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Recent Posts
- They come and go
- Study geology!
- Groundwater
- A look at Fågeltofta’s geology
- A little bit of geology
- A bitter taste
- Lybymosse revisited
- Thursday thoughts
- What’s up in January?
- What is green about a metal?
- Charming the media?
- Much less than expected?
- Thoughts about the ‘Dictyonema shale’
- Alum shale and uranium
- Samrådsunderlag – Project Viken
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Tag Archives: Geological Sciences
Study geology!
Most people have some knowledge in biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics, but very few are actually familiar with geology. Of course everyone knows about dinosaurs, most people also know about volcanoes and earthquakes and how devastating a tsunami can be. … Continue reading
Posted in Österlen, geology, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged earth science, Geological Sciences, geology, geoscience, mining, raw material, smart phone
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A look at Fågeltofta’s geology
Let’s continue a bit more along the geology trail! After all geology is fun and interesting and many more should get insight into the subject – that’s at least what I think :-)) Linking geology to real life is a … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, geology, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Drill cores, Exploration permits, geological maps, Geological Sciences, Geological Survey of Sweden, geology, Geosciences, quaternary sediments, Scandinavian ice sheet, Scandivanadium, Skåne
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Sometimes I am wondering …
… if my writing is easy enough to understand. My intention is not to reach out to geologists or geology students, but to reach a wider audience with little or no geological knowledge. Although I try to keep my texts … Continue reading
There is a lot of uranium in the Alum shale ….
In my last blog I wrote that not much has been published regarding the 28 deep drill cores made by SGU around Myrviken between 1977 and 1979. But I was not entirely correct. David Gee alerted me to a figure … Continue reading
New course starts Monday!
Tomorrow our Master course (Field Studies in Geological Sciences) starts, which will have a clear focus on Applied Geology and will be almost completely different compared to last year’s course. We are very lucky that we could recruit an adjunct … Continue reading
SGU in focus
The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) has made media headlines during the past days. This government “expert agency for issues relating to bedrock, soil and groundwater in Sweden” recently changed is director and with the change in directors, there always … Continue reading
Human adaptation to climate change in prehistoric NE Thailand?
This pretty challenging line, however without the question mark, is the title of a new manuscript, which we submitted yesterday. For this manuscript we pulled together all the paleoclimate evidences we have for Northeast Thailand based on our sedimentary records … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Geological Sciences, lake sediments, monsoon history, Nanyang Technical University, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Student exchange opportunities! Grab it!
Why not spend some time in tropical Singapore, where the sun is (almost) always shining and temperatures never fall below 25 degrees C, and combine this with studying geosciences? Thanks to an agreement between the science faculties at Stockholm University … Continue reading
Posted in Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian School of the Environment, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Exchange studies, Geological Sciences, geology, Geosciences, Nanyang Technical University, natural science, science, Singapore, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, undergraduate students
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It is actually a great feeling …
…. when your PhD student manages to get a paper accepted in Nature. It never happened to me before, but today was the day! Francesco, who had worked so hard on this paper and on the replies to the various … Continue reading
I am angry
I know that I should not be angry and upset! Life is just good. One of my PhD students will soon see his Nature Communications paper online. I am in Singapore, enjoying the tropical warmth and I am on a … Continue reading
Talking about exchange
The people here at the Earth Observatory, who are responsible for the undergraduate education in the Asian School of the Environment, would like to start a regular exchange of students. This week we continued our discussions and I explained a … Continue reading
Hammock and palm tree?
My four-year old grandson thought being in the tropics would mean lying in a hammock under a palm tree. Singapore is in the tropics, and there are palm trees, but so far I have not seen a single hammock. Instead … Continue reading
NTU Campus for foodies
Before I came to NTU, I thought I would cook my own food in the evenings and when I had arrived I was a bit disappointed to not find a real stove in the kitchen, but just a heating plate, … Continue reading
My walk to and from work
The sun has been shining during the last days and haze warnings have classified the situation as less unhealthy. Sun and better visibility place the campus in a much better light! On the down side of the coin is that … Continue reading
Toba eruption ash on campus?
