Congrats to @richardthomasw.bsky.social (Theme Lead, Environmental Change) on co-authoring a paper in @natgeosci.nature.com on how the Euphrates River was formed, tracing how ancient river systems transformed the region over millions of years. Read the paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Late Miocene Euphrates River drained into a partially desiccated eastern Mediterranean - Nature Geoscience

Two river systems that drained into the partially desiccated Late Miocene Mediterranean later coalesced into the modern Euphrates River as regional uplift redirected drainage to the Persian Gulf, acco...

nature.com

Using seismic‑reflection data, geomorphic mapping, and sediment‑budget modelling, a new study by @richardthomasw.bsky.social and others ‪has shown how the Euphrates River in Western Asia, originated as two distinct river systems. Read 👇 @natureportfolio.nature.com

Oxford Earth Sciences@oxuniearthsci.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New research has shown that the Euphrates River, one of the most historically significant river systems in Western Asia, originated as two distinct river systems that drained into the Mediterranean approximately 5.5 million years ago... @richardthomasw.bsky.social buff.ly/wnMkCth

New research has shown that the Euphrates River, one of the most historically significant river systems in Western Asia, originated as two distinct river systems that drained into the Mediterranean approximately 5.5 million years ago... @richardthomasw.bsky.social buff.ly/wnMkCth

How The Euphrates River Was Born

In a new paper published today in Nature Geosciences, an international team of researchers, including Claudia Bertoni and Richard Walker, investigated the role these waterways had in delivering freshwater to the Mediterranean during the “Messinian Salinity Crisis”, and how tectonic activity redirected their course towards the Persian Gulf.

buff.ly

The Department of Earth Sciences and St Peter's College are recruiting an Associate Professor (or Professor) in Earth Surface Processes to join our thriving academic community! earth.web.ox.ac.uk/vacancies

⚒️🧪Fiery Mud Volcano Eruption! The Daşmərdan (Dashmardan) mud volcano in Azerbaijan erupted ~16:50 on the 30th Jan 2026. The eruption lasted ~15 mins and was accompanied by a pillar of flame several hundred meters high. Daşmərdan had previous documented eruptions in 1866, 1954, 1976, 1986 and 2011.

When paleoseismology becomes uncomfortable: a short fault scarp in a mature orogen. By @speleojacek.bsky.social and Christoph paleoseismicity.org/when-paleose...

paleoseismicity.org | The online community for paleoseismicity, neotectonics, earthquake geology and archeoseismology

Paleoseismicity.org is a page dedicated to scientists and everyone else interested in paleoseismology, archaeoseismology, neotectonics, earthquake archaeology, earthquake engineering and related topic...

paleoseismicity.org

New fully-funded DPhil project with Professor Richard Walker (@richardthomasw.bsky.social) researching the extent, timing, and cause of Quaternary uplift along the Atlantic margin of Morocco! For more information visit our website www.earth.ox.ac.uk/extent-timin...

Extent, timing, and cause of Quaternary uplift along the Atlantic margin of Morocco

Primary Supervisor: Richard Walker

earth.ox.ac.uk

China has started to build a mega dam across Yigong Tsangpo River. Risky venture ? IMO, yes. Valleys have steep side that are prone to landslides - some have created landslide dams that blocked the river. These have later failed generating a massive flood. earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/78293...

23 November 1405 Mw7.5 earthquake destroyed Neyshabur/Nishapur, Rasavi Khorasan province, NE Iran, burying in its ruins many of the inhabitants. Other devastating EQs hit the town in 1209, 1270, 1389 and 1673. doi.org/10.2307/4299... doi.org/10.1785/BSSA... doi.org/10.1785/BSSA...

Iran is facing its worst drought since at least six decades! 😱🔥💧 As a result the iconic Damavand (5,609 m asl), Iran's highest peak, was snow-free at mid-autumn, which appears to be unprecedented! ❄️😰 This stratovolcano had a 3.4 km ice cover in 2002... likely gone today! 🧊 📈 📽️ @IranIntl_En

UTTERLY SURREAL LOW ANGLE GLACIER SLIDE!! 😮😱 On Saturday at 11:00 am, a 2 km-long, 25 m-high, and 150-200 m in width section detached off the Ismoil Somoni Glacier (Tajikistan) and slid down the gorge! 🧊🌊 asiaplustj.info/en/node/354309 📽️ via @volcaholic1

Published in #GJI Geophysical Journal International: "Fault creep in the fluid-rich Kura Basin, Azerbaijan, imaged with InSAR", Johnson et al. This is Fig. 11: read the paper at academic.oup.com/gji/article/... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social @royalastrosoc.bsky.social

Zakeria Shnizai was featured on the BBC Science in Action podcast this week, speaking about the recent #earthquakes in #Afghanistan and the main causes of the country’s vulnerability to earthquakes Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

BBC Sounds - Music. Radio. Podcasts

Listen without limits, with BBC Sounds. Catch the latest music tracks, discover binge-worthy podcasts, or listen to radio shows - all whenever you want.

bbc.co.uk

Link to the paper published in TEKTONIKA #DOAJ @wearetektonika.bsky.social 2/2 ⚒️ tektonika.online/index.php/ho...

