Science in extreme places

When researchers peer into unknown environments

From the frozen expanse of Antarctica to the vacuum of space, this month EGU was hearing stories of science done in extreme places. We heard from Julia Martin, who on the 70th anniversary of the McMurdo base's installation, shares with a day in the life of a polar scientist, "Setting up our main measurements field fills my heart with joy as I see our scientific mission grow. Living on the sea ice is incredibly special. It is a unique, extreme, and challenging environment that reduces life to the bare minimum: eat, work, eat, sleep and repeat. ...Every ice-cold breath I take, I take with joy. And I realised not only what a privilege it is to be a snow scientist, but that it is what I was dreaming about growing up as a little girl." Asmae Ourkiya took us from the cold of Antarctica to the cold of space when they shared the story of how the Viking missions observed previously theoretical truths about space plasma, 40 years ago this month. But sometimes discover comes in a familiar place at an unexpected scale, as new Biogeosciences ECS Rep Elsa Abs explained when they shared their work on the behaviours of microbes in soils!

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, seismologist Simona Gabrielli shared some of the challenges and barriers that women and people of other genders face in the geosciences, and how she hopes things will continue to change. The recipients of the Teacher-Scientist Pairing Scheme in 2025 share their journey to creating a digital science lesson, and we also learned about the 24 training schools and member-organised conferences that EGU is funding in 2026!

EGU26 is only two months away, so don't miss out on your Early-bird registration, which is open until 13:00 CEST 1 April 2026. You can also help to support your community at EGU26 by volunteering to our Peer Support programme that helps General Assembly novices navigate the meeting! Both novices and experienced attendees can now apply to take part by 31 March 2026.

Pitch your research to a policymaker at EGU26

If you’re attending EGU26 in person and would like to practice pitching your research to policymakers, you can submit your research topic or project here and join us from 10:45 - 12:30 CEST, Tuesday 5 May to give your pitch to a panel of science for policy experts! The timeslots will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

After a short presentation on how researchers can effectively pitch (or present) their research to policymakers, these experts will listen to your pitch, give you feedback, and provide insights on areas of improvement. 

GeoTalk with Marie Cavitte on the Blue Book Traineeship

This month, the EGU’s official blog, GeoLog, features a new interview with Marie Cavitte, the policy officer for the Cryospheric Sciences Division and a member of the Climate Hazards and Risk Task Force.

Marie shares her experience about the European Commission Blue Book Traineeship programme that she completed with the Directorate-General Climate Action (DG CLIMA) in 2024. She reflects on the role of her scientific expertise during the traineeship, how the traineeship experience contributed to her science-policy skills, and many more valuable insights about these five intense and rewarding months.

You can read Marie's interview here. If you want to prepare for the next round of the Blue Book Traineeship applications, the application period will open from 10:00 CET, 16 March 2026.

"The present study provides an exposition of the negating effect that high conductivities can have for instability growth in the F-region ionosphere, where an electrodynamic description of the ionosphere at impact isolates the influence that conductance demands over ambipolar diffusion in a plasma rich in ion-neutral collisions (roughly 90–150 km altitude). We show that when ionization sources cease and conductance is nominally low and decreasing, the structuring of F-region plasma responds in predictable ways, increasing in occurrence and magnitude."

Iverson (2026) A source or a sink? How the altitude of particle precipitation influence high-latitude electrodynamics Annales Geophysicae

EGU thanks our 12,000 volunteers who gave their time in 2025

EGU want to share our thanks with the over 12,000 volunteers who gave their time in 2025. President Peter van der Beek commented "Despite the trying times of the last few years, I'm excited to see what 2026 will hold for EGU and our members, I cannot express how grateful I am to be a part of this dedicated and curious community. Thank you all!” Read his full message here.

EGUwebinar: Mental health in academia- obstacles, advocacy and inclusion

How can academics create more inclusive and balanced working environments in the face of a growing mental health crisis? Watch this EGUwebinar with EGU's BG Division President Ana Bastos to learn more.

EGU Science for Policy Hangout

Come virtually network with those working at the science-policy interface! Register for our next #Sci4Pol Hangout at 14:00 CET on Monday 2 March.

JOB VACANCY: Executive Assistant at EGU Executive Office

EGU is currently seeking a full-time, permanent Executive Assistant, to be based in the Executive Office in Munich, Germany to support the work of the Executive Director, read the full position details here. Applications will be reviewed from 12:00 (CET) 23 March until the position is filled.

EGUwebinar: How to get a European postdoctoral grant

Looking for support and encouragement in your application for European postdoctoral grants? From individual stories to advice on the process of getting funded, join this special EGUwebinar on 11 March at 17:00 CET to learn how you can use postdoctoral grants to advance your career. Register today!

EGUwebinar: Climate of the Past 20th Anniversary: Past volcanism and climate

Studying the response to past volcanic activity helps to quantify the impact of short term forcing on global climate and to test the ability of climate models to reproduce this impact. This webinar is part of a special series celebrating 20 years of Climate of the Past, an interactive journal of the European Geosciences Union. As part of a special series celebrating 20 years of EGU journal 'Climate of the Past', join this EGUwebinar at 16:00CET, 18 March to hear leaders in the field address these ideas. Register here today.

Help new attendees of EGU26 by volunteering to offer Peer Support

If you have attended the EGU General Assembly before you know how confusing it can be for new people. Why not offer your help by volunteering to give a little Peer Support during the week of the meeting. Applications for experienced and novice attendees are now open - submit your application by 31 March 2026 and help everyone in the EGU community feel welcome!

Are you ready to vote for your favourite Division blog of 2025?

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

Peak glacier extinction in the mid-twenty-first century

Cryospheric Sciences Division blog

Geoscientific perspectives on global wetland systems: Between traditional knowledge and cultural heritage

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

Probing the Solar Wind with Spacecraft Radio Occultation Signals: Chasing a Unified Method to Probe the Sun

Solar-Terrestrial Sciences Division blog

How Citizen Scientists mapped Arctic Permafrost

Cryospheric Sciences Division blog

Same hills, different rules: why urban and rural landslides should not be considered together?

Natural Hazards Division blog

GeoTalk: Meet Marie Cavitte, policy officer for the Cryosphere Division, member of the EGU Climate Hazards Task Force, former Blue Book trainee

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

HydroTalks: Prof. Sally E. Thompson on ecohydrology, vegetation, climate change and working across continents

Hydrological Sciences Division blog

New Editorial Voices at NPG

Nonlinear Processes in Geosciences Division blog