The Toba eruption, which occurred about 74,000 years ago, at the site of Lake Toba on Sumatra, Indonesia, spread its ash over wide areas in Southeast Asia and is an important marker horizon in many paleo archives. Caroline Bouvier, one … Continue reading
Meeting wild boar in Singapore
Living on the campus of Nanyang Technical University is pretty easy and convenient. Everything is basically within walking distance (10 minute walk to the Earth Observatory – EOS), although frequent free buses also tour the campus; different types of Asian … Continue reading
Mosquitoes – no thank you
It is almost 2 months now since I arrived in Bangkok. Looking through my WordPress posts I realize that I have not written very much about all my adventures and travels, about my meetings and impressions. I only managed to … Continue reading
My little pet
I don’t seem to be alone in my small apartment in the middle of Sukhumvit in Bangkok. Last evening I heard a loud noise typical for the small, almost translucent geckos, which are common everywhere. You hardly see them, but … Continue reading
And the sea never rests
Svante Björck from the Geology Department, Lund University in Sweden is currently also visiting Chulalongkorn University. His lecture on Quaternary Sea Level Changes – A Complex Story was well attended. About 70-80 students and many staff members quickly filled the … Continue reading
Dress code
All students at Chulalongkorn University need to dress properly and wear a special, but simple uniform: dark trousers and white shirts for boys and dark skirts and white blouses for girls. And proper shoes of course, no sandals or flip … Continue reading
Lakes and wetlands tell an important story
A few days ago, I gave a lecture to undergraduate students in geology at Chulalongkorn University. I chose the title ‘Lakes and wetlands tell an important story’ since the focus of our Asian monsoon project is on lakes and wetlands … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, natural science, sabbatical, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand
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Studying abroad
It is almost a week now since I arrived in busy Bangkok. The culture shock has subsided and I am adjusting, although it is still difficult to get used to the heat, the traffic and above all – the heavy … Continue reading
From floor 26 to floor 2
It is definitely not easy to find a serviced apartment here in Bangkok given the requirements I have: quiet location, nice neighborhood, close to the subway and to Chulalongkorn University, not higher than floor 10, and if possible in an … Continue reading
Plant remains from ancient sediments
During the weeks before Christmas I was busy at the microscope looking through sample after sample to select plant remains for radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon dates provide us with an age for our sediment sequences, and to obtain good and valid … Continue reading
Summing up 2014
At this time of the year people send Christmas cards and wishes for the upcoming year. Some even summarize in shorter and longer reports what they and their family had been up to during the year. These types of letters … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Les Eyzies, monsoon history, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand, tsunami
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From the Asian monsoon to North Atlantic climate
As an early Christmas present, Francesco Muschitiello’s and my manuscript Time-transgressive environmental shifts across Northern Europe at the onset of the Younger Dryas is now online! After years of excursions into the Asian monsoon, it seems that I am back … Continue reading
More on SGU’s research funding
Following up on yesterday’s blog, I thought I should mention why I feel so strongly about SGU’s (Geological Survey of Sweden) small and decreasing research budget. First of all, SGU’s research money is directed at geoscience research being done in … Continue reading
Frustration
Each year the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) invites research applications on issues that are of importance and relevance for the Geological Survey and for Geosciences in Sweden. Submitted research proposals are evaluated by external reviewers and by members of … Continue reading
It’s been a long time
Yes, I am still around and yes I am fine, and no, I am not lazy, just terribly busy with other things! It has been exactly 41 days since I published my last blog. And so much has happened since. … Continue reading
Curiosity drives science
The video (in Swedish) documenting the experiences, thoughts and expectations of the teachers, who are currently enrolled in the research school on natural hazards, was finally released a few days ago. The research school is organized in collaboration with the … Continue reading
The big day
Within one week, two of my PhD students successfully defended their PhD theses: Akkaneewut (Nut) Chabangborn on October 10th and Sakonvan (Moo) Chawchai on October 17. It was a great and stressful day for each of them – first presenting … Continue reading
Au revoir Vallée de la Vézère
Back in France, in the Périgord, and in the beautiful Vézère valley, where the very last excursion of the course on human evolution is taking place. Having taught this course now for more than eight years, and after probably a … Continue reading
Posted in Les Eyzies, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Chez Jugie, Cougnac, Department of Geological Sciences, Font de Gaume, Geological Sciences, geology, Human evolution, Le Moustier, Les Eyzies, Musée de la Préhistoire, Neanderthals, Pech Merle, Rouffignac cave, Stockholm University, Students
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Following the Icebreaker Oden
About a week ago, most of my colleagues started their long travel via Anchorage and Barrow to the Icebreaker Oden, who will transport them across the Arctic Ocean back to Tromsö and finally to Stockholm. Out of about 25 people … Continue reading
Life is not easy …
The last four to six months as a PhD student are probably the worst – real deadlines have to be met, manuscripts have to be finished, the thesis summary has to be completed, the thesis defense has to be prepared, … Continue reading
Pedagogic prize – teacher of the year in natural sciences
Each year Stockholm University invites nominations for the best teachers of the year. Employees and students can nominate a teacher, who has shown excellent pedagogic abilities, who has shown and demonstrated a strong interest in further developing teaching and who … Continue reading
The weeks after midsummer
Midsummer in Sweden is not only an important holiday, marking the longest day of the year; it is also the time of the year when life start to slow down. This is especially obvious when it comes to university life. … Continue reading
Where will they all go?
