This week’s photo is another mineralogy themed one. This photo shows beautiful, yet also flattened crystals of the mineral natrolite that has grown in an acicular habit from a central point making them look sort of like little snowflakes. Natrolite is a relatively common hydrated sodium, aluminum silicate mineral (Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O) that often forms within the void spaces of igneous rocks ...[Read More]
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GeoLog
Imaggeo on Mondays: The organisation of a river system
The picture shows the Elbe Rivervalley, one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It was taken from the Bastei Bridge close to Rathen, which towers 194 meters above the Elbe River in the state of Saxony in the south-eastern Germany. This region belongs to the national park known as Saxon Switzerland. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic, the Saxon Switzerland National Park ...[Read More]
Seismology
Brewing wiggles on Mars
Creating 1 Hz-seismograms in a 3-D Earth model, and comparing them to observed body waves, is a dream that’s today still too expensive for routine use. But even tackling the problem for a spherically symmetric Earth poses certain challenges. Recently, a new tool entered the stage (you might have followed the Solid Earth discussion): Instaseis allows users to extract seismograms for a spherically s ...[Read More]
Geomorphology
Global Soil and Sediment Transfers in the Anthropocene (GloSS) – Report from the kickoff meeting in Bonn
Open kickoff meeting of the PAGES working group held in Bonn, Germany, 19th – 21st Aug. 2015 The open kickoff meeting of the PAGES working group GloSS aimed to set the boundary conditions that will enable the GloSS-WG to meet its scientific goals within the next three years. Therefore, this workshop focused on the development of a list of proxies/indices of human impacts on soils and sediments tha ...[Read More]
VolcanicDegassing
The Mexico City earthquake, 19 September 1985
As a volcanologist based in the UK, I am in the privileged position of rarely being affected by the natural events that I study. And, although I have worked for extended periods of time in earthquake-prone regions, I have never experienced anything more than the gentle nudge of a small tremor. Thirty years ago, shortly after 7 am local time on 19 September 1985, Mexico City was struck by a large e ...[Read More]
GeoLog
Geosciences Column: Soil in art
When you think of soil, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The answer will depend on your perception of soil: to some it has a patriotic meaning (“soil of Britain”, for example), while to others it has a strong agricultural connection and to an Earth scientist, well, it’ll depend on their field of expertise. A geotechnical engineer’s perception of soil is different to how it might be view ...[Read More]
Geomorphology
Irish Geomorphology Scientific Workshop & Irish Quaternary Association meeting: Extreme Events 25th-27th November
Dear Colleagues, The annual Irish Geomorphology Group (IGGy) Workshop will be hosted at the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) in Dublin on the 25th and 26th November 2015 under the theme of ‘Extreme Events’ (a geomorphological perspective). The IGGy workshop will be followed by a themed IQUA (Irish Quaternary Association) meeting on November 27th, also at the GSI and also on ‘E ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Eric Brevik’s work awarded by Geoderma
The review paper The use of electromagnetic induction techniques in soils studies, by James A. Doolittle and Eric Brevik, has been awarded as the Geoderma’s Best Review of 2014. The Geoderma Best Paper Awards are chosen every year since 2013. Candidates are nominated by the Geoderma Editorial Board and a short-list is then created for voting by the editorial Board. The winner of the Geoderma ...[Read More]
VolcanicDegassing
Maria Graham, and a large earthquake in Chile, 1822
As news comes in of another very large earthquake in Chile – the third magnitude 8 earthquake along Chile’s Pacific margin in the past six years – this is a stark reminder of the destructive potential of these extreme natural events. These days we are used to the rapid, or near-real-time diffusion of news as these events unfold – in this case, as the tsunami ran along the C ...[Read More]
GeoLog
Introducing the EGU Executive Office
With so many thinking the EGU’s activities are restricted to the organisation and running of the General Assembly, we thought we’d share a behind-the-scenes peek at the team who works year-round to promote the Earth, ocean and planetary sciences and the work of the members of the Union. At the EGU Executive Office in Munich, Germany, you’ll find the Union’s headquarters. With a team of six employe ...[Read More]