GeoLog

GeoLog

Geosciences Column: The quest for life on Mars

February 20, 2015
Geosciences Column: The quest for life on Mars
Jarosite deposits on Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Understanding where we come from and whether Earth is the only habitable planet in the Solar System has been a long standing conundrum in science. Partly because it is our nearest neighbour, partly because of its past and current similarities with our own home, Mars, the red planet, is a likely contender in the quest for extra-terrestrial life. In this guest blog post, James Lewis, a PhD student a ...[Read More]

Science Policy Fellowship at the EGU – open for applications!

February 18, 2015

Do you have an interest in science policy and the geosciences? Then this fellowship might be just right for you! EGU fellowships offer early career researchers the opportunity to gain experience in science management and communication in a large scientific union through a targeted assignment at the EGU Executive Office in Munich, Germany. Fellows are strategically deployed to develop new initiativ ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: A Patagonia landscape dominated by volcanoes

February 16, 2015

Imagine a torrent of hot and cold water, laden with rock fragments, ash and other debris hurtling down a river valley: this is a lahar. A by-product of eruptions of tall, steep-sided stratovolcanoes, lahars, are often triggered by the quick melting of snow caps and glaciers atop high volcanic peaks. The history of the Ibañes River and its valley, in southern Chile, are dominated by their proximity ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: Fire in ice – the history of boreal forest fires told by Greenland ice cores.

February 13, 2015

Burning of biomass contributes a significant amount of greenhouses gases to the atmosphere, which in turn influences regional air quality and global climate. Since the advent of humans, there has been a significant increase in the amount of biomass burning, particularly after the industrial revolution. What might not be immediately obvious is that, (naturally occurring) fires also play a part in e ...[Read More]