There has been considerable disagreement amongst researchers concerning the extent of South Georgia’s ice sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The sub-Antarctic islands (those below the polar front) may have been completely glaciated during previous glacials, and the last largest extent of the South Georgia ice sheet was during the LGM, about 21,000 years …[Read More]
Elisabeth Bik is as brave as they come. She has been threatened personally and professionally by people she’s never met, only because she dares to critique some of the most widely read and published scientific papers in the world. The Dutch microbiologist discovered her unique skill of spotting – manually, with her naked eye – …[Read More]
Have you ever wondered how Earth became habitable. In this week’s news and views, we have Fabio Capitanio, Associate Professor at Monash University sharing insights into the role Geodynamics in the evolution of Earth and life on it. Our planet has unique features which make it suitable for life. Understanding how the Earth became habitable is necessary to …[Read More]
The picture shows the world’s rarest hexagonal rhyolitic volcanic rock columns on the northern island of the Ninepin Group in the easternmost waters of Hong Kong. These rocks columns are believed to form about 140 million years ago after a major volcanic eruption near Sai Kung. When the volcanic ash and lava slowly cooled down, …[Read More]
Around the world, societies have many different ways to define the seasons, but for most people a season is identified by a set of culturally specified events, such as the arrival of migratory birds, certain anticipated weather patterns, or a range of expected temperatures. Over recent years many studies have examined the various ways that …[Read More]
In this week’s blog, Levan Tielidze tells us about the new glacier history from the Southern Alps of New Zealand, an important piece of information to better understand the climatic history of Earth during the Quaternary, the current geologic period. Quaternary glaciations Geochronological dating of glacial moraines is useful for determining the extent and timing …[Read More]
Hello everyone! Hope you’re doing well, and that those of you who managed to make it to Vienna have now recovered, and that normal researcher life has now resumed (and isn’t too dull in comparison!) We hope you enjoyed all that the EGU GA had on offer, and that you were able to make it …[Read More]
This year I was lucky enough to be part of International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 390 – South Atlantic Transect I – aboard the research vessel JOIDES Resolution which spent two months, from April to June, out in the South Atlantic, drilling into and sampling the upper oceanic crust and sediments. I sailed as …[Read More]
The Rann of Kachchh is a saline marshland located in the western part of India. This climatically arid, salt-covered mudflat was once home to one of the largest settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization in India. The UNESCO world heritage archaeological site of Dholavira is now located in the heart of the salt desert. Photo …[Read More]
Earth is the only known planet with fire activity – everywhere else, there is not enough oxygen for this process to occur. Since fire appeared on Earth many millions of years ago, it has played a key role in the development of plant adaptation and the distribution of ecosystems. However, the natural occurrence of fire …[Read More]
