Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences (also referred to as Geosciences), which deals with basic issues surrounding our planet, plays a vital role in the area of energy and raw materials supply.
Earth Sciences comprises subjects such as geology, geography, geological informatics, paleontology, mineralogy, petrography, crystallography, geophysics, geodesy, glaciology, cartography, photogrammetry, meteorology and seismology, early-warning systems, earthquake research and polar research.
Seismic monitoring of permafrost uncovers trend likely related to warming
Seismic waves passing through the ground near Longyearbyen in the Adventdalen valley, Svalbard, Norway have been slowing down steadily over the past three years, most likely due to permafrost warming…
Continental pirouettes
Supervolcano fed from Earth’s mantle caused crustal plates to rotate. The plates of the Earth’s crust perform complicated movements that can be attributed to quite simple mechanisms. That is the…
Remotely-piloted sailboats monitor ‘cold pools’ in tropical environments
Conditions in the tropical ocean affect weather patterns worldwide. The most well-known examples are El Niño or La Niña events, but scientists believe other key elements of the tropical climate…
NASA space lasers map meltwater lakes in Antarctica with striking precision
From above, the Antarctic Ice Sheet might look like a calm, perpetual ice blanket that has covered Antarctica for millions of years. But the ice sheet can be thousands of…
Earth’s cryosphere shrinking by 87,000 square kilometers per year
First global assessment of the extent of snow and ice cover on Earth’s surface–a critical factor cooling the planet through reflected sunlight–and its response to warming temperatures. The global cryosphere–all…
Large measurement campaign in the Atlantic starts
TROPOS lidar on Cabo Verde in operation for the ESA wind satellite Aeolus. To support the ESA wind satellite Aeolus, the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) has now installed…
Old oil fields may be less prone to induced earthquakes
Subsurface carbon sequestration–storing carbon in rocks deep underground–offers a partial solution for removing carbon from the atmosphere. Used alongside emissions reductions, geologic carbon sequestration could help mitigate anthropogenic climate change….
New insights into the formation of chaotic terrains on Mars
Areas like this do not exist on Earth: Cracks, ridges, valleys, large and small angular blocks characterize them. Hence the name, chaotic terrains. How these peculiar regions on Mars were…
Space Weather: Reliable Predictions Thanks to Research in Graz
The influence of solar events on satellite-based applications such as orbit determination, telecommunications or navigation is being investigated by two research projects with the participation of TU Graz. Solar storms…
Antarctic Circumpolar Current Flows More Rapidly in Warm Phases
In future the intensity of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current could increase, accelerating climate change. Our planet’s strongest ocean current, which circulates around Antarctica, plays a major role in determining the…