⛏ Thomas Hammerich

Artistic palaeo-reconstructions of ecosystem states in Central Europe over the last 23 million years, focusing on large herbivores and taxa indicative of openness. First row Neogene – evolutionary origin of present taxa, second row Pleistocene – pre-Homo sapiens baseline, third row Holocene – non-analogous ecosystems shaped by Homo sapiens. From: Biological Conservation Volume 316, April 2026, 111749 "Revisiting Europe's temperate forests: Palaeoecological evidence for an herbivory-driven woodland-grassland mosaic biome"

This has major implications for the current #ClimateEmergency #Klimawandel mitigation plans to plant AMAP trees within #Europe & #Germany.

👉 Probably another wrong direction to fight #ClimateChange #globalwarming #ClimateCrisis.

Biological Conservation Volume 316, April 2026, 111749 Revisiting Europe's temperate forests: Palaeoecological evidence for an herbivory-driven woodland-grassland mosaic biome

"The study shows that current reforestation practices are on the wrong track—both here in Denmark, where subsidies are only granted for planting dense forests, and elsewhere in Europe. This will not only be harmful for biodiversity; it will be in direct contradiction to the type of ecosystems that Europe's species have evolved in over millions of years," says Professor Jens-Christian Svenning from the Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology at Aarhus University, senior author of the study. Source: "Dense, dark forests in Europe are a modern phenomenon" https://phys.org/news/2026-03-dense-dark-forests-europe-modern.html

New study: Europe had MUCH LESS dark dense forests vs today!

🚫🌲🌳🌳🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌲🌳

"For over 20 million years, the landscape of Europe has been a tree-rich mosaic of grasslands, scrubs and more or less open woodlands with an abundance of wildflowers"

👇 👇
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Screenshot of movie scene from 'Dr.No' (1962): a Geology book lying on a white shelf. Title: "Geological Configuration Eastern Caribbean - Lyell".

🌴 Tropics, ⛏ Geology, 🕵️‍♂️ deadly schemes - welcome to Dr. No.

This happens when a geologist watches movies: ...he starts checking the movie props.

#FilmSky #BookSky #movies
#JamesBond #DrNo #geology

Volcanic Activity Summary: Episode 42 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 11:38 p.m. HST on February 15 after 9 hours and 48 minutes hours of continuous lava fountaining. Additional details on this eruptive episode will be provided in the next official report. All eruptive activity was confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)
🌋 Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
✈ Current Aviation Color Code: 🟠

Issued: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 11:44 PM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2026/H84

Volcanic Activity Summary: Episode 42 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu began at the summit of Kīlauea began at 1:50 p.m. HST on February 15, 2026, and continues as of this notice.  Two fountains are present both approaching or exceeding 1000 feet (300 meters) in height.  The fountains are producing heat and ash that is driving the plume rising from the eruption site. The National Weather Service reports that the plume from this eruption is reaching 35,000 feet above sea level. Ground-level sensors near the eruptive vents indicate that winds are blowing from the northeast direction, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material may be distributed to the southwest direction from Halemaʻumaʻu near the ground. However at this time ground crews in the area report no ashfall.  Above 18,000 feet above sea level, winds are from the west and may distribute volcanic material to the east. All eruptive activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice
Issued: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 3:15 PM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2026/H83

Activity Summary:  Episode 42 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began around 1:50 p.m. HST on February 15, 2026, and is still continuing. Precursory activity for this episode took place over the preceding day (1:05 pm HST February 14), and included over 10 overflows in a range of sizes as well as in-vent spattering. In the hours leading up to the episode onset, significantly larger overflows issued from both north and south vent. Continuous overflows began at 1:08 pm HST from the south vent with overflows from the north vent starting later. As of 2:45 p.m. HST, both vents are fountaining, with fountain heights of approximately 1000-1200 feet high (300-350 meters) and about 800-100 feet high (250-300 meters) from north and south vent, respectively. The episode is producing ash and tephra, most of which appears to be dispersing to the southwest under the influence of relatively strong ground-level winds from the northeast. The plume top has reached over 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) above sea level and may potentially spread fine ash and Pele's hair in other directions depending on the ultimate height reached. No tephra fall has been reported in public areas at this time.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY STATUS REPORT
U.S. Geological Survey
Sunday, February 15, 2026, 2:58 PM HST (Monday, February 16, 2026, 00:58 UTC)

YouTube video by USGS [V1cam] Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii (west Halemaʻumaʻu crater)

USGS Kilauea volcano live cams:
⚒

[V1cam]
m.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0t...

