Around the world, societies have many different ways to define the seasons, but for most people a season is identified by a set of culturally specified events, such as the arrival of migratory birds, certain anticipated weather patterns, or a range of expected temperatures. Over recent years many studies have examined the various ways that …[Read More]
air pollution
GeoTalk: Meet Mengze Li, atmospheric chemist and the Atmospheric Sciences Division’s Early Career Scientist Representative
Hi Mengze, thank you for spending your time with us today. Could you tell our readers a little about yourself? Hi Simon, thanks for the interview today. I’m happy to tell more about myself. I was born in China, lived and studied there until I finished my Bachelor’s study. After that I went to Germany …[Read More]
An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 2
Science fiction is no match for industrial non-stop China. Electric bikes zip across the cities of Shanghai and Beijing, and soundtrack the neon nights with their passing whirr. Here, some kind of two-wheeled revolution has taken place which are we completely unaware of in the West. It’s Blade Runner meets Total Recall in a future …[Read More]
An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 1
The nighttrain from Shanghai to Beijing is a comfortable affair. The train is new and clean. My travel partner and I can charge our phones and relax on soft beds. The railway is almost frictionless, and overall the experience is similar to any ride in the West. But outside, as the vehicle roars through the …[Read More]
GeoSciences Column: The dirty business of shipping goods by sea
Shipping goods across the oceans is cost-effective and super-efficient; that’s why over 80% of world trade is carried by sea (according to the International Maritime Organisation). But the shipping industry also contributes significant amounts of air pollutants to marine and coastal environments. A new study, published in the EGU’s open access journal Earth System Dynamics, …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Aerosols over Hurricane Irene
This image – rather than our usual Imaggeo photo – is a simulation representation of Hurricane Irene, as it moved up the coast of the United States. The red-yellow areas in the image represent regions with high aerosol concentration that have been swept upwards in convective clouds and the blue areas are clean regions. The aerosols …[Read More]