Biogeosciences

A geoscience reality check on World Biofuels Day

Asmae Ourkiya August 10, 2026

Photo by Peter Leth. Source: Unsplash

On a humid morning in Augsburg, Germany, on August 10, 1893, a ten-foot iron cylinder roared to life for the first time. The engine belonged to Sir Rudolf Diesel, and running through its veins was not the petroleum distillate we associate with his name today, but in fact, peanut oil! Diesel’s early experiment proved something revolutionary for the late Industrial Revolution: the engines driving hu ...[Read More]

Mangroves at the edge: Coastal ecosystems in a year of climate extremes

Guilherme Abuchahla July 24, 2026

Mangroves, Kilim Geological park Penang, Malaysia Photo credit: Dr. Asmae Ourkiya. Source: Imaggeo

This Sunday, July 26, marks the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. We are currently experiecing critical crossroads globally, where groundbreaking data on global forest recovery collides with the immediate threats of an escalating climate crisis.El Niño is pushing Pacific sea surface temperatures toward levels that rank among the highest on record, and climate specia ...[Read More]

More than meets the eye: What can we learn from non-visual science

Manuela Gialanella May 7, 2026

Tracy Arm, the Alaskan fjord where a massive tsunami took place in the summer of 2025. Credits: Stephen Hicks, University College London.

Many people exhibit a strong visual orientation, as a significant portion of human neurobiology is dedicated to processing light; however, this reliance is usually as much a product of our visually-centered environments as it is our biology. Science, however, reminds us that important information can come from different senses as well: sound, smell and tactile information all have something to say ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: Meet Soil Microbiologist and Early Career Scientist Biogeosceinces Representative, Elsa Abs!

Simon Clark February 6, 2026

Hello Elsa & welcome to GeoTalk! Before we dig deeper, could you introduce yourself to our readers? Hi! I’m Elsa (they/them). I’m a microbiologist/biogeochemist, and I just started a permanent position at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) one month ago. I work with one PhD student, Elisa Richard, and two postdocs, Mathilde Bourreau and Thomas Cortier, on my ERC Starting ...[Read More]