Solar Eclipse on Friday

Heavens above! It's the great eclipse: Next Friday morning, Britain will turn from day to night for the first time this century. Here's the Daily Mail guide to all you need to know.

• The Moon will pass between the Sun and the Earth in this landmark event
• It will cast a deep shadow over the planet's surface in a partial eclipse
• Unlike 1999 it will not be a total eclipse over Britain - that will happen over the North Atlantic and the spectacular event will finish over the North Pole
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• Eclipse glasses, a colander or a bucket of water can all be used to view it safely.
• The next similar eclipse will not take place over Britain until August, 2026

It will peak in Wells at 0927

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2994195/Next-Friday-morning-Britain-turn-day-night-time-century-great-eclipse.html#ixzz3UUDI6jcV 

Geoengineering

Scientists who study ideas to engineer the climate to mitigate global warming say we should be ready to deploy an armada of instrumentation when Earth has its next major volcanic eruption.

Data gathered in the high atmosphere would be invaluable in determining whether so-called "geoengineering" solutions had any merit at all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31476393

Why do Geysers erupt?

Like a hidden world of chutes and ladders, the loopy plumbing beneath geysers may explain what causes them to erupt, a new study finds. This finding could settle a long-standing debate over the workings of geysers.

Geysers erupt — sending steam and hot water hundreds of feet into the air, and often releasing a frightening screech and the stench of rotten eggs — because of a series of loops and side chambers hidden deep below the surface that allows water to boil first at the top and then cascade downward, the study found. 

For a nice video and further information:

http://www.livescience.com/49985-geysers-plumbing-eruption.html

Villarica eruption in Chile

One of the most active volcanoes in South America erupted early this morning, forcing thousands of nearby residents and tourists to flee. At 3am local time, the 9,400 foot volcano Villarrica erupted in southern Chile, emitting an enormous plume of smoke overhead and raining a firestorm of lava and ash down the sides of the crater. According to the Associated Press, Chile’s National Emergency Office issued a red alert and ordered the evacuation of people in the city of Pucon, a popular tourist destination which sits just below the volcano. Roughly 3,500 people have already evacuated.

Yesterday, the National Emergency Office issued an orange alert because of an increase in seismic activity.

Now there are two main concerns: The heat from the lava could melt the snow and ice on the sides of the volcano and cause mudslides, and noxious volcanic gases could permeate the air. 

For more information and video click here

GB Geology with Minecraft

Inspired by the Ordnance Survey (OS) which has produced real maps for Minecraft, BGS (British Geological Survey) has reproduced the 2D geology of mainland Great Britain and surrounding islands within the world of Minecraft. This map shows the OS map data on the surface and the rough position of real geology beneath, repeated down to the bedrock.

In reality the geology varies with depth, like cake layers, and BGS is working on representing the arrangement of the rocks and sediments in the form of a3D geological model. Watch this space!

For more information click here