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IT’S BAAAAAAACK!

Friday, August 5, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we find Iceland bracing for more volcanic eruptions, see how helicopters are shaking up the hunt for life on Mars, examine a 3,500-year-old treasure trove found buried in Greece … and consider a Polynesian tattoo.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO BY CHRIS BURKARD

If you thought last year’s first-in-nearly-eight-centuries eruption of an Icelandic volcano would be a one-off, a powerful outburst on Wednesday exploded that idea. The blast slathered lava southwest of Reykjavik and strongly hints that Iceland will become one of the most volcanically active parts of the planet for several generations.

So far, the latest eruption poses little threat to humans. It’s sending scarlet ribbons of molten rock flowing downhill with greater vigor than last year’s blow-up, but the lava (pictured above) is streaming into an uninhabited valley. Authorities are carefully watching the volcano as curiosity-seekers gravitate to the spectacle.

The greater volcanic activity brings excitement to scientists, too—and uncertainty. “Not every new eruption will necessarily lie far from population centers or vital infrastructure,” Robin George Andrews writes for Nat Geo.

Read our full story here.

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In motion: This video shows the lava from the eruption gurgling.

See it now: Crowds (above) are gathering to watch Earth forge new landscapes.

Perspective: See the small plane at the bottom of this image? That gives you an idea of the size of the area impacted by the eruption of this incandescent rock. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Treasure trove: The spectacular tomb discovery of Greece’s ‘Griffin Warrior’

Helicopters are shaking up the hunt for life on Mars

COVID rebounds aren’t definitely linked to Paxlovid

Humans are unprepared for a pandemic from fungal infections

Figuring out the mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

10 epic late-summer adventures for last-minute planners

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Quiz: What turns purple at this mineral springs on a volcanic Azores island? See the answer here.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL NICKLEN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Stories on skin: The legacy of Polynesian tattoo art, or tatau, dates back 2,000 years, with symbols and meanings as diverse as the people who wear them. These designs have inspired visitors to get one, but is it appropriation? “Tattoos are part of our lives. It’s cultural, and not fashion,” tattooist James Samuela tells Nat Geo’s Jill K. Robinson, who received one of his works. The key is to have a conversation with the artist. “It’s the skin you make,” adds cultural adviser and conservator Tahiarii Yoram Pariente. “You carve the story of your life into your skin.” Read more. (Pictured above, getting a tattoo the traditional way in Oahu.)

IN A FEW WORDS

QUOTE

True navigation begins in the human heart. It’s the most important map of all.

Elizabeth Kapu'uwailani Lindsey

Anthropologist, Nat Geo Explorer

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY @NICHOLESOBECKI

The old city: Large stone Islamic tombs, known as qubbas and shaped like massive beehives, are scattered throughout a Sufi cemetery in Old Dongola, Sudan. Dongola was an important religious and trading center in medieval Nubia and a Christian capital for hundreds of years. Unlike four “lost” cities in ancient Africa, “new” Dongola became an active Muslim town, and its modern center remains vibrant, photographer and Nat Geo Explorer Nichole Sobecki reports on our Instagram page. Catch Sobecki’s story on scuba diving under pyramids.

THE FOUR ‘LOST CITIES’

This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Jen Tse, Heather Kim, Anne Kim-Dannibale, and Allie Yang. We’d love to hear from you at [email protected]. Have a good weekend.

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