This month’s GeoRoundUp is a slight deviation from the norm. Instead of drawing inspiration from popular stories on our social media channels and unique or quirky research featured in the news, we’ve rounded up some of the stories which came out of researcher presented at our General Assembly (which took place last week in Vienna). …[Read More]
soil
Imaggeo on Mondays: Erosion
In mountainous regions precipitation – be that in the form of rain, hail or snow, for example – drives erosion, which means it plays an important part in shaping the way the landscape looks. Precipitation can directly wear away at hillsides and creates streams and rivers, which leave their mark on the scenery by cutting …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: The invaluable role of soil dwellers
That soils are vital to secure our future supplies of water, food, as well as aiding adaptation to climate change and sustaining the planet’s biosphere is a subject we’ve featured on the blog as recently as the summer. That’s because never have humans been more out of touch with the vital importance of this natural …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: The soil in your veg patch
Do a search for images of dirt in Google and you might be surprised to find that the vast majority of returned images are of a substance that we ought to be protecting and treasuring, rather than dismissing as something unclean and without value: soil. It’s not the first time we’ve featured this precious resource …[Read More]
Geosciences Column: Soil in art
When you think of soil, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The answer will depend on your perception of soil: to some it has a patriotic meaning (“soil of Britain”, for example), while to others it has a strong agricultural connection and to an Earth scientist, well, it’ll depend on their field …[Read More]
Geosciences Column: When water is scarce, understanding how we can save it is important
Supplies of water on Earth are running dry. The rate at which an ever growing population consumes this precious resource is not matched by our Planet’s ability to replenish it. Water scarcity is proving a problem globally, with regions such as California and Brazil facing some of the most severe water shortages on record. Used …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Artists’ Paint Pots
Many artists draw inspiration from nature and it’s not surprising when faced with landscapes which are as beautiful as the one featured in this week’s Imaggeo on Mondays post. Josep Miquel Ubalde Bauló writes about the origin of the colourful mud pots and bobby-socks trees! This picture corresponds to The Artist Paint Pots, found in …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: The Final Effort
We’ve all been there: long hours in the field, a task that seems never ending but which has to be finished today. This week’s Imaggeo on Mondays image is brought to you by Patrick Klenk who highlights the importance of how ‘getting the job done’ relies on good team work! Two years ago I posted …[Read More]
Imaggeo on Mondays: Paramo Soil
What lies between 3000m and 4800m above sea level in the mountains of the Andes? A very special place dominated by an exceptional ecosystem: The Páramo. Picture lush grasslands with a unique population of flora and fauna, some of which is found nowhere else on Earth. Páramos stretch from Ecuador to Venezuela, across the Northern …[Read More]
Real life Minesweeper
Reading GeoLog when you should be working? We are all guilty of a little procrastination, but, sometimes, the parallels between science and the games we play to postpone the next write-up are closer than you’d think. Victor Archambault, a scientist from US Radar, reveals how playing Minesweeper mimics the way geoscientists analyse data in the field… …[Read More]