Geosciences Column

Geosciences Column: Is it possible to quantify the effect of natural emissions on climate?

Laura Roberts-Artal November 14, 2014

Aerosols over hurricane Irene, (Credit: Nir Benmoshe, via imaggeo.egu.eu).

The air we breathe is full of tiny particles that can have a big impact on our climate. Industrial activities have greatly increased the number of these particles, cooling the climate and potentially offsetting some of the warming due to greenhouse gases. In this post Kirsty Pringle introduces new research that suggests that it might not be possible to quantify the effect of industrial emissions o ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: Adapting to acidification, scientists add another piece to the puzzle

Laura Roberts-Artal September 12, 2014

In the latest Geosciences Column Sara Mynott sheds light on recent research into how ocean acidification is affecting the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. The findings, published in Biogeosciences, reveal large differences between the abilities of different animals to adapt and highlight the urgent need to understand the way a greater suite of species are responding… Large Marine Ecosyst ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: The Toba eruption probably did have a global effect after all

Sara Mynott July 25, 2014

Almost everyone has heard of the Toba super-eruption, which took place on the island of Sumatra roughly 74,000 years ago, but the only evidence of tephra or tuff (volcanic fragments) from the eruption is in Asia, with nothing definite further afield. It has sometimes been thought that this huge eruption may have led to a volcanic winter, a period of at least several years of low temperatures follo ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: From the desolate to the diverse, a story of volcanic succession

Sara Mynott July 18, 2014

When a volcano erupts and spews lava onto the surrounding terrain, it is merciless in its destruction. All that is green on the land is engulfed in flame, or buried by an insurmountable mass of molten rock. Whatever charred remains of what lies beneath it will not see the light of day once the lava cools, turning the landscape into a barren black mass of solid basalt. But volcanoes around the worl ...[Read More]