The Silurian is characterised by a highly volatile carbon cycle, exemplified through high-magnitude positive carbon isotope excursions (CIEs). The largest and best-known CIEs are the Early Sheinwoodian/Ireviken, Homerian/Mulde, and Mid-Ludfordian/Lau, reaching magnitudes of up to +11‰. While ocean circulation is often inferred as a controlling factor, questions remain concerning their exact driving mechanisms. Yet, significant advances have been made recently, particularly in the context of redox cycling and astronomical forcing. Here, we present a review of Silurian CIEs, with a special focus on cyclostratigraphy, and examine how their expression and preservation in the rock record have influenced our understanding. Emerging evidence suggests astronomical forcing may have influenced several CIEs. Specifically, carbon burial appears to have been paced by eccentricity during some CIEs. This insight is a major step forward in the disentanglement of Silurian carbon cycle dynamics and simultaneously a contribution to the ongoing refinement of the Silurian time scale. Still, the climatic pathways associated with astronomical forcing remain ambiguous and require continued cyclostratigraphic investigation. Future cyclostratigraphic work should focus on the extraction of astronomical cycles from globally distributed sites across a range of depositional environments, accounting for palaeogeographical idiosyncrasies, to separate global from local, and primary from diagenetic signals.
2026 marks the tercentenary of the birth of James Hutton, the ‘Founder of Modern Geology’. Hutton’s path to geology and status as the person who first recognised the significance of unconformities, proved the intrusive nature of granite, and introduced the rock cycle, uniformitarianism and deep time was circuitous. After graduating in Medicine but turned his attention to chemistry and then to improving farm practices, introducing methods learnt through travels in England, France and Holland. His key idea was that the Earth is a machine in a continuous state of decay and renewal. This formed the basis for the rock cycle concept and his insight that no primordial rock could be observed. Although he began developing these ideas in 1764 it was not until 1785 that he first presented them, and only in 1795 did he publish the first volumes of his Theory of the Earth with Proofs and Illustrations. The cornerstones of this: sedimentation, consolidation of sediments, heat from within the Earth, melting or ‘fusion’, and the need for immense forces to deform rocks and produce mountains, are explored in this Volume in the light of current developments in the science of which Hutton, rightly, is considered the Founder.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, social and political life in the Habsburg monarchy was overwhelmingly male-dominated. Studies in geosciences did not yet follow a fixed curriculum. In 1849, a new government introduced reforms to the organisation for teaching at the University in Vienna. It was that time under the leadership of the Minister for Culture and Education, Graf Leo Thun-Hohenstein (1811-1888), when schools and universities were reorganized. The doctoral degree was established in 1873, and, initially was available only for men. Women were permitted to pursue doctoral studies beginning in 1897. The first female doctorate holders (PhD) in the geosciences were Martha Cornelius-Furlani at the Geological Institute and Adelheid Kofler at the Mineralogical-Petrographic Institute at the University of Vienna. In addition to completing their doctoral theses, they also passed the examinations required for teaching at high schools in subjects of mathematics, natural history and physics. After their marriages, they became close collaborators with their husbands. Martha Cornelius-Furlani accompanied her husband on fieldtrips in the Alps, while Adelheid Kofler conducted microscopic analyses alongside her husband, Ludwig Kofler. Following the deaths of their husbands, both women were able to continue their research independently, thereby moving from the shadows to the light.
Muon imaging, or muography, is a novel cosmic-ray-based geophysical technique offering a non-invasive approach to visualizing subsurface density variations. This study applies muon radiography and two-point tomography to the polymetallic St Christoph skarn deposit in Erzgebirge, eastern Germany, to map ore body density, detect historical mine voids and evaluate muographic methodologies for mineral exploration. While traditional methods like seismic, gravimetric and electromagnetic surveys offer valuable insights, they often face resolution and geological constraints. Muography also has limitations, such as exposure time and angular coverage, but it can directly probe subsurface density contrasts using atmospheric muons, revealing concealed ore bodies and voids. Using a multi-wire proportional chamber-type muon telescope at two shallow underground sites, muon flux variations were measured from multiple angles. The resulting radiography and inversion tomography delineated known and previously unrecognized features, confirming incomplete historical ore extraction. These results show that two-point muon tomography provides meaningful density contrast interpretations when density variation is sufficient, detector resolution is high and the target is adequately sized. These findings highlight the potential of muography as a non-invasive, high-resolution tool for subsurface characterization and risk mitigation in active and legacy mining environments, where it can complement or partially replace conventional geophysical methods.
This paper discusses the use of automated drone networks in mining surveys, highlighting their benefits and applications, and the integration of technologies such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and hyperspectral imaging. Mining companies increasingly use high-resolution camera drones in mine development, monitoring and volume calculations. Drones improve worker safety by providing information about above-ground conditions and integrating LiDAR technology for better data generation. The challenges include the need for manual operation of drones, requiring significant experience and human effort, making automated drones a more efficient and safer alternative. Automated drones are valuable for surveying and mapping, infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, stockpile management, blast planning, mineral exploration, safety and emergency response. Automated drones enhance efficiency by performing regular, repetitive or hazardous operations, reducing human risk and improving data consistency and accuracy. Drone systems include remote control centres, on-site docking stations for charging and protection, and data transfer to servers for processing. Drone-based multispectral imaging helps in early detection of seepage and dusting events near tailings pond dams, providing crucial environmental data. Drone-borne hyperspectral imaging aids in identifying lithology, geological structures and hydrothermal zones, enhancing mineral exploration efficiency and safety.
