Press releases

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New study: Fracking prompts global spike in atmospheric methane

Press release
14 August 2019

As methane concentrations increase in the Earth’s atmosphere, chemical fingerprints point to a probable source: shale oil and gas, according to new Cornell University research published today in Biogeosciences, a journal of the European Geosciences Union.

Climate impact of clouds made from airplane contrails may triple by 2050

Press release
27 June 2019

In the right conditions, airplane contrails can linger in the sky as contrail cirrus – ice clouds that can trap heat inside the Earth’s atmosphere. Their climate impact has been largely neglected in global schemes to offset aviation emissions, even though contrail cirrus have contributed more to warming the atmosphere than all CO₂ emitted by aircraft since the start of aviation. A new study published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics has found that, due to air traffic activity, the climate impact of contrail cirrus will be even more significant in the future, tripling by 2050.

More than 90% of glacier volume in the Alps could be lost by 2100

Press release
9 April 2019

New research on how glaciers in the European Alps will fare under a warming climate has come up with concerning results. Under a limited warming scenario, glaciers would lose about two-thirds of their present-day ice volume, while under strong warming, the Alps would be mostly ice free by 2100. The results, now published in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) journal The Cryosphere, are presented today (9 April) at the EGU General Assembly 2019 in Vienna, Austria.

EGU flags outisde the Austria Center Vienna during the EGU General Assembly

EGU General Assembly 2019 Media Advisory 4 – ExoMars press conference, live streams, on-site registration

Press release
2 April 2019

Next week (7–12 April), some 14,000 scientists will gather in Vienna for the 2019 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The press conference programme includes presentations on new results from the ExoMars mission and latest research on plastic pollution, as well as a press conference where scientists will announce the Antarctic location they found to drill for 1.5 million-year old ice.

EGU General Assembly 2019 Media Advisory 3 – Press conference schedule, online registration closing tomorrow

Press release
13 March 2019

The schedule of press conferences at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now available. It includes media briefings on the latest research on plastic pollution, European climate, and health risks, as well as a press conference where scientists will announce the Antarctic location they found to drill for 1.5 million-year old ice.

EGU establishes new award for Earth, planetary and space science journalism

Press release
26 February 2019

The Angela Croome Award is the newest addition to the EGU awards and medals portfolio. The award aims to recognise journalists who show continued, excellent and successful reporting of Earth, space or planetary sciences.

EGU General Assembly 2019 Media Advisory 2 – Meeting programme online, provisional press conferences

Press release
20 February 2019

The programme for the 2019 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now online. Among over 1000 sessions, it features a Union symposium on climate tipping points, debates on both the safe operating space for the planet and on open access publishing (Plan S), and a session on science, politics and European (dis)integration featuring Mario Monti. In this year’s press conferences, journalists can find out where scientists are planning to drill for the oldest ice on Earth, what the latest research on plastic pollution is, and much more.

Winners of the EGU Science Journalism Fellowship 2019

Virginia Gewin, Katherine Kornei and Martha Henriques awarded EGU Science Journalism Fellowship

Press release
22 January 2019

The support will allow Gewin to report on peatland restoration efforts in Scotland, Kornei to follow a team in Taiwan studying the dynamic landscape of Taroko National Park and its landslides, and Henriques to travel to several European countries to explore some of the continent’s abandoned uranium mines.

Anak Krakatau, photographed in January 2016

EGU response to Indonesia’s tsunami following Anak Krakatau volcanic eruption

Press release
24 December 2018

On Saturday at around 21:30 local time (15:30 CET), a tsunami struck Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, which is located between the islands of Java and Sumatra. The tsunami may have been caused by undersea landslides following the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano. EGU experts comment on the events.

EGU General Assembly 2019 Media Advisory 1 – Media registration now open

Press release
6 December 2018

The 2019 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) provides an opportunity for journalists to find out about the latest research in the Earth, planetary and space sciences, and to talk to researchers from all over the world. The meeting, the largest geosciences conference in Europe, is anticipated to bring together over 14,000 scientists in 2019. It runs from 7 to 12 April and is taking place at the Austria Center Vienna, in Vienna, Austria.

