LIDAR maps the impacts of Hurricane Sandy

The USGS has mapped change in the coast of Fire Island, New York as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The image below shows the key differences in topography before and after the hurricane hit. Check their results in more detail at: http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/sandy/lidar/

Burrowing badgers shift soil fast

Badgers are known to be efficient agents of geomorphological change.  This video illustrates the magnitude and rate of American badger burrowing...

Fulgerites - the beauty of geomorphology

Amazing picture on the  aggressively named 'I fucking love science' Facebook page of a fulgerite.  The description reads:

This is what happens when sand gets struck by lightning!

Fulgurites are natural hollow glass tubes formed in quartzose sand, silica, or soil by lightning strikes (at 3,270 °F), which instantaneously melts silica on a conductive surface and fuses grains together over a period of around one second. 
Photographed by Ken Smith.

USGS predicts coastal change from Hurricane Sandy

The USGS has already released a series of maps predicting how Hurricane Sandy will have caused rapid coastal change along sensitive sections of the USA East Coast.  Look at the maps on their website and see how the predictions correlate as they release the actual datasets:

http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/sandy/coastal-change/

According to the USGS well over 90% of key parts of the coast will very likely suffer from dune erosion as a result of the Hurricane.

Percentage of sandy coast very likely (probability > 90%) to experience coastal change during Hurricane Sandy landfall.

	Collision (dune erosion)	Overwash	Inundation
Long Island, NY	93	12	4
New Jersey	98	54	9
Delmarva	91	55	22

Geomorphology has reached Mars!

The arrival and successful deployment of the Curiosity rover on Mars marks a key step in the advancement of geomorphological science.  The sophisticated equipment that Curiosity carries is already making observations of the Mars surface (which extend the records sent back from other areas on Mar by the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on a previous mission).

Geomorphological observations are vital to the interpretation of the Martian surface and whether it has ever contained enough water to support life.  An early story on the mission with a good video is reported in the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/sep/28/mars-rover-curiosity-evidence-water?newsfeed=true

Today the BBC report on the latest findings on the make-up of Martian soils at the landing site http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20151789

Just like Hawaii apparently...