Regular Features

January GeoRoundup: the best of the Earth sciences from across the web

Chloe Hill January 31, 2018

State of the Global Climate 2017. Credit: World Meteorological Organization (WMO) (distributed via https://public.wmo.int/).

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 The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2017 is among the three warmest years on record. The three years with the highest temperature on record ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Snow folded by advancing lava

Eva Eibl January 29, 2018

Snow folded by advancing lava . Credit: Eva Eibl (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

The photograph shows the interaction of the first snow and an active lava flow during the 2014 / 2015 Holuhraun eruption in Iceland. The first snow fell onto a ground covered by fine black ash on 26 September 2014. While the meter thick lava flow advanced a few meters per day, it neither melted the snow nor flowed on top of it. Instead, it pushed a layer of centimetre-thick snow and millimetre-thi ...[Read More]

Geopolicy: How does scientific uncertainty translate into policy?

Chloe Hill January 26, 2018

Direction and uncertainty. Credit: Elis Alves (distributed via Flickr).

Scientific uncertainty is one of the only things in science that is certain. It’s found in complex modelling systems, in the unpredictability of natural processes and even when there seems to be scientific consensus, a new scientific discovery can recreate ambiguity. But how do policymakers deal with scientific uncertainty when they are making decisions? Policymakers deal with and use scientific u ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Decreasing Moon

Bárbara Ferreira January 22, 2018

Decreasing Moon – seen from Hamburg. Credit: Wolfgang Fraedrich, (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

This picture shows the decreasing Moon on May 6, 2015, two days after the full Moon, as viewed from Hamburg, Germany. There are still 96.4% of the lunar front illuminated. The Moon does not glow on its own, but its surface reflects the sunlight. The Sun always illuminates a complete half of our natural satellite, which, in its orbit around our planet, always turns its face (which we see at full Mo ...[Read More]