Razorbill photographed in Kilrenny, Scotland in 2018

What seabirds can tell us about the tide

Press release
29 November 2018

A new study published in Ocean Science shows the potential of using seabirds to measure ocean currents.

EGU Science Journalism Fellows 2012–2018

Applications open for EGU Science Journalism Fellowships 2019 (up to €5k)

Press release
18 October 2018

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now accepting applications for the 8^th edition of its Science Journalism Fellowship competition. The fellowships enable journalists to report, in any European language, on ongoing research in the Earth, planetary or space sciences, with successful applicants receiving up to €5000 to cover expenses related to their projects. The deadline for applications is 6 December 2018.

EGU’s reaction to IPCC report on Global Warming of 1.5°C

Press release
9 October 2018

Yesterday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations scientific and intergovernmental body, published the summary for policymakers of its Global Warming of 1.5ºC (SR15) report. EGU representatives react to the findings.

Bombing of a factory at Marienburg, Germany, on 9 October 1943

Impact of WWII bombing raids felt at edge of space

Press release
26 September 2018

Bombing raids by Allied forces during the Second World War not only caused devastation on the ground but also sent shockwaves through Earth’s atmosphere which were detected at the edge of space, according to new research. University of Reading researchers have revealed the shockwaves produced by huge bombs dropped by Allied planes on European cities were big enough to weaken the electrified upper atmosphere – the ionosphere – above the UK, 1000km away. The results are published today in the European Geosciences Union journal Annales Geophysicae.

Glacial engineering could limit sea-level rise, if we get our emissions under control

Press release
20 September 2018

Targeted engineering projects to hold off glacier melting could slow down the collapse of ice sheets and limit sea-level rise, according to a new study published in the European Geosciences Union journal The Cryosphere. While an intervention similar in size to existing large civil engineering projects could only have a 30% chance of success, a larger project would have better odds of holding off ice-sheet collapse. But study authors Michael Wolovick and John Moore caution that reducing emissions still remains key to stopping climate change and its dramatic effects.

Deadline for climate action – Act strongly before 2035 to keep warming below 2°C

Press release
30 August 2018

If governments don’t act decisively by 2035 to fight climate change, humanity could cross a point of no return after which limiting global warming below 2°C in 2100 will be unlikely, according to a new study by scientists in the UK and the Netherlands. The research also shows the deadline to limit warming to 1.5°C has already passed, unless radical climate action is taken. The study is published today in the European Geosciences Union journal Earth System Dynamics.

Landslides triggered by human activity on the rise

Press release
23 August 2018

More than 50,000 people were killed by landslides around the world between 2004 and 2016, according to a new study by researchers at UK’s Sheffield University. The team, who compiled data on over 4800 fatal landslides during the 13-year period, also revealed for the first time that landslides resulting from human activity have increased over time. The research is published today in the European Geosciences Union journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences.

New study puts a figure on sea-level rise following Antarctic ice shelves’ collapse

Press release
19 July 2018

An international team of scientists has shown how much sea level would rise if Larsen C and George VI, two Antarctic ice shelves at risk of collapse, were to break up. While Larsen C has received much attention due to the break-away of a trillion-tonne iceberg from it last summer, its collapse would contribute only a few millimetres to sea-level rise. The break-up of the smaller George VI Ice Shelf would have a much larger impact. The research is published today in the European Geosciences Union journal The Cryosphere.

New study: oxygen loss in the coastal Baltic Sea is “unprecedentedly severe”

Press release
5 July 2018

The Baltic Sea is home to some of the world’s largest dead zones, areas of oxygen-starved waters where most marine animals can’t survive. But while parts of this sea have long suffered from low oxygen levels, a new study by a team in Finland and Germany shows that oxygen loss in coastal areas over the past century is unprecedented in the last 1500 years. The research is published today in the European Geosciences Union journal Biogeosciences.

