Geoscience and society

A new division for those working at the meeting place between geoscience and social science

A new chapter started this month in EGU with the launch of our first new Division since 2008, Geoscience and Society! EGU's Simon Clark spoke to the interim President John Hillier and Deputy President Caitlyn Hall about their hopes for the new Division and what happens next, but watch this space for more ways that you can get involved.

On a more somber note, this October marked 60 years since the devastating mining disaster at Aberfan in Wales. Guest author Rhian Meara wrote a moving post for us about her connections to the site, both scientific and personal, in both English and Welsh, so head over the the EGU Geolog blog to read more.

The EGU27 call for abstracts is now open until 12 January 2027 (at 13:00 CET), and applications for funding support can be submitted until 1 December 2026. Looking for the EOS section? It's now re-labelled as Geoscience & Society, but as a new Division still has temporary exemption from the one-abstract rule.

Watch the EGUwebinar on Science-Policy dialogue

The recording of the webinar Beyond SciComm 101: Building Environmental Science-Policy Dialogue – Is Science Up For Negotiation? featuring Axel Eriksson, one of the fourteen members of the UN Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, is now available to watch on the EGU's YouTube channel. 

During the webinar, Eriksson provides participants with insights on science-policy dialogue in the context of multilateral environmental negotiations, giving examples of environmental negotiations and discussing different ways for scientists to engage with them. You can view the full recording here.

An interview with EGU Science for Policy Award winners

The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters were the inaugural recipients of the 2026 EGU Science for Policy Award, and two of their team members, Linda Lammensalo and Iiris Koivulehto, were interviewed about their work during the General Assembly EGU26. 

The group has also recently published a new Handbook "Policy Red Teaming: A How-To Guide on Science Sparring" that introduces Science Sparring, the knowledge brokering method the team developed. You can read the Handbook here.

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 November.

Don't miss out on all the current Science for Policy news in Europe, subscribe to the EGU Science for Policy Newsletter! Read the October issue, here:

"The Pokémon Trading Card Game provides a nearly three-decade global visual archive reflecting shared cultural assumptions about minerals. The results reveal a dominant “universal crystal template” favoring large, euhedral, translucent, and highly symmetrical crystals, often isolated in caves... By emphasizing visually striking forms, this template systematically excludes the irregular, fine-grained, and paragenetic textures that dominate natural systems."

Chen (2026) Pokémon Trading Cards reveal visual stereotypes of natural minerals Geoscience Communication

New EGU scientific division: Geoscience and Society!

After petitions by the EGU community for the last few years, EGU has created a new scientific division: Geoscience and Society! This division will bring together researchers focused on the connection between geoscientific topics across the Earth, planetary and space sciences, and social subjects, from communication, psychology and ethics, to policy, societal impact, education, economics–and beyond! Read more about the launch here!

Top 5 tips to make better geoscience videos series

EGU Outreach Committee worked with communicator Sérgio Esperancinha to create 5 videos to help you make practical improvements to your science communication videos. They will be published each week over the next month; watch the first video today.

EGU 2026 workshops: science communication and ECS career development!

Each year EGU Committees sponsor professional workshops in a range of subjects that are FREE for EGU members to attend. This year we have several workshops so choose the one that interests you and register now!

Navigating your research career - strengths, strategy and sustainability read more and register here.

Presenting with impact; engaging public audiences in Earth, planetary and space science read more and register here.

EGUwebinar: Careers Across Borders 1: Research Opportunity & Mobility

What career opportunities are there for researchers moving to the European Union? Join part one of this two part EGUwebinar series 'Careers Across Borders' Monday 16 November at 12:00CET, to discover information and resources on funding opportunities, eligibility, and the do's and don'ts of managing a mobile academic career. Register here, today.

EGUwebinar: Lessons in Geoscience: Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics can sometimes be taught in an outdated or old-fashioned way that can even include incorrect concepts, but our understanding of plate tectonics has advanced much further than many of the standard textbooks given to educators suggest. In this EGUwebinar on Thursday 19 November at 16:00 CET, Assistant Professor João Duarte, President of the EGU Tectonics and Structural Geology Division, will discuss the current state of the plate tectonics theory, how we got here and how you can bring these concepts into your classroom. Register here today.

EGUwebinar: Careers Across Borders 2: Navigating Collaboration, Bureaucracy & Mental Health

What obstacles are encountered by researchers moving to the European Union? How do you navigate bureaucratic and academic challenges? Join part two of this two part EGUwebinar series 'Careers Across Borders' Monday 23 November at 12:00CET, to hear from four Early Career Scientists who share their experience of moving to and within the European Union, including highlighting the challenges they faced, how they managed them. Register here, today.

The beetle, the storm, and the carbon sink: On Europe’s climate defence and its deterioration

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

Halloween nightmares: haunting tales of data gone missing

Cryospheric Sciences Division blog

GeoPolicy: How the geography of risk is changing for Europe’s wildfires

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

Meet the Snow Dunes of Antarctica

Geomorphology Division blog

In defense of uncertainty: Why we can’t avoid it and why we need it

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

Twenty futures, one decision: how much water risk are you willing to take?

Hydrological Sciences Division blog

Mars’ lost oceans: Inside the new planetary hydrology model published in EGU’s Geoscientific Model Development (GMD)

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

Five ways to improve your interdisciplinary communication skills

Biogeosciences Division blog

What happens to monsoon raindrops before they reach the ground?

Geolog, the Union’s official blog

Highlights from EGUsphere

Atmospheric Sciences Division blog

GMPV-PS Campfire: Rocks across the Solar System: From planetary differentiation to surface processes

Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology Division blog