Last week Mount Sinabung, an active volcano on the island of Sumatra (Indonesia), erupted killing at least 16 people. It is reported that a number of the deaths were people going back into the evacuated zone to see the eruption up close and to check on properties and land. This is a sad reminder of the power of volcanic processes and their lethal potential (see the images on the BBC News), partic ...[Read More]
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Supervisor profile #4: Dr Frances Cooper
Dr Frances Cooper BHP Billiton Lecturer PhD (2008) “Exhumation of the northern Snake Range metamorphic core complex, Nevada” 1) The Twitter challenge: Describe your PhD in 140 characters (if you can remember it) I tested different models for how the metamorphic rocks of the northern Snake Range were brought to the surface from the middle-lower crust.
Seismology
The EGU photo contest
Are you out and about taking photos during fieldwork? Or, simply good at taking interesting photos? The EGU runs a photo contest for all the participant pre-registered for the EGU General Assembly. Submissions are open up until 1 March. All finalists will receive a book of their choice from the EGU library, and the winners get to win a free registration to next year’s General Assembly. Check out a ...[Read More]
GeoLog
GeoTalk: Connecting geoscience and archaeology with Sophie Gangl
This week in GeoTalk, we’re talking to Sophie Gangl, a masters student from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna. Sophie tells us about the intersecting fields of geoscience and archaeology, and shares the benefits of presenting postgraduate projects at an international conference. Hi Sophie, can you tell us a little about yourself and what you’ve been investigating ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Friday Photo (113) – Wall Art in San Pablo la Laguna, Guatemala
San Pablo La Laguna is a small town on the edge of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. This wall art shows local opposition to mining activities. At the time of writing I’m not sure about the background context to the image, but it raises some interesting questions about what is occurring or has occurred in this area in the past. Credit: Joel Gill (2014)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Science Snap (#17): Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig is an uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. Formed from the plug of a Paleogene volcano, the landmass reaches over 330 m height and ~ 3 km length, and can easily be seen from the Scottish mainland. The island comprises three types of granite: Ailsa Craig Common Green, Ailsa Craig Red Hone and Ailsa Craig Blue Hone (pictured below). The distinctive colouration of the latter ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Field Research in Guatemala (3) – Environmental Hazards at Lake Atitlan
Today Joel Gill (GfGD Founding Director) continues his live reporting from Guatemala, whilst undertaking interdisciplinary field research relating to natural hazards and disaster risk reduction. This fieldwork forms part of a NERC/ESRC funded PhD, supervised by staff in the Department of Geography at King’s College London. Lake Atitlan is a beautiful location, created by a significant volcanic er ...[Read More]
Green Tea and Velociraptors
Your poop or mine?
Back in the Mesozoic, lavatories probably didn’t exist. In fact, dinosaurs and other animals were probably pretty poorly mannered and just pooped wherever they felt like. But what or who cleaned up after them? In modern biomes, poop is decomposed by insects and bacteria of all breeds, and actually forms quite an important part of energy flow within ecosystems. But was it the same million of years ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Guest Blog: Death By Corruption
Ekbal Hussain is a PhD student at the University of Leeds, and helps to coordinate our group up there. He is a passionate advocate for disaster risk reduction and today writes about the relationship between corruption and earthquake fatalities. It is no profound statement to say that earthquakes are extremely dangerous natural events and are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually. Wh ...[Read More]
Four Degrees
Climate and Policy Roundup – January 2014
News EU announces climate and energy goals for 2030 The European commission has announced a target to reduce its emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. It also stated that 27% of total energy production should come from renewable sources. The announcement came on 22 January following intense negotiations between its member states. The 40% reduction is at the high end of the range of pro ...[Read More]