GeoLog

particulate matter

An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 1

August 15, 2018
An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 1
Air pollution in Shanghai's Pudong region in July 2017. Credit: Conor Purcell

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 early night, things become increasingly hazy. As we reach further out from the Shanghai metr ...[Read More]

GeoSciences Column: Is smoke on your mind? Using social media to assess smoke exposure from wildfires

July 14, 2017
GeoSciences Column: Is smoke on your mind? Using social media to assess smoke exposure from wildfires
A wildfire in the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana, United States . Credit: John McColgan – Edited by Fir0002 [Public domain], distributed via Wikimedia Commons.

Wildfires have been raging across the globe this summer. Six U.S. States, including California and Nevada, are currently battling fierce flames spurred on by high temperatures and dry conditions. Up to 10,000 people have been evacuated in Canada, where wildfires have swept through British Columbia. Closer to home, 700 tourists were rescued by boat from fires in Sicily, while last month, over 60 pe ...[Read More]