Section 👇 from Shnizai & Walker in Tektonika 2024 @wearetektonika.bsky.social shows structure of Jalalabad basin, E #Afghanistan. It's not right across the recent #earthquake but more to the W. The earthquake may have occurred on a thrust fault equivalent to the one to the left of the section. 1/2 ⚒️

2 August 1885 21:20 UT (2:20 of 3rd LT) M6.9-7.6 earthquake destroyed Belodovskoe and Karabalta, west of Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), killing 54 people. Other Northern Tien Chan EQs in 1887, 1889 and 1911. caiag.kg/en/projects/... academic.oup.com/gji/article/... nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83045...

Very happy to share this documentary that documents some of the work of our team and our collaborators in learning more about the earthquakes of Central Asia. @jrarrowsmith.bsky.social

Oxford Sparks@oxfordsparks.bsky.social · last yr.

🎥 "It might never happen"...Remembering forgotten #earthquakes in Central Asia What happens when natural disasters fade from living memory? How do societies perceive #risk? @richardthomasw.bsky.social & Dr Neill Marshall‬ share their fascinating #research @ox.ac.uk bit.ly/444sMFA 1/2

SPEECHLESS BEFORE / AFTER #BLATTEN The magnitude of destruction after the 3:24 pm collapse of Birch Glacier is immense! 😱 All the forest has been razed and the ice/wood/debris dammed the Lonza river 🌊 Some buildings of Blatten are buried 🏠 📷 Pomona

Watch the ground break and move during the magnitude 7.7 #Myanmar #earthquake. This footage shows the incredible power of the earthquake that devastated parts of Myanmar and #Thailand. My thoughts are with the people impacted by this event. 💔 🧪⚒️

10 May 1997 7:58 UT Mw7.3 Zirkuh earthquake along Abiz Fault, east of Qaen, South Khorasan, NE Iran, destroyed 10,000 houses, killing 1567 people in Iran and 5 in Afghanistan. The seismic sequence begun in 1968. earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/... doi.org/10.1111/j.13... nyshistoricnewspapers.org

1 May 1929 15:38 UT Mw7.2 earthquake and aftershocks, in the Kopet Dag, at Iran-Turkmenistan border, destroyed villages and caused 3800 deaths, most in Iran. The Quchan 1871-95 EQs were in the same fault zone. earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/... jstor.org/stable/74468... chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

25 April 1966 23:23 UT (5:23 of 26th LT) Mw5.2 earthquake destroyed Tashkent, Uzbekistan, killing 15 to 200 people and leaving 300,000 homeless - very shallow and near urban center. earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/... doi.org/10.1016/j.so... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_Ta... e-newspaperarchives.ch

We are excited to be a part of a new multidisciplinary research initiative for sustainable natural resources. The Oxford EARTH programme aims to address the challenges in natural resources underpinning the net zero energy transition 🌎

A short introduction to the Miocene paleogeography of #Almeria and the #Alboran sea by Hannah Fry ‘Geology is cool man..’ youtube.com/shorts/jt9Wv...

The Mediterranean Sea wasn't always a sea

YouTube video by Hannah Fry

youtube.com

Our blog has been a bit quiet over these winter months, but I have added a new article describing our recent trip to Morocco, working with scientists from Mohammed V University in Rabat to understand more about earthquake sources around the Atlas mountains. quakesincentralasia.org/research-upd...

The team is now fully assembled for the Atlas mountains fieldtrip! Looking forward to seeing some faults tomorrow

These deep water sources are likely to be increasingly important, but we know so little of their global distribution due to lack of data and study. Repurposed industrial data may hold the key!

Eos@eos.org · last yr.

Deep groundwater may be more common than once thought and could offer solutions to water scarcity in some parts of the world, write Claudia Bertoni @oxuniearthsci.bsky.social + colleagues from Ruden AS. eos.org/opinions/dee...

A new study highlights the rising risks of sliding slopes in High Mountain Asia nsidc.org/news-analyse... Supplementing the research paper, the researchers released a new dataset, the 'High Mountain Asia Daily 5km Landslide HazaAccrd Indicator'. @davepetley.bsky.social @richardthomasw.bsky.social

Rising risks of sliding slopes in High Mountain Asia

A new study has predicted an increase in landslide hazards in High Mountain Asia. The study authors linked higher emissions of greenhouse gases to the potential for higher risks from landslides.

nsidc.org

Beautiful 3D view of the surface rupture from the last event in Southern Tibet 1.95.66.59/t/3b94a72379...

16 December 1902 5:07 UT M6.4 earthquake, near Andijan, Uzbekistan, near border with Kyrgyzstan, destroyed entire villages, killing 4722 people. Destructive aftershocks for two days. ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/h... caiag.kg/en/projects/... nyshistoricnewspapers.org trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/