The town of Pompeii was enveloped in ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. To the north of Pompeii lies the small, relatively unknown town of Herculaneum, where the ash fell hotter and deeper. Careful excavation by a team of archaeologists, led by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, has revealed intricate details of daily life for the vibrant mix of people that once lived in Herculaneum. The cast ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Friday Photo (82): Wildlife in the Field – Confused Sheep
Each morning when we arrived in the field, hoards of sheep* would come marching over sandstone ridges from miles around to congregate in front of our car. After spending a while thinking we may have established a new animal religion, we realised the poor animals mistook us for their farmer coming to feed them. *We acknowledge that sheep aren’t actually ‘wildlife’! (c) Geology for ...[Read More]
Borehole Implementation in Tanzania: The Story of Kabalekela
Joel Gill writes about the implementation of a borehole in Kabalekela, a village in the north-west of Tanzania. In 2009 and 2010 I visited the village of Kabalekela in the Kagera region of Tanzania to observe the situation there with regards to access to clean and safe water. In short, the village severely struggled to access any clean water. The nearest sources were several kilometres away, and t ...[Read More]
Book Review – Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded (Simon Winchester, 2003, Penguin Books)
“Should form an essential part of the reading list for every undergraduate geologist” – Joel Gill, GfGD’s National Director, reviews Simon Winchester’s 2003 bestseller Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded… During a recent break I had the privilege of reading Simon Winchester’s best-selling book Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded (I know what you’re thinking – ...[Read More]
Friday Photo (81): Wildlife in the Field – Glacial Tortoises
A pair of tortoises retreat into their shells in fear as a couple of geologists appear to study the diamictite they are walking over. Clasts visible in the rock below mark melting events at the end of the Gondwana glaciation, 300 million years ago. Deposits like these cover much of southern Gondwana, and can be found today in southern Africa, Antarctica, Australia, India and South America. This se ...[Read More]
Rare Earth Elements: Geochemistry and Geopolitics
The ‘rare earth elements’ (REEs) are a series of similar elements that are rarely encountered on the Earth’s surface. They’re not even allowed to sit in the proper periodic table, banished to a small row floating below with only the ‘actinide series’ (the what?!) for company. REEs have always been the lonely kid in the playground, but now our mum is making us in ...[Read More]
Friday Photo (80): Wildlife in the Field – Lizard on Dolomite
A lizard basks on top of a very uncomfortable looking dolomitised grainstone. This dolomitised layer is part of a sequence of platform carbonates that formed 550 million years ago. Only some of the layers are dolomitised, and it is unclear whether the dolomite is primary, or formed secondarily, possibly as a result of Mg-rich fluids flowing along small faults. (c) Geology for Global Development 20 ...[Read More]
Guest Blog: An Economist’s Perspective on Natural Resources
Helen Ashcroft is currently a DPhil student at the University of Oxford. She blogs for the Bang! Science Magazine (Planet Blog) and is also a STEMNET Ambassador, working to promote science, technology, maths and engineering to young people. Jim Cust, a graduate student in economics, presented this term’s Oxford University Group GfGD seminar. In addition to his research Jim is also a directo ...[Read More]
New Placement Opportunities – Deadline Midday 2nd June 2013
Placements give students a valuable opportunity to get an insight into the international development sector, consider what key skills they need to develop to contribute to such work, and better understand the role of geoscience in fighting poverty. Following successful placements with the NGO CAFOD, GfGD are delighted to announce two new placement opportunities for UK-based geoscience students  ...[Read More]
Friday Photo (79): Wildlife in the Field – the Underside of a Cricket
The underside of a cricket in focus against a blurred carbonate ramp succession in the background. Taken in Namibia in 2012. Send us your favourite photos of wild encounters whilst out in the field! Blog[at]gfgd.org (c) Geology for Global Development 2013