On Friday 8 September 2017 at 04:49 am UTC, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake hit off the coast of Mexico, 87 km SW of Pijijiapan. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicentre was at 15.07 N, 93.72 W at a depth of about 69.7 km. Yesterday, another strong (magnitude 7.1) earthquake hit central Mexico, 55 km SSW of the city of Puebla and 120 km south of Mexico City. Despite the lower magnitude, y ...[Read More]
Mapping Ancient Oceans
An example of a new map identifying potential chunks of ancient oceans now located deep inside Earth. A vote map at 1400 km depth has been projected to the surface, and is overlain with the position of the continents (grey-white) at around 120 Million years ago. Credit: G Shephard (CEED/UiO) using GPlates software.
This guest post is by Dr Grace Shephard, a postdoctoral researcher in tectonics and geodynamics at the Centre of Earth Evolution and Dynamics (CEED) at the University of Oslo, Norway. This blog entry describes the latest findings of a study that maps deep remnants of past oceans. Her open access study, in collaboration with colleagues at CEED and the University of Oxford, was published this week i ...[Read More]
Is it an earthquake, a nuclear test or a hurricane? How seismometers help us understand the world we live in
Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose (R) and Hurricane Katia (L) are pictured in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Nexico in this September 7, 2017 NOAA satellite handout photo. Credit: NOAA
Although traditionally used to study earthquakes, like today’s M 8.1 in Mexico, seismometers have now become so sophisticated they are able to detect the slightest ground movements; whether they come from deep within the bowels of the planet or are triggered by events at the surface. But how, exactly, do earthquake scientists decipher the signals picked up by seismometers across the world? And mo ...[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Symbiosis of ice and water
Symbiosis of fire, ice and water . Credit: Michael Grund (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)
This mesmerising photograph is another of the fabulous finalists (and winner) of the 2017 imaggeo photo contest. Imaggeo is the EGU’s open access image repository. It’s a great place to showcase your photographs; so whether you are stuck in the lab this summer, frantically typing away at a paper, or are lucky enough to be in the field, be sure to submit your photographs for all EGU members to see. ...[Read More]