When a volcano erupts and spews lava onto the surrounding terrain, it is merciless in its destruction. All that is green on the land is engulfed in flame, or buried by an insurmountable mass of molten rock. Whatever charred remains of what lies beneath it will not see the light of day once the lava …[Read More]
eruption
Imaggeo on Mondays: Exploring the East African Rift
This week’s Imaggeo on Mondays is brought to you by Alexis Merlaud, an atmospheric scientist from the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy. While the wonders of the African atmosphere feature in his photography, the East African Rift has a much bigger tale to tell. Drawing from all aspects of geoscience Alexis shares its story… This …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: White mist on White Island
White Island, also known as Whakaari, is an active stratovolcano off the coast of New Zeland’s North Island, nested in the northern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Much of its activity is made up of bubbling mud pools and steamy, sulphurous clouds from fumaroles like the one below – sights that attracts many a …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Hekla’s history
Iceland is well known for its extensive volcanism. Situated amid the northernmost part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the spreading centre is a hub of volcanic activity, from Krafla in the north to the young volcanic island of Surtsey in the south. Hekla is one of the country’s most active volcanoes – both in terms of …[Read More]
Geosciences Column: Tracing Toba
Large volcanic eruptions have a significant impact on the Earth’s climate as aerosols (including sulphur dioxide and water vapour), together with ash are released into the atmosphere and increase the amount of sunlight reflected back into space (the albedo). This increase in reflectance (or decrease in energy absorption) can cause widespread climatic cooling, known as …[Read More]