Hurricane Harvey: Dutch-Texan research shows most fatalities occurred outside flood zones

Press release
19 April 2018

A Dutch-Texan team found that most Houston-area drowning deaths from Hurricane Harvey occurred outside the zones designated by government as being at higher risk of flooding: the 100- and 500-year floodplains. Harvey, one of the costliest storms in US history, hit southeast Texas on 25 August 2017 causing unprecedented flooding and killing dozens. Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and Rice University in Texas published their results today in the European Geosciences Union journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences.

Evening at the Austria Center Vienna during the EGU General Assembly

EGU 2018 General Assembly media advisory 4 – Press conferences live stream, on-site registration

Press release
3 April 2018

Next week (8–13 April), some 14,000 scientists will gather in Vienna for the 2018 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The meeting provides an opportunity for journalists to hear about the latest research in the Earth, planetary and space sciences and to talk to scientists from all over the world. The press conference programme includes presentations on new results from ESA and NASA missions, what’s at risk from coastal hazards, and the 2017 wildfire season, among other topics. Interested journalists can register on-site, free of charge, during the meeting. Those who cannot make it to Vienna can watch press conferences remotely through live-streaming links.

EGU 2018 General Assembly media advisory 3 – Press conference schedule, online registration closing tomorrow

Press release
5 March 2018

The schedule of press conferences at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now available. It includes presentations on new results from ESA and NASA missions, what’s at risk from coastal hazards, and the 2017 wildfire season, among other topics. The EGU General Assembly also features a Union session on challenges for the geosciences, and debates on low-risk geoengineering and on threats for life on Earth. For the first time this year, there will also be an EGU Public Lecture, held in parallel with the EGU General Assembly. The meeting is taking place on 8–13 April at the Austria Center Vienna and is expected to attract more than 14,000 scientists from around the world. Journalists interested in attending should register online by tomorrow.

EGU 2018 General Assembly media advisory 2 – Meeting programme online, provisional press conference topics

Press release
20 February 2018

The programme for the 2018 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now online. The meeting, which is anticipated to attract over 14,000 scientists, provides an opportunity for journalists to hear about the latest research in the Earth and space sciences and to talk to scientists from all over the world. This year’s conference features a Union session on challenges for the geosciences, and debates on low-risk geoengineering and on threats for life on Earth. Press conference topics include: new results from ESA and NASA missions, what’s at risk from coastal hazards, and the 2017 wildfire season, to mention a few. The meeting is taking place on 8–13 April in Vienna, Austria, at the Austria Center Vienna.

Antarctic ozone 'hole' in September 2006 and 2011

Ozone at lower latitudes is not recovering, despite Antarctic ozone hole healing

Press release
6 February 2018

The ozone layer – which protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation – is recovering at the poles, but unexpected decreases in part of the atmosphere may be preventing recovery at lower latitudes, new research has found. The new result, published today in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, finds that the bottom part of the ozone layer at more populated latitudes is not recovering. The cause is currently unknown.

Julia Rosen and Vivien Cumming, winners of the EGU 2018 Science Journalism Fellowship

Julia Rosen and Vivien Cumming awarded EGU Science Journalism Fellowship

Press release
16 January 2018

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) has named journalists Julia Rosen and Vivien Cumming as the winners of its 2018 Science Journalism Fellowship. The support will allow Rosen to travel to the UK to write about the role of soil in the phosphorus crisis, while Cumming will follow scientists in Myanmar to tell the story of carbon in rivers.

EGU 2018 General Assembly media advisory 1 – Media registration now open

Press release
4 December 2017

The 2018 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) provides an opportunity for journalists to hear about the latest research in the Earth, planetary and space sciences, and to talk to scientists from all over the world. The meeting, the largest geosciences conference in Europe, brings together over 13,000 researchers and is taking place in Vienna, Austria, from 8 to 13 April..

