Sat 19 Apr 11:00: NatHistFest: 106th Conversazione Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World
Cambridge’s oldest celebration of citizen science.
The event, showcasing the environment and wildlife of Cambridgeshire and further afield, will be hosted in the David Attenborough Building, adjacent to the Zoology Museum.
We invite anyone (CNHS member or not) to consider exhibiting. Exhibits might include specimens (living or dead) – things people can handle always seem to be popular – or displays about any aspect of local natural history. Or perhaps you are member of a local group which might like to have an exhibit about its activities? Past programmes, available on our website, give an idea of the wide variety of exhibits, and there is also a history of the Conversazione, written in 1989 or the 70th event. For information or to book exhibition space please email exhibition@cnhs.org.uk, or contact the Conversazione organisers via https://www.cnhs.org.uk/
Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World
- Speaker: Free Public Exhibition
- Saturday 19 April 2025, 11:00-17:00
- Venue: Common Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Sat 19 Apr 11:00: NatHistFest: 106th Conversazione Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World
Cambridge’s oldest celebration of citizen science.
The event, showcasing the environment and wildlife of Cambridgeshire and further afield, will be hosted in the David Attenborough Building, adjacent to the Zoology Museum.
We invite anyone (CNHS member or not) to consider exhibiting. Exhibits might include specimens (living or dead) – things people can handle always seem to be popular – or displays about any aspect of local natural history. Or perhaps you are member of a local group which might like to have an exhibit about its activities? Past programmes, available on our website, give an idea of the wide variety of exhibits, and there is also a history of the Conversazione, written in 1989 or the 70th event. For information or to book exhibition space please email exhibition@cnhs.org.uk, or contact the Conversazione organisers via https://www.cnhs.org.uk/
Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World
- Speaker: Free Public Exhibition
- Saturday 19 April 2025, 11:00-17:00
- Venue: Common Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Sat 19 Apr 11:00: NatHistFest: 106th Conversazione Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World
Cambridge’s oldest celebration of citizen science.
The event, showcasing the environment and wildlife of Cambridgeshire and further afield, will be hosted in the David Attenborough Building, adjacent to the Zoology Museum.
We invite anyone (CNHS member or not) to consider exhibiting. Exhibits might include specimens (living or dead) – things people can handle always seem to be popular – or displays about any aspect of local natural history. Or perhaps you are member of a local group which might like to have an exhibit about its activities? Past programmes, available on our website, give an idea of the wide variety of exhibits, and there is also a history of the Conversazione, written in 1989 or the 70th event. For information or to book exhibition space please email exhibition@cnhs.org.uk, or contact the Conversazione organisers via https://www.cnhs.org.uk/
Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World
- Speaker: Free Public Exhibition
- Saturday 19 April 2025, 11:00-17:00
- Venue: Common Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Mon 17 Mar 13:00: Volcanic fissure localisation and lava delta formation: Modelling of volcanic flows undergoing rheological evolution
In this talk, I will present two volcanologically motivated modelling problems. In the first, I will detail how thermoviscous localisation of volcanic eruptions is influenced by the irregular geometry of natural volcanic fissures. Fissure eruptions typically start with the opening of a linear fissure that erupts along its entire length, following which activity localises to one or more isolated vents within a few hours or days. Previous work has proposed that localisation can arise through a thermoviscous fingering instability driven by the strongly temperature dependent viscosity of the rising magma. I will show that, even for relatively modest variations of the fissure width, a non-planar geometry supports strongly localised steady states, in which the wider parts of the fissure host faster, hotter flow, and the narrower parts of the fissure host slower, cooler flow. This geometrically-driven localisation differs from the spontaneous thermoviscous fingering localisation observed in planar geometries, and is potentially more potent for parameter values relevant to volcanic fissures.
The second problem concerns lava delta formation. A lava delta arises when a volcanic lava flow enters a body of water, extending the pre-eruption shoreline via the creation of new, relatively flat land. A combination of cooling induced rheological changes and the reduction in gravitational driving forces controls the morphology and evolution of the delta. I will present shallow-layer continuum models for this process, highlighting how different modes of delta formation manifest in different late-time behaviours. In particular, I will derive a steady state shoreline extent when the delta formation is driven only by buoyancy forces, and late time similarity solutions for the evolution of the shoreline when the viscous lava fragments and forms `hyaloclastic’ debris on contact with the water.
- Speaker: Jesse Taylor-West (Bristol)
- Monday 17 March 2025, 13:00-14:00
- Venue: MR3, CMS.
- Series: Quantitative Climate and Environmental Science Seminars; organiser: Dr Kasia Warburton.
Thu 20 Mar 18:45: Natural Materials for Musical Instruments Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.
Immediately following the CNHS AGM , Jim Woodhouse will give a Presidential Address on the various uses of natural materials in the making of traditional musical instruments.
