Regular Features

GeoTalk: Using satellites to unravel the secrets of our planet’s polar regions

Laura Roberts-Artal December 16, 2016

The Cryosat satellite

Geotalk is a regular feature highlighting early career researchers and their work. In this interview we speak to Bert Wouters, a polar scientist at the University of Utrecht, and winner of one of the 2016 Arne Richter Awards for Outstanding Young Scientists. At a time when the polar regions are facing increasing challenges resulting from climate change, understanding how they might respond to them ...[Read More]

GeoPolicy: A new vehicle emissions test to be introduced, say EU’s top scientists

Sarah Connors December 14, 2016

Credit: John H. White, 1945-, Photographer (NARA record: 4002141) (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). Distributed via wikicommons.

Last year the European Commission appointed a panel of world leading scientists to advise on key science policy issues. In November, the panel issued their first recommendation report focusing on CO2 vehicle emissions. The month’s GeoPolicy post takes a closer look at this high-level advisory panel and the recommendations they have published. In 2015, the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) w ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: “Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!”

Laura Roberts-Artal December 12, 2016

Mount St Helen's, Washington, seen from Johnston Ridge.

Mount St Helen's, Washington. Credit: Andy Smedley (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

On May 18th 1980 Mount St Helens (an active stratovolcano of the Cascades located in the North West US), erupted explosively following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake. The quake triggered a devastating landslide which swept away the volcano’s northern flank – in what is the largest debris avalanche recorded on Earth to date. Removal of a section of the edifice depressurised the volcano’s magmatic ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: The shrinking of Earth’s saltiest lake

Laura Roberts-Artal December 5, 2016

One of the consequences of the rapid fall of the water level (>1 m per year), is that vast areas of salt-rich ground of the shrunken Dead Sea are prone to strong dissolution and mechanical erosion of the subsurface processes.

Submarine springs at the Dead Sea shoreline. Credit: Djamil Al-Halbouni and Dr. Eoghan Holohan (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest lakes on Earth, located at the lowest point of the globe. For centuries it has been known for the restorative powers of its muds and waters. Their hypersalinity means it is possible to easily float on the lake’s surface. Bordering Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, it is a unique environment in an otherwise arid region. Changing climate, which is seeing tempera ...[Read More]