Geosciences Column

Geosciences Column: Recent and future changes in the Greenland Ice Sheet

Laura Roberts-Artal June 5, 2015

Greenland ice sheet. Credit: Andrew Sole (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu )

Over the past few decades, the Arctic region has warmed more than any other on Earth. The Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass faster than ever before, and is expected to keep melting with consequences for global sea-level rise and ocean circulation. At a media briefing, during the EGU’s General Assembly in April (stream it here), researchers presented new results on the factors that influence the G ...[Read More]

Floods and droughts set to increase due to climate change

Laura Roberts-Artal April 29, 2015

Shrinking Wadi Sediments. Credit: Vincent Felde (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

The planet is set to encounter a record-level amount of floods and droughts by 2050 – researchers recently announced at the European Geosciences Union’s General Assembly in Vienna. Nikita Marwaha shares their predictions on the impact that climate change will have on these extreme weather conditions. In a study by the Joint Research Centre (JRS) – the European Commission’s in-house science service ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: The quest for life on Mars

Laura Roberts-Artal February 20, 2015

Jarosite deposits on Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Understanding where we come from and whether Earth is the only habitable planet in the Solar System has been a long standing conundrum in science. Partly because it is our nearest neighbour, partly because of its past and current similarities with our own home, Mars, the red planet, is a likely contender in the quest for extra-terrestrial life. In this guest blog post, James Lewis, a PhD student a ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: Fire in ice – the history of boreal forest fires told by Greenland ice cores.

Laura Roberts-Artal February 13, 2015

Burning of biomass contributes a significant amount of greenhouses gases to the atmosphere, which in turn influences regional air quality and global climate. Since the advent of humans, there has been a significant increase in the amount of biomass burning, particularly after the industrial revolution. What might not be immediately obvious is that, (naturally occurring) fires also play a part in e ...[Read More]