The talk will focus mostly on wood: why instrument makers prefer certain particular types of wood, what it is in the cellular structure that makes these timbers special, and what scope there may be to use alternative materials in the light of climate pressure and CITES restrictions.
Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.
- Speaker: Jim Woodhouse, CNHS President; Emeritus Professor of Structural Dynamics
- Thursday 20 March 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: president.
Thu 20 Mar 18:45: Natural Materials for Musical Instruments Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.
Immediately following the CNHS AGM , Jim Woodhouse will give a Presidential Address on the various uses of natural materials in the making of traditional musical instruments.
The talk will focus mostly on wood: why instrument makers prefer certain particular types of wood, what it is in the cellular structure that makes these timbers special, and what scope there may be to use alternative materials in the light of climate pressure and CITES restrictions.
Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.
- Speaker: Jim Woodhouse, CNHS President; Emeritus Professor of Structural Dynamics
- Thursday 20 March 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: president.
Thu 20 Mar 18:45: Natural Materials for Musical Instruments Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.
Immediately following the CNHS AGM , Jim Woodhouse will give a Presidential Address on the various uses of natural materials in the making of traditional musical instruments.
The talk will focus mostly on wood: why instrument makers prefer certain particular types of wood, what it is in the cellular structure that makes these timbers special, and what scope there may be to use alternative materials in the light of climate pressure and CITES restrictions.
Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.
- Speaker: Jim Woodhouse, CNHS President; Emeritus Professor of Structural Dynamics
- Thursday 20 March 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: president.
Fri 04 Apr 13:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Bishakh Gayen, University of Melbourne
- Friday 04 April 2025, 13:00-14:00
- Venue: BAS Seminar Room 1.
- Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Dr Birgit Rogalla.
Fri 04 Apr 13:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Bishakh Gayen, University of Melbourne
- Friday 04 April 2025, 13:00-14:00
- Venue: BAS Seminar Room 1.
- Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Dr Birgit Rogalla.
Fri 04 Apr 13:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Bishakh Gayen, University of Melbourne
- Friday 04 April 2025, 13:00-14:00
- Venue: BAS Seminar Room 1.
- Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Dr Birgit Rogalla.
Kultarrs are tiny, cryptic creatures that only come out at night. Scientists are finally learning how they live
Wed 23 Jul 14:00: External Seminar - Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez TBC
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez, Functional Genomics of Legumes
- Wednesday 23 July 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Auditorium of Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University - 47 Bateman Street and Online (Zoom meeting). Contact events@slcu.cam.ac.uk for meeting joining details. .
- Series: Sainsbury Laboratory Seminars; organiser: Sainsbury Laboratory.
Wed 23 Jul 14:00: External Seminar - Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez TBC
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez, Functional Genomics of Legumes
- Wednesday 23 July 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Auditorium of Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University - 47 Bateman Street and Online (Zoom meeting). Contact events@slcu.cam.ac.uk for meeting joining details. .
- Series: Sainsbury Laboratory Seminars; organiser: Sainsbury Laboratory.
Wed 23 Jul 14:00: External Seminar - Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez TBC
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez, Functional Genomics of Legumes
- Wednesday 23 July 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Auditorium of Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University - 47 Bateman Street and Online (Zoom meeting). Contact events@slcu.cam.ac.uk for meeting joining details. .
- Series: Sainsbury Laboratory Seminars; organiser: Sainsbury Laboratory.
Butterflies declined by 22% in just 2 decades across the US
Wed 12 Mar 14:00: Spatio-temporal Melt and Basal Channel Evolution on Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf from CryoSat-2
Ice shelves buttress the grounded ice sheet, restraining its flow into the ocean. Mass loss from these ice shelves occurs primarily through ocean-induced basal melting, with the highest melt rates occurring in regions that host basal channels – elongated, kilometre-wide zones of relatively thin ice. While some models suggest that basal channels could mitigate overall ice shelf melt rates, channels have also been linked to basal and surface crevassing, leaving their cumulative impact on ice-shelf stability uncertain. Due to their relatively small spatial scale and the limitations of previous satellite datasets, our understanding of how channelised melting evolves over time remains limited. In this study, we present a novel approach that uses CryoSat-2 radar altimetry data to calculate ice shelf basal melt rates, demonstrated here as a case study over Pine Island Glacier (PIG) ice shelf. Our method generates monthly Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and melt maps with a 250 m spatial resolution. The data show that near the grounding line, basal melting preferentially melts a channel’s western flank 50% more than its eastern flank. Additionally, we find that the main channelised geometries on PIG are inherited upstream of the grounding line and play a role in forming ice shelf pinning points. These observations highlight the importance of channels under ice shelves, emphasising the need to investigate them further and consider their impacts on observations and models that do not resolve them.
- Speaker: Katie Lowery, British Antarctic Survey
- Wednesday 12 March 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: BAS Seminar Room 2.
- Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Dr Birgit Rogalla.
Wed 12 Mar 14:00: Spatio-temporal Melt and Basal Channel Evolution on Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf from CryoSat-2
Ice shelves buttress the grounded ice sheet, restraining its flow into the ocean. Mass loss from these ice shelves occurs primarily through ocean-induced basal melting, with the highest melt rates occurring in regions that host basal channels – elongated, kilometre-wide zones of relatively thin ice. While some models suggest that basal channels could mitigate overall ice shelf melt rates, channels have also been linked to basal and surface crevassing, leaving their cumulative impact on ice-shelf stability uncertain. Due to their relatively small spatial scale and the limitations of previous satellite datasets, our understanding of how channelised melting evolves over time remains limited. In this study, we present a novel approach that uses CryoSat-2 radar altimetry data to calculate ice shelf basal melt rates, demonstrated here as a case study over Pine Island Glacier (PIG) ice shelf. Our method generates monthly Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and melt maps with a 250 m spatial resolution. The data show that near the grounding line, basal melting preferentially melts a channel’s western flank 50% more than its eastern flank. Additionally, we find that the main channelised geometries on PIG are inherited upstream of the grounding line and play a role in forming ice shelf pinning points. These observations highlight the importance of channels under ice shelves, emphasising the need to investigate them further and consider their impacts on observations and models that do not resolve them.
- Speaker: Katie Lowery, British Antarctic Survey
- Wednesday 12 March 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: BAS Seminar Room 2.
- Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Dr Birgit Rogalla.
Wed 12 Mar 14:00: Spatio-temporal Melt and Basal Channel Evolution on Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf from CryoSat-2
Ice shelves buttress the grounded ice sheet, restraining its flow into the ocean. Mass loss from these ice shelves occurs primarily through ocean-induced basal melting, with the highest melt rates occurring in regions that host basal channels – elongated, kilometre-wide zones of relatively thin ice. While some models suggest that basal channels could mitigate overall ice shelf melt rates, channels have also been linked to basal and surface crevassing, leaving their cumulative impact on ice-shelf stability uncertain. Due to their relatively small spatial scale and the limitations of previous satellite datasets, our understanding of how channelised melting evolves over time remains limited. In this study, we present a novel approach that uses CryoSat-2 radar altimetry data to calculate ice shelf basal melt rates, demonstrated here as a case study over Pine Island Glacier (PIG) ice shelf. Our method generates monthly Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and melt maps with a 250 m spatial resolution. The data show that near the grounding line, basal melting preferentially melts a channel’s western flank 50% more than its eastern flank. Additionally, we find that the main channelised geometries on PIG are inherited upstream of the grounding line and play a role in forming ice shelf pinning points. These observations highlight the importance of channels under ice shelves, emphasising the need to investigate them further and consider their impacts on observations and models that do not resolve them.
- Speaker: Katie Lowery, British Antarctic Survey
- Wednesday 12 March 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: BAS Seminar Room 2.
- Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Dr Birgit Rogalla.
Tue 18 Mar 11:00: Could stratospheric aerosol injection produce meaningful global cooling without novel aircraft? Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_Njk5ZjBhMmUtMmIwMS00YjNkLWE4N2QtOTYwN2EyZGRhMzI5%40thread.v2/0?context...
Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is a proposed method of cooling the planet and reducing the impacts of climate change by adding a layer of small particles to the high atmosphere where they would reflect a fraction of incoming sunlight. While it is likely that SAI could reduce global temperature, it has many serious risks and would not perfectly offset climate change. For SAI to be effective, injection would need to take place in the stratosphere. The height of the transition to the stratosphere decreases with latitude, from around 17km near the equator to 8km near the poles. The required injection height would therefore also decrease for higher latitude injection. In this talk, I will present simulations of SAI in an earth system model, UKESM , which quantify how impacts would vary with the injection location and timing, focusing on low-altitude high-latitude injection strategies. Our results suggest that SAI could meaningfully cool the planet even if limited to using existing large jets and injecting at around 13km altitude, if this injection is in the high latitudes during spring and summer. However, relative to a more optimal deployment with novel aircraft at 20km, this strategy requires three times more sulphur dioxide injection and so would strongly increase some side-effects.
Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_Njk5ZjBhMmUtMmIwMS00YjNkLWE4N2QtOTYwN2EyZGRhMzI5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2249a50445-bdfa-4b79-ade3-547b4f3986e9%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2253b919d9-f8a7-4f56-9bb0-baaf0ba7404d%22%7d
- Speaker: Alistair Duffey PhD Student at University College London, Earth Sciences
- Tuesday 18 March 2025, 11:00-12:00
- Venue: Chemistry Dept, Unilever Lecture Theatre and Zoom.
- Series: Centre for Atmospheric Science seminars, Chemistry Dept.; organiser: Dr Megan Brown.