A tribute to the computational geosciences. A mix of computer infrastructure, a modern workstation, and a simple globe with coastlines. Found this scene at the back of room at Miraikan – the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo, Japan. The computers, screens, and globe are behind a plexi-glass and while not intended as part of an exhibition it almost becomes an art-mee ...[Read More]
Schematic illustrating core components of G-ADOPT, an Australian based cross-NCRIS project, principally developed at the Australian National University (ANU), with partners at the University of Sydney and Imperial College London. G-ADOPT is supported by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), with co-investment from AuScope, the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) and Geosciences Aust ...[Read More]
In high-school, I learned in a textbook that glaciers are melting. My teacher said that what was written in that textbook was right, and that was it. There was no proof, no explanation, no scientist’s testimony. All of that, I discovered much later during my studies in the geosciences. Yet as the global temperatures keep rising, and our politicians apply rigorously the “keep calm and carry on” mod ...[Read More]
As I already mentioned in the past, anonymity can lead to bad reviews. A state of namelessness can empower younger scientists to criticize manuscripts from potential future employers. But it also allows unaccommodating reviewers to stall a perfectly good submission for…reasons? Meia has encountered, or heard of such buffoons, and wonders: How to deal with an anonymous unreasonable reviewer? ...[Read More]
On 25 October, The European Commission published a Staff Working Document that aims to help Member States build capacity to use scientific knowledge more effectively in their policymaking processes. This month’s GeoPolicy Blog post provides a summary of the Staff Working Document that outlines key science for policy challenges and the EU instruments, resources and policy frameworks that can help M ...[Read More]
Weather extreme events in the year 2022 are really hitting the Mediterranean basin very hard. Since the beginning of the year we are observing a widespread drought, heatwaves but also severe thunderstorms. Few days before the COP meeting in Sharm-el-sheik we discussed one of the experts of Mediterranean climate, Federico Grazzini, to unveil whether these events can be linked to climate change. Fe ...[Read More]
For us humans, the world, before it is lived, has to be imagined. There is, however, something wrong with the way we have imagined the world if we consider where we are today, in particular in the face of global climate change. Let’s review how we have imagined water from the point of view of critical geography. How we have imagined water so far So far, we have imagined water through the lens of t ...[Read More]
What is the role of fluids in seismic cycles ?
Both the uncertainty inherent in scientific data, and the background and ethics of the communicators who report such data to any given audience, can sow doubt about the science of climate change. The perception of this duality is engrained in how the human mind works, whereby we tolerate lies but are always ready to condemn hypocrisy. We illustrate this through a personal experience that is connec ...[Read More]
In Gobustan, Azerbaïdjan, gases such as methane or carbon dioxide are emitted in the underground. They lower the density of the overlying sediments which are pushed upwards by buoyancy. Fingering instabilities occur, where more mobile and lighter sediments form vents and mud volcanoes with upwards moving material. Many small scale cones are deposited when the conduits reach the surface, depositing ...[Read More]