GeoLog

Natural Hazards

GeoSciences Column: Don’t throw out that diary – medieval journals reveal the secret of lightning

December 8, 2017
GeoSciences Column: Don’t throw out that diary – medieval journals reveal the secret of lightning
‘Lightning Below the Summit’, 36 Views of Mt Fuji, Hokusai c. 1830 (Wikimedia Commons)

When 17th century Japanese princess Shinanomiya Tsuneko took note of an afternoon storm in her diary one humid Kyoto summer, she could not have imagined her observations would one day help resolve a longstanding scientific conundrum. Statistical analysis of her journals has revealed a link between lightning strikes and the solar wind – proving that your teenage diary could contain good scien ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: A spectacular view of moss-covered rocks

November 20, 2017
Imaggeo on Mondays: A spectacular view of moss-covered rocks
Isle of Skye cliff coast . Credit: Marius Ulm (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Geology has shaped the rugged landscape of the Isle of Skye – the largest island of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides archipelago. From the very old Precambrian rocks (approximately 2.8 billion years old) in the south of the island, through to the mighty glaciers which covered much of Scotland as recently as 14,700 years ago, the modestly-sized island provides a snap-shot through Earth’s dynamic his ...[Read More]

GeoPolicy: COP23 – key updates and outcomes

November 17, 2017
GeoPolicy: COP23 – key updates and outcomes
Rwanda's Delegation to the COP23 UN Climate Talks in Bonn, Germany. Credit: Ministry of Environment - Rwanda (distributed via Flickr).

What is COP23? Anthropogenic climate change is threatening life on this planet as we know it. It’s a global issue… and not one that is easily solved. The Conference of the Parties (COP) provides world leaders, policy workers, scientists and industry leaders with the space to share ideas and decide on how to tackle climate change and generate global transformative change. COP23 will predominantly f ...[Read More]