One of the larger events this year, at least for our Department, will be the SWERUS-C3 expedition to the Arctic. More than half of the researchers at IGV (Dept of Geological Sciences) will join the expedition, which is led by … Continue reading
Good prospects for geoscience students
The June issue of EOS featured a short article, which summarizes “The Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2014 Report”. This report, although based on a survey in the USA, is really good news for all geoscience students, because it predicts … Continue reading
How a small peatbog reached fame
The small peatbog of Hässeldala in southern Sweden is located in the middle of a mixed forest, fringed with blueberry shrubs and boulders, and almost impossible to find. I stumbled upon the site more than ten years ago and was … Continue reading
Not lazy, just too busy!
I know that I should have reported more from this year’s EGU meeting in Vienna, which for us was a really successful meeting, with many posters and a talk, and many people interested in our research! Camilla, Moo and Kweku … Continue reading
EGU 2014
When I attended last year’s EGU meeting in Vienna I was shocked to see so few women among the medalists. The situation has slightly improved this year, with 5 women out of 36 scientists receiving a medal. But honestly, this … Continue reading
Approaching the deadline
Life is almost too busy at the moment. With two PhD students finishing within the next six months, one PhD student taking his mid-term exam in May, and two licentiate students defending in less than a year. All of them … Continue reading
A few days in France
One of the many tasks of being a researcher is being a member of PhD thesis committees. It is already the second time this year that I am part of a committee to evaluate a PhD thesis. This means reading … Continue reading
Bike as fast as you can
Have you ever biked to create the necessary energy to charge your phone or computer? I just did, at a recently installed charging station at Paris’ Charles De Gaulle airport. Charging took time since the biking did not create very … Continue reading
Earthquake in Lake Vättern
Colleagues at Stockholm, Lund and Uppsala Universities just published an exciting article in the journal Geology, where they describe a major earthquake that occurred some 11500 years ago! This is really a long time ago, and it is amazing that … Continue reading
Monsoon film gets attention
Great to see that our latest film Under the Eyes of the Buddha – in White Coats now is a news item on Stockholm University’s Science Faculty’s homepage. Hopefully this will help spreading the film to a wider audience. I … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Science and media, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Communicating research, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, natural science, science, science career, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand, university
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Under the Eyes of the Buddha – In White Coats
Finally, finally our latest video about the Asian Monsoon Project is finished! This film really took time to finish! But then it is also different from the earlier films. It involves many more people, a specially designed animation, and specially … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Science and media, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Communicating research, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, media, monsoon history, natural science, Plastic Buddha, science, science communication, scientists, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand
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The luxury of a sabbatical
My application for a sabbatical next year has been approved! What a luxury to being able to spend time abroad and to being able to only and entirely concentrate on my research. It is great that Stockholm University provides and … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Science and media, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, Myanmar, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden, Thailand
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Sediments and radiocarbon dating
Time flies, which means busy days and definitely no boredom! Last week we had a successful workshop, which focused on Asian monsoon research at the Bolin Centre, and brought together scientists interested in different aspects of the Asian monsoon: paleo-data, … Continue reading
A few steps closer
We have covered an enormous time interval during the past weeks, from 7 million year old Sahelanthropus to the appearance of Homo erectus/ergaster/georgicus some 1.8 million years ago. We are getting closer to Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis, the Denisovans and … Continue reading
Links, links, links
So much information is now available when it comes to the subject of human evolution! Science blogs, less scientific blogs, online courses, TV programs, books and of course a wealth of science articles. All this diverse information can easily give … Continue reading
Asien monsoon research at the Bolin centre
Next week we will host a small workshop dealing with the Southeast Asian monsoon, past, present and future. Three invited speakers will present their research next Thursday, Kevin Anchukaitis and Jessica Tierney from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Hans Linderholm … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, natural science, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Australopithecines and the first humans
We are gradually moving towards modern times, but have still some 1.5-2 million years to go! Tonight’s lecture was about the large group of different species, which can – generally spoken – be bundled into Australopithecines, and about Homo habilis … Continue reading
More reading suggestions for my curious students
Human evolution really is a hot topic in science. Almost every week we can hear about new discoveries. These are not only published in scientific journals, but are also widely reported in different media, newspapers, blogs, TV, and radio. Just … Continue reading
Posters and talks at EGU
This year’s participation in the annual meeting of the European Geoscience Union will be tough! All our eight abstracts have been accepted, and this means a lot of work. Of course we still don’t know which of these will be … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged ancient tsunamis, Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Communicating research, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Myanmar, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden, Thailand
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Communicating Earth Science
Back to one of my favorite topics – using films to explain earth sciences to a wider audience. Of course there are many great films about different aspects of earth sciences and these have been made with a huge financial … Continue reading
Barbara Wohlfarth 