Illustration depicting Germans emigrating to America in the 19th century

Climate changes triggered immigration to America in the 19^th century

Press release
21 November 2017

From Trump to Heinz, some of America’s most famous family names and brands trace their origins back to Germans who emigrated to the country in the 19^th century. Researchers from the University of Freiburg have now found that climate was a major factor in driving migration from Southwest Germany to North America during the 19^th century. The results are published today in Climate of the Past, a journal of the European Geosciences Union.

Deforestation linked to palm oil production is making Indonesia warmer

Press release
25 October 2017

In the past decades, large areas of forest in Sumatra, Indonesia have been replaced by cash crops like oil palm and rubber plantations. New research, published in the European Geosciences Union journal Biogeosciences, shows that these changes in land use increase temperatures in the region. The added warming could affect plants and animals and make parts of the country more vulnerable to wildfires.

Sample of works published by previous EGU Science Journalism Fellowship awardees

Applications open for EGU 2018 Science Journalism Fellowships (up to €5k)

Press release
17 October 2017

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now accepting applications for the 7^th edition of its Science Journalism Fellowship competition. The fellowships enable journalists to report on ongoing research in the Earth, planetary or space sciences, with successful applicants receiving up to €5000 to cover expenses related to their projects. The deadline for applications is 5 December.

Study reveals new threat to the ozone layer

Press release
12 October 2017

“Ozone depletion is a well-known phenomenon and, thanks to the success of the Montreal Protocol, is widely perceived as a problem solved,” says University of East Anglia’s David Oram. But an international team of researchers, led by Oram, has now found an unexpected, growing danger to the ozone layer from substances not regulated by the treaty. The study is published today in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, a journal of the European Geosciences Union.

Removing CO₂ from the air required to safeguard children’s future

Press release
18 July 2017

Reducing greenhouse-gas emissions is not enough to limit global warming to a level that wouldn’t risk young people’s future, according to a new study published in Earth System Dynamics by a team of scientists who say we need negative emissions. Measures such as reforestation could accomplish much of the needed CO₂ removal from the atmosphere, but continued high fossil fuel emissions would demand expensive technological solutions to extract CO₂ and prevent dangerous warming.

EGU’s reaction to US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement

Press release
2 June 2017

Yesterday, the President of the United States announced the country would be withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. The European Geosciences Union (EGU) strongly opposes this decision. The overwhelming scientific consensus on is that climate is changing as a consequence of human activity, and that reducing greenhouse-gas emissions is vital to limit global warming and lower the risk of dangerous climate impacts.

Flat Antarctica – Land height could help explain why Antarctica is warming slower than the Arctic

Press release
18 May 2017

Temperatures in the Arctic are increasing twice as fast as in the rest of the globe, while the Antarctic is warming at a much slower rate. A new study published in Earth System Dynamics, a journal of the European Geosciences Union, shows that land height could be a “game changer” when it comes to explaining why temperatures are rising at such different rates in the two regions.

Coral reefs struggle to keep up with rising seas, leave coastal communities at risk

Press release
20 April 2017

In the first ecosystem-wide study of changing sea depths at five large coral reef tracts in Florida, the Caribbean and Hawai’i, researchers found the sea floor is eroding in all five places, and the reefs cannot keep pace with sea level rise. As a result, coastal communities protected by the reefs are facing increased risks from storms, waves and erosion. The study, by a US Geological Survey team, is published today (20 April) in Biogeosciences, a journal of the European Geosciences Union.

Flags outside the ACV during the EGU General Assembly

EGU 2017 General Assembly media advisory 4 – Press conferences live stream, on-site registration

Press release
19 April 2017

Next week (23–28 April), some 14,000 scientists will gather in Vienna for the 2017 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The meeting that provides an opportunity for journalists to hear about the latest research in the Earth and space sciences and to talk to scientists from all over the world. The press conference programme includes presentations on Cassini’s grand finale, food security, and screaming clouds, among other topics. Interested journalists can register on-site, free of charge, during the meeting. Those who cannot make it to Vienna can watch press conferences remotely through live-streaming links.

