Tidal flats, the muddy reaches of estuaries unveiled at low tide, support rich ecosystems and fisheries worldwide. But these habitats are under threat from climate change, as sea level rise overwhelms the landscape and heavy rainfall scours away the sediment – impacts that scientists are only just beginning to explore. In an effort to understand …[Read More]
EGU Scientific Divisions
GeoTalk: meet Christina Orieschnig, hydrologist and science communicator!
Hello Christina! Welcome to GeoTalk. Before we dive in, could you introduce yourself to our readers? Hey everyone! I’m a researcher at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) in Montpellier in the South of France. For my work, I specialise in remote sensing and hydrological modelling, with study areas in Cambodia, Tunisia, and …[Read More]
How 40 years of Viking missions decoded the Universe’s most misbehaving matter
In a couple of days, on 22 February, we will mark a major milestone in space history: 40 years since the launch of the first Swedish Viking satellite, when an Ariane rocket from Kourou in French-occupied Guiana launched on 22 February 1986! While the general public might hear the word Viking and picture longboats, heavy …[Read More]
GeoTalk: Meet Marie Cavitte, policy officer for the Cryosphere Division, member of the EGU Climate Hazards Task Force, former Blue Book trainee
Welcome, Marie! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers? Hi, my name is Marie Cavitte. I’m a glaciologist and climatologist with a passion for the polar regions. I spent 10 years studying Antarctica. I started off during my Masters, then PhD, looking at the oldest ice on Earth, hunting for THE region of the …[Read More]
McMurdo Sound’s 70th anniversary: An expedition journal by Julia Martin
It was October 28, 2022 around 3 p.m. Fascinated by the majestic white snow-covered mountain caps, deep-blue sea ice cracks and light-blue pressure ridges, I gently press my nose against the cold double-glassed window of the Royal New Zealand 757. The tires smoothly touch the ground, and the warm voice of the flight attendant fills …[Read More]
International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Reflections from seismologist Simona Gabrielli
Hello you, and happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! My name is Simona Gabrielli, and I am a researcher at the INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy), where I study seismic attenuation (in other words: how earthquakes lose energy while passing through rocks), to understand the presence of fractures and …[Read More]
GeoTalk: Meet Soil Microbiologist and Early Career Scientist Biogeosceinces Representative, Elsa Abs!
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 …[Read More]
Geoscientific perspectives on global wetland systems: Between traditional knowledge and cultural heritage
Today marks World Wetlands Day, and this year, the theme is Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage. Each year, February 2 is a day dedicated to recognising wetlands as places that store carbon, protect water, and hold complex cultural meaning. Wetlands such as mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass beds, peatlands, and floodplains are extremely good …[Read More]
Challenger: the lessons of a teacher who never reached space
Humankind’s development is often associated with facing challenges. The original ideas required to solve new problems keep pushing the power of human creation towards more sophisticated and practical solutions. However, part of the excitement of any challenge comes from the dangers of trying something that nobody has accomplished before. An example of technological advances driven …[Read More]
Jacobus Kapteyn at 175: Still expanding our cosmic horizon
January 19th marked the 175th birthday of Dutch astronomer Jacobus Kapteyn. His work and legacy had a profound yet subtle impact on the astronomical community and our understanding of the cosmos. His lasting contributions and methodologies continue to be refined and provide the foundation for ongoing astronomical research and discoveries. After he completed his studies, …[Read More]