GeoLog

Hurricane Irma

September GeoRoundUp: the best of the Earth sciences from around the web

Laura Roberts-Artal September 29, 2017

Partially collapsed building as a result of the 2017 Puebla earthquake (Mexico). Credit: AntoFran. Distributed via Wikimedia Commons.

Drawing inspiration from popular stories on our social media channels, as well as unique and quirky research news, this monthly column aims to bring you the best of the Earth and planetary sciences from around the web. Major story and what you might have missed This month has been an onslaught of Earth and space science news; the majority focusing on natural hazards. Hurricanes, earthquakes and v ...[Read More]

Is it an earthquake, a nuclear test or a hurricane? How seismometers help us understand the world we live in

Neil Wilkins and Steven Hicks September 8, 2017

Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose (R) and Hurricane Katia (L) are pictured in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Nexico in this September 7, 2017 NOAA satellite handout photo. Credit: NOAA

Although traditionally used to study earthquakes, like today’s M 8.1 in Mexico, seismometers have now become so sophisticated they are able to detect the slightest ground movements; whether they come from deep within the bowels of the planet or are triggered by events at the surface. But how, exactly, do earthquake scientists decipher the signals picked up by seismometers across the world? And mo ...[Read More]