GeoLog

Ocean Sciences

Imaggeo on Mondays: Isolated atoll

September 25, 2017
Imaggeo on Mondays: Isolated atoll
Isolated . Credit: Fulvia Favaro (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Covering a total area of 298 km², the idylic natural atolls and reefs of the Maldives stretch across the Indian Ocean. The tropical nation is famous for it’s crystal clear waters and picture perfect white sand beaches, but how did the 26 ring-shaped atolls and over 1000 coral islands form? Coral reefs commonly form immediately around an island, creating a fringe which projects seawards from the sh ...[Read More]

GeoSciences Column: Catch of the day – what seabirds can tell us about the marine environment

September 22, 2017
GeoSciences Column: Catch of the day – what seabirds can tell us about the marine environment
An adult northern gannet mid-flight . Credit: Andreas Trepte , distributed via Wikimedia Commons .

Off the coast of Germany, a male northern gannet (for ease, we’ll call him Pete) soars above the cold waters of the North Sea. He’s on the hunt for a shoal of fish. Some 40km due south east, Pete’s mate and chick await, patiently, for him to return to the nest with a belly full of food. Glints of silver just below the waves; the fish have arrived. Pete readies himself. Body rigid, wings tucked in ...[Read More]

Is it an earthquake, a nuclear test or a hurricane? How seismometers help us understand the world we live in

September 8, 2017
Is it an earthquake, a nuclear test or a hurricane? How seismometers help us understand the world we live in
Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose (R) and Hurricane Katia (L) are pictured in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Nexico in this September 7, 2017 NOAA satellite handout photo. Credit: NOAA

Although traditionally used to study earthquakes, like today’s M 8.1 in Mexico,  seismometers have now become so sophisticated they are able to detect the slightest ground movements; whether they come from deep within the bowels of the planet or are triggered by events at the surface. But how, exactly, do earthquake scientists decipher the signals picked up by seismometers across the world? And mo ...[Read More]

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

September 1, 2017
August GeoRoundUp: the best of the Earth sciences from around the web
The International Space Station orbited over Hurricane Harvey and photographed the storm bearing down on the Texas coast. Credit: NASA.

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 Stories On August 25th Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the southern coast of the U.S.A, bringing record breaking rainfall, widespread flooding and a natural disaster on a ...[Read More]