Division blogs

Atmospheric Sciences

Methane in India: Why precise measurements and cutting-edge technology matter for climate action

Dhanyalekshmi Pillai, Jithin Sukumaran and Thara Anna Mathew September 9, 2026

The looming El Niño is likely to hit hard this year, bringing bracing moments to the already warming world. Extreme weather events are no longer just anomalies; they have become far too common in this new reality. It’s clear that our environment is under unprecedented stress. Experts warn of the costs of inaction: between 1995 and 2024, nearly one million lives have been lost due to climate-relate ...[Read More]

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Geodynamics

The Hidden Topography of the Deep Earth

Ankit Barik and edited by Amrik Mondal September 9, 2026

Travel across the globe and you will see landscapes change along the way. But what if the same were true inside Earth? What if the landscapes we see on the surface also exist deep within? In this week’s Geodynamics 101 post, Ankit Barik, Assistant Research Scientist at Johns Hopkins University, explores the hidden topography deep inside our planet and why do they matter. The only fluid part of the ...[Read More]

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Nonlinear Processes in Geosciences

ECS Spotlight: Can Weather Analogues forecast Europe’s Wind and Rainfall Extremes?

Meriem Krouma September 8, 2026

Extreme rainfall and strong winds can each cause major disruption. When they occur together—or within only a few days of each other—their combined impacts can be even more severe. Heavy rainfall may saturate soils and increase flood risk, while strong winds can damage infrastructure, disrupt transport and bring down trees or power lines. Forecasting these events is essential for early-warning syst ...[Read More]

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Natural Hazards

Joining the dots: From overlooked disaster impacts to inclusive disaster risk reduction

Harriet Thompson September 7, 2026

A note from the Natural Hazards Division editorial team We would like to open this blog post with our sincere condolences in response to the devastating multi-hazard flash flood that occurred in Nepal and Tibet in late August. In the face of such suffering, messages like this risk sounding hollow. Still, we, as the Natural Hazards Division editorial team, wish to express our solidarity with all fa ...[Read More]

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Hydrological Sciences

eDNA4Hydrology

Maria Magdalena Warter September 3, 2026

What flows around comes around For centuries, hydrologists have studied the flow of water through landscapes near and far. We measured flow rates, mapped aquifers and followed invisible paths of raindrops through soil and bedrock. Hydrology is a meticulous, beautiful science that has taught us much over the years. From the water cycle, surface water in rivers, wetlands and snowpack and groundwater ...[Read More]

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Geodynamics

The Geodynamics Awakens: Star Wars Planets and Earth’s Geological History

Arijit Chakraborty September 2, 2026

Star Wars is one of the most influential science-fiction worlds created in our time. The central theme revolves around the struggle between the tyrannical Galactic Empire and the rebels trying to bring it down. Star Wars has many reasons to pull you in: iconic lightsaber duels, technological advancements such as hyperspace travel, and perhaps most importantly for a geologist: a remarkable number o ...[Read More]

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Geomorphology

From Storm to Landscape: High Resolution for Climate Risk

Marylin Uchasara September 1, 2026

Welcome to ”Climate Change through a Geomorphological Lens”, a blog series exploring the changing climate from a geomorphological perspective. This first post was inspired by a single figure in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report [1]. It compares precipitation change per degree Celsius of warming across different climate models and observations for three t ...[Read More]

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Ocean Sciences

Book Review: Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

Jacqueline Behncke August 31, 2026

Our previous book recommendations were the nonfiction books Blue Machine – How the Ocean Shapes our World by Helen Czerski and Below the Edge of Darkness by Edith Widder as well as the thriller The Swarm by Frank Schätzing. This time, we are stepping away from the ocean. Our next book recommendation is “Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed by Men” by Caroline Criado ...[Read More]

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Hydrological Sciences

Summary of the August 26th, 2026, Himalayan flash flood

György Hetényi and Shiba Subedi August 28, 2026

At the time of preparing this blog entry, we are less than 48 hours after the catastrophe which has hit the Himalaya. While the flow of new information continues, it is useful to summarize and clarify the key points around this event. WHAT? The massive destruction was caused by a flash flood. It was such a high energy that is rarely seen. Numerous videos can be found online. WHERE? The caus ...[Read More]

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Geodesy

Regional Reference Frames: Keeping Track of a Deforming Earth

Ratnesh Kushwaha August 28, 2026

You are observing the construction of a bridge that will be initiated on the two banks of a river simultaneously, in such a way that the works will eventually meet in the middle of the river. You wonder, how do they make sure that the construction on the two sides will stay aligned with the millimeter precision that this project requires? You are aware of previous constructions where small miscalc ...[Read More]