Dan and I are both advocates for the communication of science,via all possible means, and that is why this week’s interview is close to our hearts. Sarah Day’s role at the Geological Society of London focuses on conveying the importance of the study of the science behind how our planet works. I met Sarah about …[Read More]
Latest posts
Some 2014 Ph.D Goal Setting
For my first post of the new year I thought it might be a good idea to make some resolutions, especially since everyone else is doing it. Part of doing graduate work is setting goals, ignoring those goals until the week before, and then working 22 hour days to achieve them. Ian, (my supervisor), if …[Read More]
Science Snap (#15): Big freezes
Satellite images are not just wonderful for science, they also capture public interest during periods of intense and news grabbing weather. Earlier this month North America was gripped by a prolonged Arctic Chill, plunging the continent into freezing temperatures and smashing temperature records in the process. Consecutive satellite images tracked the southward progress of the …[Read More]
Earthquake lights
A very interesting article about earthquake lights has been published in this month Seismological Research Letters. Earthquake lights are an aerial phenomenon when unusual light is seen just above the ground or high up in the sky before and/or during an earthquak. Mysterious lights in the sky have been a sensation ever since but their appearance has …[Read More]
GeoTalk: Matt Herod on awesome outreach and education
Matt Herod has long been part of the EGU Blog Network, where he writes about all things geochemistry from his base in the University of Ottawa. In this week’s GeoTalk, we had the chance to talk to Matt about all the other science communication activities he’s been up to – from mentoring kids in Canada …[Read More]
Diamonds aren’t Forever
Boom & Bust in the Namib Desert Namibia is mostly desert. Like its neighbour South Africa, the country was gifted with diamond-bearing Kimberlites. The Sperrgebiet (or “forbidden territory”), where the diamonds are concentrated, is strictly off-limits to the public. Namibia’s natural resources have played an important role in shaping the development of this inhospitable …[Read More]
A round-up of some newsworthy geomagnetism stories
Happy New Year to you all! We’ve had a long Christmas break at Geology Jenga, but we are back! For 2014 we’ve got some really interesting 10 minute interviews lined up, as well as the continuation of the ‘Making the most of your PhD’ series and musings on all the things that interest Dan & …[Read More]
From synchrotron to super-volcano – buoyed up by magma
Devastating supervolcanoes can erupt simply due to changes that happen in their giant magma chambers as they slowly cool, according to a new study. This finding marks the first time researchers have been able to explain the mechanism behind the eruptions of the largest volcanoes on Earth. Geologists have identified the roots of a number …[Read More]
Has climate change changed in the media?
Whether in a concerned, neutral, alarmist or sceptical tone, climate change is often reported in the media. But has the press approached this subject differently over the years? Marion Ferrat takes a look at the UK press coverage of the last two IPCC reports and investigates how the treatment of climate change has changed in …[Read More]
Were dinosaurs the masters of social integration?
Back in the Late Cretaceous, the USA was divided. Not politically, but by a vast continental sea called the Western Interior Seaway, splitting the continent into two separate landmasses. The western one of these, known as Laramidia, played host to some of the popular dinosaurs like Parasaurolophus, or ‘Elvis’ in Pete Postlethwaite dialect, and the …[Read More]