The Institute of Geophysics is a public research institution whose mission is to conduct fundamental and applied research in the Earth sciences, to maintain a network of Earth observation facilities, and to engage in education and informing the public on scientific issues of high societal importance.
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Embracing complexity to better forecast volcanic eruptions
A major goal of volcanology is to forecast volcanic eruptions. Eruptions come in many shapes and sizes. The largest eruptions result in massive collapse of the ground above the emptying magma chamber and in the emission of giant flows of hot gas and ashes are a threat...
Almanac of Geoscience Experiments in English
We are pleased to announce the release of the Almanac of Geoscience Experiments in English. Geology often remains on the sidelines in school education, despite being key to understanding the world around us. For teachers looking to enrich their lessons in science,...
Stress variations and non-shear earthquakes before the 2021 Iceland eruption trace magmatic fluids
Fluids play a fundamental role in driving seismic and volcanic activity. Unlike magma, which is molten rock, fluids are low-viscosity substances that can penetrate fractures in the Earth's crust, modifying its mechanical properties. Changes in fluid pressure can...
Boil, freeze, bubble, crack, repeat! Czech and British scientists simulate the Solar System’s ‘ice volcanoes’ in the lab
On Earth, water follows well-known physical rules: it freezes below 0 °C and boils above 100 °C. But on icy moons like Europa or Enceladus—worlds with extremely thin or even absent atmospheres—water behaves in fundamentally different and unstable ways. Under such...