GeoLog

lava

Imaggeo on Mondays: Lava highway in Kanaga Island

March 20, 2017
Imaggeo on Mondays: Lava highway in Kanaga Island
Lava highway in Kanaga Island (Western Aleutians, Alaska). Credit: Mattia Pistone (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

On a rare sunny day, Mattia Pistone (a researcher at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC) was able to capture this spectacular shot of Kanaga, a stratovolcano in the remote Western Aleutians, which is usually veiled by thick cloud. The Western Aleutians form a chain of 14 large and 55 small volcanic islands, belonging to one of the most extended volcanic archipelagos on Earth (1900 km), s ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Life on bare lava

January 30, 2017
Life on bare lava
Life on a baren rock. Credit: Katja Laute (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

There are plenty of hostile habitats across the globe but some flora and fauna species are resourceful enough to adapt and make extreme environments their home. From heat-loving ants of the Sahara to microbes living in the light-deprived ocean depths, through to beatles who brave the bitterly cold Alaskan winter, there are numerous examples of plants, animals and bugs who strive in environments of ...[Read More]

A journey into the Cordon Caulle volcano

September 30, 2015
A journey into the Cordon Caulle volcano
The Andes line up on the horizon. The foreground is built of the less-sure, young volcanic debris, still hot and steaming, from the recent eruptions at Cordon Caulle. Image credit: Dr. Hugh Tuffen

There is no escaping the fact that one of the perks of being an Earth scientist is the opportunity to visit incredible places while on field work. There is also no doubt that, geologist or not, walking on an active volcano is awe inspiring. Maybe you’ve had the experience of doing so yourself (if so, share your story with us in the comments section, we’d love to hear from you!), but if ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Volcanic rope

April 7, 2014

On Hawaii, lava fields fall into two camps – pahoehoe and a’a. This week’s Imageo on Mondays puts the two into perspective… Pahoehoe fields are created when the lava is well insulated at the surface. The cooled rock on top prevents a lot of heat escaping and lets the lava flow beneath a tough skin of basalt. This skin is pulled and distorted by the moving lava, creating ripples and wrinkles that r ...[Read More]