News
Find out about the latest news, announcements and stories about earth sciences at ANU.
- News
William Compston FAA FTSE FRS, was born in Western Australia in 1931. As a child he lived with his parents at his father’s butcher’s shop in Perth. After his father died in 1943 the shop was sold and the family went to visit relatives in Melbourne, becoming trapped there by wartime restrictions on travel to Perth. While in Melbourne Bill was introduced to geology by one of his brothers, who had a science degree in Geology.
- Analysis and opinion
New research suggests southern Australia may experience longer and more frequent droughts in the future, as the climate changes.
- Research story
The detection of energy signals from strong winter storms in the North Atlantic Ocean which travel through the Earth’s core could enhance understanding of our solar system, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU).
The ANU seismologists used two 50-by-50-kilometre spiral arrays in Australia to detect PKP waves, which are core waves generated by cyclones in the North Atlantic that move through the Earth’s centre to Australia during the Australian summer.
The study identified two key regions in Greenland and Newfoundland as sources of these seismic signals generated by ocean waves.
- Student profile
Jasmine Zollinger, a science student at ANU, can pinpoint the beginning of her fascination with Earth sciences to the day that ANU seismologist Dr Sima Mousavi visited her school in year eight.
- News
During the first few weeks of the Denman Marine Voyage, we’ve seen sea ice in a variety of shapes and forms. Many of us stood at the windows of the observation lounge to see the RSV Nuyina first glide from the open ocean into a thick covering of sea ice. Since then, we have seen different types of sea ice, from newly-formed ice to thicker, older floes that shake the ship when we collide with it.
- News
- Research story
A new species of fish that lived in Australian freshwater lakes and rivers about 15 million years ago has been named after the researcher from The Australian National University (ANU) who played a key role in its discovery.
Professor Jochen Brocks discovered several fossils of the ancient fish, named Ferruaspis brocksi, at the McGraths Flat fossil site near Gulgong in New South Wales (NSW).
- Research story
Aotearoa New Zealand experiences frequent earthquakes, including destructive ones such as those that struck Christchurch in 2010 and 2011, and near Kaikōura in 2018.
In the South Island, the largest seismic hazard is the 600km Alpine Fault, which runs the length of the Southern Alps and defines the boundary between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates.
- News
What happens when research rolls into the kitchen? These PhD students will tell you that you can have your cake and eat it too.