GeoLog

GeoLog

Geosciences Column: Predicting glacial lake outburst floods

In this month’s Geosciences Column, Amanda Gläser-Bligh writes about SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellites and how they can be used to map glacier lakes and mitigate related flood hazards. Glaciers are a natural storage system and provide a perennial source of fresh water to the surrounding low-lying areas, which can be used for drinking water, irrigation, …[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Volcano in the tropics

The text of this week’s Imaggeo on Mondays comes from the photographer himself, Brenner Silva. I took this picture from an airliner in September 2010 on my way to the Estación Científica San Francisco, South Ecuador, for field work. The flight route Quito-Loja goes through the two highest volcanoes, Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, of the so-called …[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Cloud sandwich

Lenticular clouds, also known as ‘flying saucer clouds’ or ‘cloudships’, have captured the imagination of humans since Biblical times. Normally aligned at right-angles to the direction of the wind, lenticular clouds are stationary, lens-shaped formations that form at high altitudes. Pilots of powered planes tend to avoid flying near lenticular clouds because of turbulence. Glider …[Read More]

GeoTalk: Dr Giuliano Di Baldassarre

GeoTalk, featuring short interviews with geoscientists about their research, continues this month with a Q&A with Dr Giuliano Di Baldassarre (UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education) regarding his work on floods, population changes, and risk prevention. If you’d like to suggest a scientist for an interview, please contact Bárbara Ferreira. First, could you introduce yourself and let …[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Keanae coast

Geologically speaking, Hawaii is a very dynamic archipelago. Each of its islands is an exposed peak of a large undersea mountain range formed by volcanic activity starting about 28 million years ago as the Pacific plate moved slowly in northwest direction over a geological hotspot in the Earth’s mantle. Big Island and Maui, the southeastern most …[Read More]

If Only We Had Been Taller: The Mars Curiosity mission

Today we feature a guest post by Mona Behl, a Visiting Fellow at the American Meteorological Society. Mona provides a review of the current Mars mission, including an overview of the revolutionary instruments featured aboard the Curiosity rover. “The fence we walked between the years did balance us serene. It was a place half in the …[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Patagonian blues

If you are feeling the Monday blues, this peaceful photograph of a Patagonian lake might be just what you need to light up your day. Patagonia is known for its rich volcanic history and dramatic landscapes, and this scene is no exception. It shows a lake in the Pali-Aike volcanic field on the Argentina-Chile border, …[Read More]

Happy 10th anniversary EGU!

Today, 7 September 2012, marks the 10th anniversary of the European Geosciences Union, Europe’s premier geosciences union. A decade ago, in the Hotel Platzl in Munich, Germany, the European Geophysical Society (EGS) and the European Union of Geosciences (EUG) merged to form the EGU. At the EGU Executive Office, also in Munich, we celebrated this momentous occasion …[Read More]