Only one month after starting my PhD, I found myself in a tiny plane flying over one of the most beautiful and breathtaking landscapes I’ve ever seen. I was on the way to the northernmost settlement in the world – the research village Ny-Ålesund. What I expected from the trip: cold temperatures, darkness, and lots of snow. What I found instead: stunning views, magical colors, friendly people, and ...[Read More]
If you didn't find what you was looking for try searching again.
Geodynamics
How do rocks fail and flow: A beginners guide to rock rheology
The field of rock rheology may seem a bit ‘odd’ at first glance to those geoscientists who are vaguely familiarized with the topic of geodynamics. Often, rocks are considered massive and competent geomaterials that display a sudden (and sometimes violent) brittle failure (earthquake alert!). However, when considering the high temperatures and large timescale characteristics of most geo ...[Read More]
Tectonics and Structural Geology
Introducing the blog team 2025-2026
For many of you September means back to school, for us September means the return of the blog. Behind the scene this summer, the bright new editorial team prepared fresh blog posts to share with the community. We are very excited to welcome the new editors, happy to start their blog adventure. The 2025-2026 team is a group of early career scientists editors from diverse backgrounds, continents and ...[Read More]
GeoLog
A leap of faith: Should we trust AI with a million-year problem?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been here a while, and it isn’t going anywhere, not any time soon. It has become an integral part of many lives and businesses. When I speak of AI, I am not referring to GenAI (generative AI) that writes your emails for you: Think about the algorithms that suggest what movie you should watch next, the voice assistant that adds milk to your shopping list, and ...[Read More]
Cryospheric Sciences
Did you know: Soot is a melting agent for glaciers in Peru and China
Mountain glaciers are melting rapidly due to global warming. This process is being intensified by increasingly extreme natural events, such as forest fires and air pollution from human activities. One of the main culprits is a tiny but powerful pollutant called black carbon (commonly known as soot) which darkens the surface of the snow and makes it met faster under the sun. But how much of this po ...[Read More]
Solar-Terrestrial Sciences
Chasing Auroras 41 Millennia Ago with Agnit Mukhopadhyay and Sanja Panovska
Approximately 41,000 years ago, during the Laschamps geomagnetic excursion, Earth’s magnetic field experienced a significant disturbance. The strength of the magnetic field decreased to only 10% of what it is today, the magnetic poles shifted considerably from the geographic poles, and the magnetosphere—the protective layer surrounding our planet—became smaller and distorted in previously unvisual ...[Read More]
Geodynamics
Unraveling volcanic patterns between adjacent rift zones
Continental rifts are a prime example of how the forces at work beneath our feet are constantly shaping our world, and often host volcanic activity. The patterns and distribution of volcanism in rift settings, however, is far from intuitive. The picture gets even more complicated if we look between the segments that often make up a rift. This week, Valentina Armeni from the University of Potsdam, ...[Read More]
Climate: Past, Present & Future
The rabbit and the tortoise – what does a glacial cycle need to be a glacial cycle?
The climate is not what it used to be and it will never be the same again. This is what the models say. Where does this knowledge come from? In short, we learn it from the clues that nature left on the planet since its formation. And it is precisely with these observations where our story begins. Since the beginnings of mountaineering, many visitors of the Alps and other mountain ranges have wonde ...[Read More]
GeoLog
“Are you aug?” A strategic foresight into human enhancement, climate adaptation, and access disparities
The Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) placed human augmentation on a 5–10 year timeline, identifying it as a key area where technological advancement could soon reshape societies. Their GESDA radar platform tracks over 500 emerging science breakthroughs including enhanced cognition, programmable biology, and climate-resilient bioengineering. The foresight is clear: we are entering a ...[Read More]
Geodynamics
Unpacking Energy Resilience: The Role of Holistic Frameworks in Facing Extreme Weather Events and Future Challenges
Have you ever wondered what energy resilience means and how we can prepare for the future while facing extreme weather events? In this week’s blog, PhD Student Spilios Iliopoulos from the Division of Environmental Technology and Management at Linköping University, shares his thoughts about energy resilience and the important role of having in place holistic frameworks, whilst facing extreme weathe ...[Read More]