EGU 2017 General Assembly media advisory 3 – Press conference schedule, online registration closing tomorrow

Press release
16 March 2017

The schedule of press conferences at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now available. It includes presentations on Cassini’s grand finale, food security, and screaming clouds, among other topics. The EGU General Assembly also features a Union session on how scientists can stand up for science, and debates on global opportunities and threats from Arctic environmental changes, on the 2°C climate target, and on great extinctions. The meeting is taking place on 23–28 April at the Austria Center Vienna and is expected to attract more than 14,000 scientists from around the world. Journalists interested in attending should register online by Sunday.

EGU 2017 General Assembly media advisory 2 – Meeting programme online, provisional press conference topics

Press release
1 March 2017

The programme for the 2017 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now online. The meeting, which this year is anticipated to attract over 14,000 scientists, provides an opportunity for journalists to hear about the latest research in the Earth and space sciences and to talk to scientists from all over the world. This year’s conference features a Union session on how scientists can stand up for science, and debates on global opportunities and threats from Arctic environmental changes, on the 2°C climate target, and on great extinctions. Press conferences include presentations on the polar regions, cities’ resilience to a changing climate, and the future of food and drink, among other topics. The meeting is taking place on 23–28 April in Vienna, Austria, at the Austria Center Vienna.

Ski slopes with little snow in Davos, December 2015

Less snow and a shorter ski season in the Alps

Press release
16 February 2017

After long-awaited snowfall in January, parts of the Alps are now covered with fresh powder and happy skiers. But the Swiss side of the iconic mountain range had the driest December since record-keeping began over 150 years ago, and 2016 was the third year in a row with scarce snow over the Christmas period. A study published today in The Cryosphere shows bare Alpine slopes could be a much more common sight in the future.

Jane Qiu and Jane Palmer, winners of the EGU 2017 Science Journalism Fellowship

Jane Qiu and Jane Palmer awarded EGU Science Journalism Fellowship

Press release
18 January 2017

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) has named journalists Jane Qiu and Jane Palmer as the winners of its 2017 Science Journalism Fellowship. The support will allow Qiu to report on glaciers and fjord ecosystems in Svalbard, while Palmer will travel to Peru to find out more about the threat posed by slow-moving landslides.

EGU 2017 General Assembly media advisory 1 – Media registration now open

Press release
14 December 2016

The 2017 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) provides an opportunity for journalists to hear about the latest research in the Earth, planetary and space sciences, and to talk to scientists from all over the world. The meeting, the largest geosciences conference in Europe, brings together over 12,000 researchers, and is taking place in Vienna, Austria, from 23 to 28 April.

The Coldest Decade of the Millennium? How the cold 1430s led to famine and disease

Press release
1 December 2016

A team of international researchers has looked into climate data and historical archives to find out more about the extraordinary climate of the 1430s and how it impacted societies in northwestern and central Europe. Their results are published today in Climate of the Past, a journal of the European Geosciences Union.

Aerial view of the Gauss (Erich von Drygalski's ship) in the ice during the 1901 German Antarctic Expedition

Antarctic explorers help make discovery – 100 years after their epic adventures

Press release
24 November 2016

Heroes of Antarctic exploration have played a crucial role in research, published today in The Cryosphere, that suggests the area of sea ice around Antarctica has barely changed in size in 100 years.

Applications open for EGU 2017 Science Journalism Fellowships (up to €5k)

Press release
25 October 2016

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is now accepting applications for the 6th edition of its Science Journalism Fellowship competition. The fellowships enable journalists to report on ongoing research in the Earth, planetary or space sciences, with successful applicants receiving up to €5000 to cover expenses related to their projects. The deadline for applications is 11 December.

