Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology

March GeoRoundUp: the best of the Earth sciences from around the web

Laura Roberts-Artal March 31, 2017

Coral bleaching in the Maldives captured by The Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview Survey in May 2016. Credit: he Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview Survey / Richard Vevers.

Drawing inspiration from popular stories on our social media channels, as well as unique and quirky research news, this monthly column aims to bring you the best of the Earth and planetary sciences from around the web. Major story While the March headlines might not have been dominated by a particular story, the state of the Earth’s climate has definitely been the overarching theme of the month. ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Lava highway in Kanaga Island

Laura Roberts-Artal March 20, 2017

Lava highway in Kanaga Island (Western Aleutians, Alaska). Credit: Mattia Pistone (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

On a rare sunny day, Mattia Pistone (a researcher at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC) was able to capture this spectacular shot of Kanaga, a stratovolcano in the remote Western Aleutians, which is usually veiled by thick cloud. The Western Aleutians form a chain of 14 large and 55 small volcanic islands, belonging to one of the most extended volcanic archipelagos on Earth (1900 km), s ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: harnessing Earth’s inner heat

Laura Roberts-Artal February 27, 2017

Leirhnjúkur area near Myvatn lake. Credit: Chiara Arrighi (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

Iceland, the land of ice and fire, is well known for its volcanicity. Most famously, it is home to Eyjafjallajökull: the volcano which caused wide spread mayhem across European airspace when it erupted in 2010. But not all the local volcanic activity is unwelcome. High temperature geothermal areas are a byproduct of the volcanic setting and the energy released can be used to power homes and infras ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Life on bare lava

Katja Laute January 30, 2017

Life on a baren rock. Credit: Katja Laute (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

There are plenty of hostile habitats across the globe but some flora and fauna species are resourceful enough to adapt and make extreme environments their home. From heat-loving ants of the Sahara to microbes living in the light-deprived ocean depths, through to beatles who brave the bitterly cold Alaskan winter, there are numerous examples of plants, animals and bugs who strive in environments of ...[Read More]