[V2cam]
m.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...

[V3cam]
m.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKu...

Screenshot of USGS Kilauea Volcano live camera: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0tfYDxrUA&pp=0gcJCUABo7VqN5tD

HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)
🌋 Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
✈ Current Aviation Color Code: 🟠

‼️ Episode 42 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu began at the summit of Kīlauea began at 1:50 pm HST on February 15, 2026 ‼️

#geology #geoscience #Volcano #volcanism

Tree planting is no climate solution at northern high latitudes - Nature Geoscience Planting trees in high-latitude regions can be counterproductive to climate change mitigation, according to a synthesis of the biophysical and ecological impacts of planting trees.

Planting/extending forests in northern boreal & Taiga areas probably would have negative impacts!

Same if moor/peatland areas would be replaced by forests.

👇

Google AI summary: "Moorlands (peatlands) store significantly more carbon than forests, holding over twice the amount of carbon found in all the world's forests combined, primarily in their deep, waterlogged peat layers which prevent decomposition and lock carbon away for millennia. While forests are massive carbon sinks, peatlands store more carbon per unit area and in total, making them crucial global carbon reservoirs."

Additionally the protection & rewetting of moor/peatlands, which is far more effective 2 remove+store CO2 vs forests! This would be important too.

Trees often nursed for selling+planting "forests" & could be cut+sold & used later, to create 'climate business'. That's why pt'lands are unpopular!

Volcano Watch — Handling the pressure: what gases trapped inside crystals tell us USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use tiny features within crystals in erupted lava to answer big questions about the underlying plumbing system at Kīlauea.

🌋 More about Hawaii & volcanism:

www.usgs.gov/observatorie...

USGS Daily Elevated Volcano Summary ⚒

🌋 Kilauea Volcano Alert Level = WATCH.

✈ Aviation Color Code = 🟠 Issued Thu., Feb. 12, 2026 19:02 UTC

⏸ The Halemaʻumaʻu eruption of Kīlauea is paused ⏸

⚠️ The forecast for the onset of episode 42 lava fountaining is February 13-17 ⚠️

🌋 What's your guess?

USGS Daily Elevated Volcano Summary ⚒

🌋 Kilauea Volcano Alert Level = WATCH.

✈ Aviation Color Code = ORANGE Issued Wed., Feb. 11, 2026 19:02 UTC

⏸ The Halemaʻumaʻu eruption of Kīlauea is paused. ⏸

⚠️ Forecast for the onset of episode 42 lava fountaining is February 14-17. ⚠️

USGS Daily Elevated Volcano Summary ⚒

🌋 Kilauea Volcano Alert Level = WATCH.

⏸ The Halemaʻumaʻu eruption of Kīlauea is paused. ⏸

⚠️ Forecast for the onset of episode 42 lava fountaining is February 11-14. ⚠️

A black-brownish cat on a white windowsill looking directly into the camera. Background is the window reflection of the Ullapool harbour waterfront and surrounding landscape. Picture: Thomas Hammerich

Geologists #caturday

Seen during one of my trips thru #UK / #Scotland

📍 Shore Street, Ullapool, Scotland - 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Great collection you have already! Seds will give great display collections as well: sandstone, claystone, carbonate rocks... and according metamorphic rocks quartzite, slate & marble etc. Plus seds with fossils. Lots of good options!

The picture shows a red rock box containing a labelled collection of rock and mineral samples from the Lochaber Geopark. Each specimen is placed in its own compartment and marked with a coloured dot that matches an identification chart behind the box. The display is designed for hands-on learning, allowing viewers to explore different types of rocks and learn about their geological origins. More Info about the Lochaber Geopark: https://lochabergeopark.org.uk/thingstodo/ Picture: Thomas Hammerich

#MineralMonday

📷 A "nutshell" full of geological stories. This Lochaber Geopark Rock Box packs millions of years of Scottish Earth history.

