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The LOUPE
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Issue 129, October 2025
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The year-round resource for EGU members
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Geoscience for the benefit of humanity and the planet
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Ghosts of our past climate?Stories from the Earth bring us insights into our past, to prepare us for the future.It's spooky season here in Europe, and that means that ghost stories and folklore make their way into the light, but what happens if you are a professional 'hauntologist'?! Simon Clark spoke with Elizabeth Case, a researcher who studies the 'ghosts' of glacial landscapes. "It’s not all metaphorical: glaciers haunt from far away in time and space. Most people won’t go to Antarctica or Greenland; their interaction with ice is through sea level." Elizabeth comments. "Glaciers bring the past into the present by responding to climate over multiple timescales: long-melted glaciers haunt us, as terraformers that shaped the land." Read the full interview here. We also learned about how climate models are uncovering the shadows of past eruptions in a blog by Asmae Ourkiya on a recently published study on the Samalas volcanic eruption of 1257 in Indonesia, and the massive impact it had on global climate. We also heard from Peter Alexander, a researcher based in Argentina, who shares his personal experiences and reflections on the Anti-autocracy handbook from a Global South perspective. Simon Clark also spoke with Thanushika Gunatilake, the Energy, Resources and Environment (ERE) Division Early Career Scientist representative about her work on earthquakes and geothermal power, and what the ERE Division is up to and how you can get involved! This month we announced the winners of the Public Engagement Grants and the Science Journalism Fellowships, congratulations to all our winners! The EGU26 call for abstracts is now open - you have until 13:00CET, 15 January 2026 to submit your abstract, but if you want to apply for financial support the deadline for submission is 13:00CET, 1 December - so don't delay! You can also now apply to support your community at EGU26 by volunteering to our Peer Support programme that helps General Assembly novices navigate the meeting! Apply to take part by 31 March 2026. |
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SCIENCE FOR POLICY
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The Rights of Nature in Europe - a new Geopolicy blog postThe 'Rights of Nature' paradigm is based on the idea that the natural world possesses inalienable rights, just as humans do. Around the world, various natural entities have been granted legal rights. But for the first time a natural environment in Europe, Mar Menor Lagoon in southeastern Spain, has gained these protections. Science for Policy Assistant, Damla Posta explores this significant case, discovering the ecological crisis affecting the Lagoon, the popular initiative that led to the recognition of its legal rights, and what the framework entails. She also reflects on what this development could mean for environmental governance in the EU. |
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JOURNAL WATCH
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Image from paper; summarised state of stress of Iberia based on focal mechanism stress inversion from this study. |
"The overall interpretation of the results indicates that, in general, the shape of the combined seismic moment tensors at the plate boundary is oblate (k<1), indicative of a predominance of transpressive deformation. As we move away from the plate boundary, the tensors become prolate in shape (k>1), consistent with extensional context of the Pyrenees, the Valencia Trough, and the Central Basins. An exception to this rule is the combined tensor of the Granada Basin, which yielded a pure normal faulting tensor close to the plate boundary." Olaiz et al (2025) Onshore and offshore seismotectonics of Iberia: an updated review, Solid Earth |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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New EGU Emergency Support policy offers financial support to researchers around the globe affected by disaster, crisis or conflict.EGU's volunteer Council has voted to institute a new policy that provides financial support for publications, meeting attendance and membership to Earth, planetary and space science researchers anywhere in the world who have been impacted by an emergency, as defined by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). EGU’s President, Peter van der Beek commented, “It has always been EGU’s goal to broaden access to scientific opportunities for all, regardless of the many complex and interconnected challenges we face in the modern world. This new policy is a clear and transparent mechanism to provide support to those affected by disasters. We are also keenly aware that science cannot thrive in the face of war and oppression, and by instituting this new policy, we are taking steps to more directly assist those living through these extreme situations." In the same meeting it was also decided to extend this support to Palestinian scientists, who are not currently listed on the UNHCR website. |
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EGUwebinar: Climate of the Past special anniversary series!To celebrate their 20th anniversary, EGU journal 'Climate of the Past' experts are discussing critical issues in climate science today - from tipping points to palaeoclimate data, abrupt climate change to greenhouse gases. Watch the full series on YouTube! |
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UPCOMING DATES
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EGU Science for Policy HangoutCome virtually network with those working at the science-policy interface! Register for our next #Sci4Pol Hangout at 14:00 CET on Monday 3 November. |
EGUwebinar: Beyond SciComm 101: How to connect with policymakersIn an increasingly polarised time, how can we all better connect across the science-policy divide? Join this EGUwebinar with Simon Clark and Mario Scharfbillig at 16:00CET 6 November to find out how to build bridges between scientists and policymakers. Register here today. |
EGUwebinar: How scientists can respond to autocratisationWe live in an era in which science around the world is increasingly under politically-motivated attack. Join this special EGUwebinar, at 16:00CET 13 November to get an overview of how scientists can respond and safeguard their work. Register here today. |
EGUwebinar: Climate of the Past 20th Anniversary: Impact of Past Climate Changes on Ecosystems and Human SocietiesHow do we understand how human activities have both shaped ecosystems, and responded to climate events and climate change? As part of a special series celebrating 20 years of EGU journal 'Climate of the Past', join this EGUwebinar at 16:00CET, 19 November to hear leaders in the field address these ideas. Register here today. |
EGUwebinar: LGBT+ equality: tools and techniques for influencing changeHow can we as a community foster effective LGBTQIA+ equality in the geosciences and beyond? In this EGUwebinar at 16:00CET 24 November, learn strategies for building a team, crafting proposals, negotiating outcomes, and making a strong case for change. Register today. |
GIFT workshops at EGU26 open for registration!The EGU General Assembly GIFT workshops will take place from 4-6 May 2026 at the EGU26 General Assembly. The workshops this year will be held around the theme of 'Natural Hazards, Human Impact and Earth's Resources', through topical presentations from scientists, together with hands-on teaching activities. Teachers and educators are invited to register for the GIFT workshops at EGU26 here by 28 November 2025. |
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EGU BLOGS
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Geolog, the Union’s official blog |
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Climate: Past, Present and Future Division blog |
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Nonlinear Processes in Geoscience Division blog |
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Hydrological Sciences Division blog |
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Natural Hazards Division blog |
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Geodynamics Division blog |
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Biogeosciences Division blog |
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Tectonics and Structural Geology Division blog |
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Geodynamics Division blog |
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©2025 European Geosciences Union.
All rights reserved.
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Our mailing address is:
EGU - European Geosciences Union e.V.
Kastenbauerstr. 2
81677 Munich, Germany
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