Glaciers are persistent bodies of ice at least 100,000 square metres in area and 50 metres thick. They are mostly found in the polar regions but also in mountain ranges, and represent the largest reservoir of freshwater on Earth. This photo was taken by Zervas Efthimios in August 2009, on the climb towards Lenin Peak in the Pamir mountains, Central Asia. “This crevasse appeared just before ...[Read More]
Introducing, for the first time ever, the EGU General Assembly mobile app!
The EGU 2012 mobile app is now available for iPhones and Android smartphones. To download it, you can scan the QR code available at the General Assembly website or go directly to http://app.egu2012.eu/ on your mobile device. You will be directed to the proper app version download for your particular smartphone. Once you open the app, the home menu will show you four possibilities. You can “B ...[Read More]
EGU 2012 General Assembly: Venue location
The Austria Center Vienna (ACV), the Assembly venue, is located centrally and can easily be reached from the airport and central train station. The ACV is located next to the Kaisermühlen/Vienna Int. Centre metro station (U1 line, direction Leopoldau from the city centre). Wiener Linien, Vienna’s public transport agency, provides a travel planner on their website, including information about ...[Read More]
Union-wide events at the 2012 General Assembly
At the 2012 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union there are a variety of Union-wide sessions, summarised below. Union Meetings (UM) These meetings are open to Union members, though note some are invitation-only events. Of particular importance is the UM8: Plenary in Room D on Monday 23 April from 12:15 to 13:15. This is an annual event, open to all EGU members and all General Ass ...[Read More]
Following today’s earthquake in Sumatra online
This blogpost is a round-up of potentially useful weblinks to information about the earthquake off the west coast of northern Sumatra of 11 April 2012. The links provided here are external and do not reflect the opinions of the European Geosciences Union. Regarding the earthquake, the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) Earthquake Harzard Program homepage features seismic activity maps and a summ ...[Read More]
Seismic Spring, part 4: The fieldwork finale – starting the journey home!
As the Arctic wakes up from its polar night, Dr Adam Booth is leading a team of UK geophysicists on a two-week campaign of seismic investigations on Storglaciären, a mountain glacier in northern Sweden. He will be reporting on the expedition in a series of posts published here in GeoLog. This is his fourth and final post. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out his first, second ...[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: A mineral under the microscope
Epidote, an abundant rock-forming mineral found in metamorphic rocks, nearly always appears in green, although it may vary in shade and tone. Under a microscope of polarized light, however, it exhibits strong pleochroism, that is, it shows different colors when observed at different angles. The thin section (a laboratory preparation of a mineral or rock sample for use with a polarizing microscope) ...[Read More]
Looking for a job in the geosciences?
The General Assembly can be an excellent source of information for those of you looking for jobs or doctoral positions. Apart from the regularly updated online job postings, the Jobs & Education Market (Hall X, basement) provides a forum for young scientists to meet and chat with potential employers, and to get informed about available positions posted on the nearby notice boards. The Jobs &am ...[Read More]
Seismic Spring, part 3: All systems go – at work on Storglaciären!
As the Arctic wakes up from its polar night, Dr Adam Booth is leading a team of UK geophysicists on a two-week campaign of seismic investigations on Storglaciären, a mountain glacier in northern Sweden. He will be reporting on the expedition in a series of posts published here in GeoLog. This is his third post. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out his first and second po ...[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Green river
Thermokarsts occur when solid permafrost melts and soil gives way forming pitted, irregular lands surfaces. They are common in the Arctic, as well as the Himalayas and Swiss Alps. To study them, scientists trace the water using fluorescence dyes, temporarily creating water flows of exotic colours, like the bright green one in this Imaggeo photo. This photo was taken by Simon Gascoin, a researcher ...[Read More]