GeoLog

Space and Planetary Sciences

April GeoRoundUp: the best of the Earth sciences from the 2018 General Assembly

May 4, 2018
April GeoRoundUp: the best of the Earth sciences from the 2018 General Assembly
Scientists present research findings at a press conference at the 2018 General Assembly (Credit: EGU / Keri McNamara)

The 2018 General Assembly took place in Vienna last month, drawing more than 15,000 participants from 106 countries. This month’s GeoRoundUp will focus on some of the unique and interesting stories that came out of research presented at the Assembly. Mystery solved The World War II battleship Tirpitz was the largest vessel in the German navy, stationed primarily off the Norwegian coastline as a fo ...[Read More]

How to make a planet habitable

April 11, 2018
How to make a planet habitable
The surface of Venus - a static lithosphere, known as a stagnant lid. Credit: NASA.

Exoplanets without plate tectonics could harbour life, contrary to previous belief For a planet to be habitable, it needs a stable climate. On Earth, the movement of tectonic plates ensures old crust is recycled and new crust is created and weathered. This cycling of rock consequently overturns the planet’s carbon, which keeps the climate in check. While we have plate tectonics on Earth, many othe ...[Read More]

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

March 1, 2018

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 biggest story in Europe right now is the bone-chilling cold snap sweeping across the continent. This so-called ‘Beast from the East’ sharply contrasts with the Arc ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Decreasing Moon

January 22, 2018
Decreasing Moon Imaggeo
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]