottest t ...[Read More]
In Vienna for the weekend? Here’s a taste of what’s on offer…
The General Assembly has come to an end, with only a few days left to go. Many of the participants will make their way home over the weekend, but if you’ve chosen to stay on for a little longer, then this list of cultural activities and things to do in Vienna might just be the ticket! Liechtenstein Castle and Seegrotte Mines Take a train to Mödling and take a bus to visit the former residence of t ...[Read More]