Biogeosciences

Imaggeo on Mondays: The unique bogs of Patagonia

Klaus-Holger Knorr October 9, 2017

Oceanic ombrotrophic peatland at the Seno Skyring Fjord, Patagonia, Chile . Credit: Klaus-Holger Knorr (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

Patagonia, the region in southernmost tip of South America, is as diverse as it is vast. Divided by the Andes, the arid steppes, grasslands and deserts of Argentina give way to the temperate rainforests, fjords and glaciers of Chile. Also on the Chilean side are rolling hills and valleys of marshy topography: Patagonia’s bogs. Today, Klaus-Holger Knorr, a researcher at the University of Münster’s ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Measuring the wind direction

Laura Roberts-Artal October 2, 2017

Measuring the wind direction. Credit: Andrew Moss (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

Remote, rugged, raw and beautiful beyond measure, the island of South Georgia rises from the wild waters of the South Atlantic, 1300 km south east of the Falkland Islands. The Allardyce Range rises imposingly, south of Cumberland Bay, dominating the central part of the island. At its highest, it towers 2935 m (Mount Paget) above the surrounding landscape. In the region of 150 glaciers carve their ...[Read More]

Record-setting forest fires in 2017 – what is to blame?

Robert Emberson September 28, 2017

Styggkärret reserve burning fire . Credit: Ylvers , distributed via Pixabay .

Forest fires have once again seized the public consciousness in both Europe and North America. Extreme drought and temperatures contributed to a tinderbox in many forests, and have led to deadly fires across Europe and record-breaking, highly disruptive fires in the USA and Canada, from where I’m currently writing. A simple way to understand fire is by thinking about the fire triangle – the three ...[Read More]

GeoSciences Column: Catch of the day – what seabirds can tell us about the marine environment

Laura Roberts-Artal September 22, 2017

An adult northern gannet mid-flight . Credit: Andreas Trepte , distributed via Wikimedia Commons .

Off the coast of Germany, a male northern gannet (for ease, we’ll call him Pete) soars above the cold waters of the North Sea. He’s on the hunt for a shoal of fish. Some 40km due south east, Pete’s mate and chick await, patiently, for him to return to the nest with a belly full of food. Glints of silver just below the waves; the fish have arrived. Pete readies himself. Body rigid, wings tucked in ...[Read More]