Glacier and glacier lake in the Bolivian Andes

Receding glaciers in Bolivia leave communities at risk

Press release
20 October 2016

A new study published in The Cryosphere, an European Geosciences Union journal, has found that Bolivian glaciers shrunk by 43% between 1986 and 2014, and will continue to diminish if temperatures in the region continue to increase. “On top of that, glacier recession is leaving lakes that could burst and wash away villages or infrastructure downstream,” says lead-author Simon Cook, a lecturer at the Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK.

El retroceso de los glaciares bolivianos pone en peligro a comunidades

Press release
20 October 2016

Un nuevo estudio publicado en The Cryosphere, una revista de la Unión Europea de Geólogos, ha descubierto que entre 1986 y 2014 los glaciares de Bolivia han encogido un 43% y continuarán a hacerlo si las temperaturas en la región siguen incrementando. “Además, el retroceso deja tras de si lagunas que pueden desbordarse llevándose por delante pueblos e infraestructuras situados aguas abajo,” dice el coordinador del estudio Simon Cook, catedrático en la Universidad Metropolitana de Manchester, en el Reino Unido.

Οι κοινότητες της Βολιβίας σε κίνδυνο λόγο της υποχώρησης των πάγων.

Press release
20 October 2016

Μία νέα μελέτη η οποία δημοσιεύθηκε στην επιθεώρηση The Cryosphere (Κρυόσφαιρα), της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης Γεωεπιστημών, κατέδειξε ότι οι πάγοι της Βολιβίας έχουν μειωθεί κατά 43% μεταξύ του 1986 και του 1914, θα συνεχίσουν δε μειούμενοι εάν οι θερμοκρασίες στην περιοχή συνεχίσουν ν’ ανεβαίνουν. «Εξάλλου, η τήξη των πάγων καταλείπει λίμνες οι οποίες θα μπορούσαν να υποστούν αιφνίδια εκκένωση, να καταστρέψουν δε τα χωριά και τις υποδομές στα κατάντη» λέει ο επικεφαλής συγγραφέας Simon Cook (Σάιμον Κούκ), λέκτορας στο Μητροπολιτικό Πανεπιστήμιο του Μάντσεστερ στο Ην. Βασίλειο.

Les communautés Boliviennes en danger à cause du recul des glaciers

Press release
20 October 2016

Une nouvelle étude publiée dans ”The Cryosphere“, la revue des géosciences de l’union européenne, a démontré que les glaciers Boliviens ont reculé de 43% entre 1986 et 2014, et ils vont continuer de diminuer si l’augmentation des températures dans la région continue. ‘’En outre, le recul des glaciers fait apparaitre des lacs qui peuvent connaitre une vidange brutale susceptible de détruire des villages et tout type d’infrastructure en aval,’’ a souligné l’auteur principal Simon Cook, Maitre de conférences à l’Université Métropolitaine de Manchester au Royaume-Uni.

Polar bear tests the strength of thin sea ice in the Arctic

All polar bears across the Arctic face shorter sea ice season

Press release
14 September 2016

New research published in The Cryosphere finds a trend toward earlier sea ice melt in the spring and later ice growth in the autumn across all 19 polar bear populations, which can negatively impact the feeding and breeding capabilities of the bears.

Computer model prediction for how floating debris from MH370 spread (still)

New study reveals where MH370 debris more likely to be found

Press release
27 July 2016

A team of researchers in Italy has used the location of confirmed debris from MH370 to determine where the airliner might have crashed, and where further debris could be found. The study is published today (27 July) in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, an open access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

Stalactites and stalagmites in Yonderup cave

Fire clues in cave dripwater – researchers find wildfire signatures in cave formations for the first time

Press release
21 July 2016

When mineral-rich water drips from a cave’s ceiling over centuries and millennia, it forms rocky cones that hold clues to the Earth’s past climate. Now, researchers in Australia and the UK have found that these structures can also help trace past wildfires that burned above the cave. Their research is published today in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.