AGU is proud to announce the launch of a new network of Earth and space science blogs: the AGU Blogosphere. Seven blogs written by established, independent scientist-bloggers, who are now hosted by AGU, cover topics including planetary exploration, landslides, DC-area geology, volcanoes, climate change and more.

The network also features three blogs written by AGU staff and guests. The first of these blogs, AGU Meetings, was launched during the 2009 Fall Meeting. A second blog on science communication, The Plainspoken Scientist, followed and then another that spans the AGU sciences, GeoSpace.

Although AGU has offered its own blogs for nearly a year, we in AGU’s Outreach Department also sought new ways to better interact with the thriving, international community of Earth and space science bloggers and recognize their efforts at sharing the wonders of science with the public. Hosting skilled, dedicated, independent scientist-bloggers is one answer.

With this initiative, AGU is recognizing these bloggers’ work, helping boost awareness of Earth and space science issues for a wide array of audiences, and providing an online place to discuss all things Earth and space science-related. We look forward to welcoming more, highly respected bloggers to the network in coming months.

Please read our “About” section for further information about the purpose of this network.

Here are the bloggers in the AGU Blogosphere network as we launch:

David Petley, a professor in the Department of Geography at Durham University, Durham, UK, has been blogging about landslides since 2007 and will continue to do so in The Landslide Blog (previously known as Dave’s Landslide Blog).

Jessica Ball, a Ph.D. candidate in volcanology and volcanic hazards at State University of New York at Buffalo, writes about volcanology, volcanic hazards, and graduate school life at Magma Cum Laude (want to find out about the origin of Jessica’s blog’s name? She explained it in this post.)

Dan Satterfield, chief meteorologist for WHNT-TV (CBS) in Huntsville, Ala., blogs at Dan’s Wild Wild Science Journal about atmospheric science, ocean science, planetary science, seismology, natural hazards, and paleoclimatology, targeting middle- and high-school students

Ryan Anderson, who is a year and a half away from completing his Ph.D. in astronomy at Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., runs The Martian Chronicles, a blog on planetary sciences.

Callan Bentley, an assistant professor of geology at Northern Virginia Community College, is a prolific blogger who posts stories almost daily at Mountain Beltway on seismology, tectonophysics, volcanology, and the cryosphere, with a focus on the Washington area.

Vivienne Raper, a Ph.D. scientist in climate change monitoring turned science writer, shares her enthusiasm for the natural world in Outdoor Science.

And John Freeland, an environmental scientist, blogs at Terra Central on soil issues.

We invite readers not only to read the posts on the AGU Blogosphere, but to also join the conversation, be it via the comments sections of the blogs, our blogosphere’s forums, or our social media outlets.

Welcome to the AGU Blogosphere!

– Maria-José Viñas, AGU science writer and AGU Blogosphere community manager