📍Seen at:
Lochaber Geopark Visitors Center, Fort William 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

#Geology #Rocks #STEM #MINT #Geopark ⚒

Numerous members of the clergy were pioneers in natural sciences, mathematics, and astronomy. There was general freedom as long as research remained in accordance with Catholic doctrine. This freedom ended asa theological dogmas were touched upon e.g. Giordano Bruno 1600 or Galileo Galilei 1633.

Picture of Amanita muscaria (fly agaric): forms a beneficial ectomycorrhizal relationship with birch trees, exchanging soil nutrients and water for tree-produced carbohydrates. The fungus enhances the birch's drought resistance and nutrient uptake, while the tree provides energy for the fungus to grow and produce its signature red-capped mushrooms.  Picture: Thomas Hammerich

A geologist goes #fungifriday

📷 #Amanita muscaria 🍄

Prefers acidic soil & has ectomycorrhizal RLS w birch trees.

Mycorrhizal symbiosis: biological partnership that existed for over 400 million years, playing foundational role in the history of life on land.

That's LTR #fungifriends

#mushrooms

Thank you for clarification, I appreciate! So the South Canterbury area has two extinct Baleen whales: Toipahautea (age 27.5Ma) and the undescribed "Chocolate whale" (age ~28Ma). Are there more discoveries of extinct whales etc. within this area or anything else you'd like to share?

Middle grey crystalline rock with multiple generations of whitish fracture-/vein fillings. Picture: Thomas Hammerich

(Hard-) #RockyMonday ⚒

📷 Multiple generations of fractures & vein-fillings (white) inside crystalline rock.

📍Bellano, Lecco, Lombardy, Italy 🇮🇹

#geology #geoscience #Italy

Thank you for adding details! Serious pieces of volcanic debris /volcanic bombs that came down during episode 41 lava fountaining.

Glaciers melting from climate change may reawaken the world’s most dangerous volcanoes If the theory is proven correct, the consequences could be enormous, spelling a much more risky, explosive future.

Actually there is: Ice/glaciers add intse weights (=pressure) on grounds below. E.g. where glaciers from last Ice age melted the crust beneath is rebouncing: still happens 2day in Scandinavia. NY-Manhatten is subsiding 2day due weight of high-rise.

Volc activity is influenced by pressure as well 👇

YouTube video by USGS [V1cam] Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii (west Halemaʻumaʻu crater)

m.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0t...

Screenshot of USGS V1cam live cam: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0tfYDxrUA

So amazing currently! Pele is giving her best Saturday show! ⚒

"Tephra fall has been reported in public viewing areas within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Volcano Village, Mauna Loa Estates, and Ohia Estates. As of 12:10 p.m., both north & south vent fountains were over 500 m (1640 feet) tall."

As I visited this area many times: just "around the corner" from Ferdinand Glacier is Pyramiden located. Peak time of Soviet mining & intense human activity:~1970s - 90s which also corresponds with the highest glacier retreat.

Hard to distinguish what caused what as it's prob not a pure CC signal!

Picture of Tuhura Otago Museum display of fossil Baleen whale new genus Toipahautea waitaki. Further info: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/new-species-of-ancient-whale-identified-and-named-by-otago-palaeontologists Picture: Thomas Hammerich

⛏ For #FossilFriday 🐳

📷 Baleen whale skeleton
'Toipahautea waitaki'
from Kokoamu Greensand, Hakataramea Valley, South Canterbury.

⏳ Age: Late Oligocene (28my)

📍 Collection of Tuhura Otago Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand - 🇳🇿

🦑 #geology #geoscience #paleontology #fossil

At one site there were seep carbonate crusts present. Looking forward to read about how these (geochem/mineral content/carbonate facies etc) relate to the porewater geochem. findings. Interesting!

You are welcome! Hope the links are of help... If not I still can look up my paper UK geological map.
Thank you for keeping me updated!

Please have a look at:

geologyviewer.bgs.ac.uk

mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/hom...

...to find your rock sample location & look up the according geological formations & ages.

Add'l: You could wet your rock sample to identify more details. A wet rock surface reveals more details vs dry surface.