EGU Scientific Divisions

Geosciences Column: The Oldest Eurypterid

David Marshall September 1, 2015

Artists reconstruction of Pentecopterus decorahensis in the Ordovician seas of what is now Iowa, USA. Image by Patrick Lynch.

The name of a newly found fossil of sea scorpion draws inspiration from ancient Greece warships and is a unique example of exceptional preservation, shedding light on the rich life of this bygone sea critter, explains David Marshall of Palaeocast fame. To learn more about the importance of giving new fossils names and what Pentecopterus decorahensis (as the new fossil is formally called) teaches u ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Mola de Lord

Laura Roberts-Artal August 31, 2015

Mola de Lord . Credit: Sarah Weick (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

From the easterly Atlantic waters of the Bay of Biscay to the Catalan wild coast (Costa Brava) in the west, the Spanish Pyrenees stretch 430 km across the north of the country. At the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees you’ll find the Pre-Pyrenees. Despite not reaching the soaring heights of the peaks of the Pyrenees, they nonetheless offer important insights into the geology of the range and stunn ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Dragon Blood Tree

Laura Roberts-Artal August 24, 2015

Dracaena Cinnabari [Dragon Blood Tree, Socotra, Yemen] . Credit: Annalisa Molini (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

On a small and isolated island in the Indian Ocean you’ll find an endemic population of Dragon Blood Trees (Dracaena cinnabari). Burly, with an interesting umbrella-shaped fractal canopy, these unique trees are a sight to behold. To see them for yourself, you’ll have to travel to the little known Socotra archipelago. Off the coast of Somalia, but belonging to Yemen, the group of islands boast an i ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: What made the comet sing?

Bárbara Ferreira August 19, 2015

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 31 January 2015, at the time when it was still singing. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM

Late last year the Rosetta’s Plasma Consortium (RPC) announced that Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft has been studying since August 2014, was singing into space. Now, in a paper published today in the EGU’s open access journal Annales Geophysicae, the RPC team reveals more details about 67P’s song, including why the comet was singing. The sounds ...[Read More]