Regular Features

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

Laura Roberts-Artal March 1, 2017

A size comparison of the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system, lined up in order of increasing distance from their host star. The planetary surfaces are portrayed with an artist’s impression of their potential surface features, including water, ice, and atmospheres. Comparing the TRAPPIST-1 planets. Credit:NASA/R. Hurt/T. Pyle

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 story Undoubtedly the story of the month is the discovery of a star system of seven Earth-sized planets just 40 light-years away from our own. What makes the finding so excit ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: harnessing Earth’s inner heat

Laura Roberts-Artal February 27, 2017

Leirhnjúkur area near Myvatn lake. Credit: Chiara Arrighi (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

Iceland, the land of ice and fire, is well known for its volcanicity. Most famously, it is home to Eyjafjallajökull: the volcano which caused wide spread mayhem across European airspace when it erupted in 2010. But not all the local volcanic activity is unwelcome. High temperature geothermal areas are a byproduct of the volcanic setting and the energy released can be used to power homes and infras ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: a storm is coming

Laura Roberts-Artal February 20, 2017

A storm is coming . Credit: Nadine Hoffmann (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

Coastlines globally are immensely diverse: from the beautifully topical and sun kissed beaches of the Caribbean, to the wet and misty British coastline, through to the raw and wild Alaskan shores, they are home to scores of flora and fauna; rich habitats shaped by powerful forces of nature. In stark contrast, some coastlines, (28,000 km worldwide to be precise) are dry almost barren places, where ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: America’s dead sea

Jennifer Ziesch February 13, 2017

America's Dead Sea: The Great Salt Lake . Credit: Jennifer Ziesch (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

On the blog today, Jennifer Ziesch, a researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, takes us on a tour of the Great Salt Lake, located in the north of Salt Lake City (Utah). Did you know it is one of the largest salt water lakes in the world? The large salt lake and Salt Lake City, named after the lake, lie on a flat plain about 1300 m above sea level. The salt lake is bordered to th ...[Read More]