Highlights
Hydrocarbons may also form zinc and lead deposits
June 13, 2019
Base metals such as zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) are essential elements for our economy. They are mainly used for the galvanization of steel and large battery installations, respectively. These metals are often mined together from deposits hosted in ancient sedimentary rock formations. A new study is pub…
The Terrascope at the Nuit des Musées 2019: The geologists reveal the secrets of the gold diggers
May 8, 2019
Join us from 6pm to 11pm at the Musée d’histoire des Sciences with the UNIGE Scienscope!
Formation of diagenetic siderite in modern ferruginous sediments
April 29, 2019
Ferruginous conditions prevailed in the world’s deep oceans during the Archean and Proterozoic Eons. Sedimentary iron formations deposited at that time may provide an important record of environmental conditions, yet linking the chemistry and mineralogy of these sedimentary rocks to depositional con…
The climate was controlled by Milankovitch cycles 2.5 billion years ago
April 10, 2019
The climate of our planet is controlled by the orbital parameters of the solar system, leading to the Milankovitch cycles. Researchers from the universities of Utrecht and Geneva demonstrated that the layering in 2.5 billion years old “Banded Iron Formations” is due to oscillations of Earth’s orbit …
The struggle for life in the Dead Sea sediments: necrophagy as a survival mechanism
March 27, 2019
Camille Thomas, Daniel Ariztegui and a team of colleagues from the University of Lyon (France) have evidenced unprecedented molecular fossils from the hypersaline sediments of the Dead Sea. Their structure reveals the recycling of cell fragments from halophilic archaea, extremophiles adapted to the …
LéXPLORE a floating laboratory for the study of Lake Geneva
February 25, 2019
LéXPLORE is a project from UNIGE, UNIL, EPFL, EAWAG and INRA-CARTELL. We have jointly constructed a unique floating platform for the study of Lake Geneva, using a range of automated sensors and instruments. Lake Geneva physics, biogeochemistry and (plankton) ecology will be studied at a level of det…
TERRASCOPE out in the school of Montchoisy
February 12, 2019
Monday 11th of February 2019, our Terrascope animators were in a mission to teach some elements of Geology of the Geneva region to 6 years old children. Huge success for the kids who have been fascinated by the (real) gold flakes they extracted with a classic gold pan like good old gold diggers!
Luca Paolillo recipient of the ELSTE-A. Lombard and the Swiss Geological Society Prize for best MSc thesis
December 10, 2018
Nick Greber recipient of the 2018 Niggli Medal
December 3, 2018
Congratulations to Nick for being awarded the Niggli medal for 2018 in recognition of his outstanding work on the evolution of the Earth’s crust. Nick received the medal during the award ceremony at the Swiss Geoscience Meeting in Bern on November 30, 2018.
Luca Caricchi nominated member of the Young Academy of Europe
October 24, 2018
Prof. Luca Caricchi has been nominated member of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE). Members are nominated for their outstanding scientific excellence as recognised by peers, leadership capacity, scientific independence, and ability to collaborate with international partners. The YAE mission is to pr…