Muons are an extremely dense (207 times heavier than an electron), negatively charged subatomic particle. They were first discovered in 1936 by Carl D. Anderson and Seth Neddermeyer and are formed when high energy protons in cosmic rays collide with atomic nuclei in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. It has been estimated that around 10,000 reach any one square metre of Earth, every minute. Without going … Continue reading The Importance of Muons to Geography
In a geographic sense, environmental determinism is defined as the belief that the environment with its geological features, landforms and climate, has directly shaped the way that societies have developed. In other words, physical features have set human civilisations on a certain developmental trajectory. Continue reading Environmental Determinism
Volcanic eruptions are notoriously hard to predict, let alone model. When they erupt, they can cause catastrophic devastation to livelihoods dependent on them. This factsheet looks at the ways that eruptions can be predicted and modelled; an imperfect yet vital science. Continue reading Monitoring Volcanoes
As the late Kofi Annan aptly put it,” Communities will always face natural hazards, but today’s disasters are often generated by, or at least exacerbated by human activities.” Continue reading Mitigating the Effects of Volcanic Eruptions
Globally, wildfires in the 2019/2020 season have been extremely severe, affecting countries across the globe, at all latitudes. From fires in the northern hemisphere within the Arctic Circle in Siberia, to fires in the equatorial Amazon rainforest, and the Australian bushfires in the southern hemisphere – they have had devastating effects. Continue reading Fanning the Flames
The above photo takes me back to the summer of 2017 when I was on holiday in Yellowstone National Park. The photo is of the Grand Prismatic Spring which is the third largest hot spring in the world. What I remember most is the amazing spectrum of colours across the spring and the swirling steam constantly rising majestically out of the pool. Continue reading The Grand Prismatic Spring
