Old carbon routed from land to the atmosphere by global river systems
A new study has revealed for the first time that ancient carbon, stored in landscapes for thousands of years or more, can find its way back to the atmosphere as CO ₂ released from the surfaces of rivers. The findings, led by Bristol University and co-authored by Professor Ed Tipper of Cambridge Earth Sciences , mean plants...
Professor Marie Edmonds elected Fellow of the Royal Society
Congratulations to Marie Edmonds, Professor of Volcanology and Petrology at the Department of Earth Sciences, on being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This year, over 90 exceptional researchers from across the world have been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences...
Scientists home in on recipe for rare earth element-rich alkaline igneous rocks
Geoscientists from Cambridge have uncovered a new explanation for the diversity of rocks in an alkaline-subalkaline igneous complex that hosts Canada’s only rare earth element mine, offering fresh insights into the origins of similar, often mineral-rich, complexes worldwide. According to the research , the distinct rock...
Cambridge Hosts 2025 Critical Metals Workshop
On the 15-16 th April, Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences hosted a workshop broadly focused on the latest developments in critical metals research, with a particular focus on rare earth elements (REEs). The event brought together around 35 international geoscientists working in the critical metals space. Researchers...
Study of ice-flow physics will improve predictions of ice sheet movement
A new study involving scientists from the University of Cambridge has developed innovative methods to build a better picture of how ice sheets and glaciers move. Published in the journal Nature Geoscience , the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led study used previously collected lab data to refine knowledge of...
Visit our Earth Sciences Fair, happening 29th March
The Sedgwick Museum and the Department of Earth Sciences are hosting an Earth Sciences Fair this Saturday, 29th March, as part of the Cambridge Festival Family Weekend . Visitors will meet earth scientists and explore the world of research through fun, hands-on activities. Highlights include an opportunity to hold...
Read our latest issue of GeoCam magazine
The latest issue of GeoCam is here—and it's packed with exciting updates! Dive into our alumni magazine and meet our new Head of Department, explore fascinating insights from current and former students, and uncover groundbreaking research alongside the latest happenings at the Sedgwick Museum. Latest GeoCam issue, click...
Listen to the hidden music of minerals and crystals
A Cambridge earth scientist and a data sonification expert from Anglia Ruskin University are transforming mineral data into music for the public to enjoy at the Cambridge Festival. By converting microscope images of minerals into musical compositions, Dr Carrie Soderman from Cambridge and Dr Domenico Vincinanza from Anglia...
New research reveals how deep ocean water delivers heat to Antarctic ice shelves
Scientists have pinpointed the key factors that allow pockets of warm seawater to flow beneath the Antarctic ice shelves, melting the ice from below and destabilizing glaciers inland. The research, led by the University of Cambridge, used a remarkably detailed model simulation to show how seasonal changes in wind strength...
New global map promises to better pinpoint vital rare earth deposits
Cambridge geoscientists are developing an atlas that could lead to a more complete understanding of how viable rare earth element deposits form and help locate more secure sources, by mapping the global distribution of critical metals deposits within unusual igneous rocks. Rare earth elements are vital components in many...