GeoLog

natural hazards

Geosciences Column: Extreme snowfall potentially worsened Nepal’s 2015 earthquake-triggered avalanche

Geosciences Column: Extreme snowfall potentially worsened Nepal’s 2015 earthquake-triggered avalanche

Three years ago, an earthquake-induced avalanche and rockfalls buried an entire Nepalese village in ice, stone, and snow. Researchers now think the region’s heavy snowfall from the preceding winter may have intensified the avalanche’s disastrous effect. The Langtang village, just 70 kilometres from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, is nestled within a valley under the shadow of …[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Winter threatens to freeze over fieldwork

Imaggeo on Mondays: Winter threatens to freeze over fieldwork

This photo was taken during a fieldwork campaign following the mainshock of the deadly seismic sequence that struck central Italy starting from 24 August 2016. The magnitude 6.2 earthquake severely damaged nearby towns, claimed more than 290 lives and injured nearly 400 people in its wake. As a geologist from the National Institute of Geophysics …[Read More]

GeoPolicy: COP23 – key updates and outcomes

GeoPolicy: COP23 – key updates and outcomes

What is COP23? Anthropogenic climate change is threatening life on this planet as we know it. It’s a global issue… and not one that is easily solved. The Conference of the Parties (COP) provides world leaders, policy workers, scientists and industry leaders with the space to share ideas and decide on how to tackle climate …[Read More]

New Dimensions for Natural Hazards in Asia: the first AOGS–EGU Joint Conference

New Dimensions for Natural Hazards in Asia: the first AOGS–EGU Joint Conference

Asia is one of the most natural disaster-prone regions on the globe. Overpopulation and limited resources mean that natural hazards hit local populations particularly hard. “It doesn’t matter which index or evaluation method you use, Asia will always unfortunately come out on top when it comes to fatalities and damage from natural hazard events,” explains Dr. Adam Switzer, a member …[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Salt shoreline of the Dead Sea

Imaggeo on Mondays: Salt shoreline of the Dead Sea

This beautiful aerial image (you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was a watercolour) of the Dead Sea was captured by a drone flying in 100m altitude over its eastern coastline. Climate change is seeing temperatures rise in the Middle East, and the increased demand for water in the region (for irrigation) mean the areas …[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: a storm is coming

Imaggeo on Mondays: a storm is coming

Coastlines globally are immensely diverse: from the beautifully topical and sun kissed beaches of the Caribbean, to the wet and misty British coastline, through to the raw and wild Alaskan shores, they are home to scores of flora and fauna; rich habitats shaped by powerful forces of nature. In stark contrast, some coastlines, (28,000 km …[Read More]