Our Nature paper is out! Click here for the press release (NL or UK)
Nature does not permit to publish the PDF, but the proof is allowed.
Otherwise use the doi to find the original paper: doi:10.1038/nature09213

Just back from ICAR 7, Santa Rosa, la Pampa, Argentina
...in southern hemisphere winter....

Setting up a special volume in Quaternary International for the Southern-Connections 2010 meeting, Bariloche, Argentina, 15-19 February 2010.
Session: "Controversies in the Quaternary of the Southern Hemisphere"
Click ~here for the call for papers.
And/or visit the SC2010 website for more info.

Dust storms in Australia.
Due to the drying up of Lake Eyre that was full (austral) autumn 2009,
Australia was suffering from heavy dust loads in (austral) spring.
See e.g., this news item on the Dutch television, and many more on the web.

As there was a LOT of rain in Queensland in February-March 2010, more dust is expected in September this year....

Moving to and from Royal NIOZ in the Netherlands.
Usually you can reach me there at +31 222 369 405.
On Fridays still at MARUM.

From 13 March until 9 April I participated in cruise MSM11/2 onboard the R.V. Merian.
Inka Meyer and me kept a blog of this cruise, which you can still read here.