General Assembly

EGU announces 2018 awards and medals

Laura Roberts-Artal October 10, 2017

Some of last year's ECS awardees with the EGU President and Vice-President at the EGU 2017 Awards Ceremony (Credit: EGU/Foto Pfluegl).

From 8th to the 14th October a number of countries across the globe celebrate Earth Science Week, so it is a fitting time to celebrate the exceptional work of Earth, planetary and space scientist around the world. Yesterday, the EGU announced the 49 recipients of next year’s Union Medals and Awards, Division Medals, and Division Outstanding Early Career Scientists Awards. The aim of the awards is ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: The anomaly in the Earth’s magnetic field which has geophysicists abuzz

Laura Roberts-Artal September 21, 2017

The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA, the large red area in the image) is a dip in the Earth's magnetic field which allows cosmic rays, and charged particles to reach lower into the atmosphere. This interferes with communication with satellites, aircraft, and the Space Shuttle. While there are theories as to why this occurs, the geologic origin is not yet known. The data were collected by the South Atlantic Anomaly Detector (SAAD) aboard ROSAT. It consists of 10 cm² of Germanium and served as a particle background monitor. The SAAD was used to "safe" the PSPC if rates became too high. Source: ROSAT SAA Guest Observer Facility (NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre) . Credit: S. L. Snowden

Geotalk is a regular feature highlighting early career researchers and their work. In this interview we speak to Jay Shah, a PhD student at Imperial College London, who is investigating the South Atlantic Anomaly, a patch over the South Atlantic where the Earth’s magnetic field is weaker than elsewhere on the globe. He presented some of his recent findings at the 2017 General Assembly. First, coul ...[Read More]

Educators: apply now to take part in the 2018 GIFT workshop!

Laura Roberts-Artal September 13, 2017

Summer on the Northern Hemisphere . Credit: European MSG satellite/EUMETSAT/M. Reuter (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

The General Assembly is not only for researchers but for teachers and educators with an interest in the geosciences also. Every year the Geosciences Information For Teachers (GIFT) is organised by the EGU Committee on Education to bring first class science closer to primary and high school teachers. The topic of the 2018 edition of GIFT is ‘Major events that shaped the Earth’. This year’s workshop ...[Read More]

Academia is not the only route: exploring alternative career options for Earth scientists

Laura Roberts-Artal September 6, 2017

The straight line career plan may no longer be a realistic expectation for undergraduates. The straight ring . Credit: Jerome Mayaud (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

With more PhD and postdoc positions than there are tenured posts, landing a permanent job in academia is increasingly challenging. For some, years of funding and position uncertainty, coupled with having to relocate regularly is an unwelcome prospect. A changing job market also means that aspiring to the traditional, linear career path might be an unrealistic expectation. Skills acquired by those ...[Read More]