President: Davide Faranda
(Emailnp@egu.eu)
Deputy President: François Schmitt
(Email)
ECS Representative: Mireia Ginesta-Fernandez
(Emailecs-np@egu.eu)
The Nonlinear Processes in Geosciences (NP) Division is an interdisciplinary division which is concerned with all aspects on nonlinear and stochastic theories, methods and data in the geosciences. The NP division is focused on a series of nonlinear paradigms whose applications cut across the different disciplines of the geosciences (hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, space sphere…). Examples include chaos, tipping points, nonlinear waves, similarity across scales (scaling, scale invariance, fractals, multifractals), network theory, nonlinear stochastics, predictability and its limits, pattern formation, self-organised criticality, extreme events, deep learning… The NP division welcomes mathematical and theoretical approaches, as well as applications including new methodologies, new modelling and new data analysis techniques.
Due to its interdisciplinary character, many of the NP-sessions during the EGU general assemblies are co-organized with sessions from other divisions. Potential contributors to any session are encouraged to evaluate the benefits of a multi-disciplinary organization in collaboration with the corresponding disciplinary Division.
The division is structured into several subdivisions (see the “About” tab above, for the NP Division structure information and reports).
The Division contributes to the EGU Awards & Medals programme. As for all EGU Divisions, an Early Career Scientist Award is established also for the NP Division and is given to young researchers who obtained outstanding results in the nonlinear geosciences. Every year the Lewis Fry Richardson medal is awarded to scientists for their exceptional contributions to nonlinear geosciences in general. Members of the Division are invited to contribute to the nominations (deadline are every year on the 15th June, see here) for both the NP Division Awards and Medals.
The division maintains very strong links with the EGU publication committee, and especially with the board of Editors of the open access journal Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics (NPG), an interdisciplinary journal for the publication of original research furthering knowledge on nonlinear processes in all branches of Earth, planetary, and solar system sciences.
Latest posts from the NP blog
ECS Spotlight: Evolution of the Dynamics of Centennial Hot Summers in Western Europe With Climate Change
Extreme meteorological and climatological events can be immensely damaging and disruptive to society. Understanding the physical mechanisms driving these events, and how they will evolve with climate change is crucial for informing societal adaptation to our changing climate. However, extreme events are, by definition, rare. Our capacity to understand these events is, therefore, hindered by the small sample size of observed events. Recent methodological developments, termed rare events algorithms, have enabled the sample size of these types of events to …
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Rethinking the carbon cost of scientific exchange: Nonlinear effects of reducing scientific mobility
The carbon footprint of scientific collaboration has become an increasingly debated topic. Conferences, workshops, and research travel remain central to how science function, yet they also contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. Since the pandemic era scientists also learned to work virtually and to attend workshops and conferences online. Understanding the carbon footprint, and how it compares to other global activities, is essential for defining realistic and fair strategies for sustainable science. This is valid not only for scientific conferences …
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Where is climate science heading? Views from the community
At the recent UNDERPIN2 conference (Understanding rare events and their climatic impacts, in Erice, Sicily), we held a discussion on the future of climate science. To guide the conversation, I ran an interactive survey to capture how climate scientists see the current challenges, opportunities, and blind spots in climate research, communication, and the use of artificial intelligence. The responses—ranging from sharp critiques to hopeful suggestions—point towards a field in transition. What Are We Missing? When asked which types of extreme …
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From Theory to Impacts: Nonlinear Perspectives on Weather Extremes at UNDERPIN#2
From 1–5 August 2025, the medieval hilltop town of Erice, Sicily, hosted the second UNDERPIN workshop, a meeting organised within the Nonlinear Processes in Geosciences community and dedicated to advancing the science of weather extremes. The event brought together a truly diverse group of researchers, spanning climate dynamics, attribution science, socio-economic impacts, statistical physics, and mathematical modelling. This breadth reflected the complexity of extremes themselves, which demand insights from both theory and application, as well as the translation of research …
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Recent awardees
- 2025
- Lewis Fry Richardson Medal
The 2025 Lewis Fry Richardson Medal is awarded to
Vincenzo Carbone for outstanding contributions to the study of turbulence in magnetohydrodynamics, particularly in the solar wind and space plasmas, as well as its impact on the Earth’s magnetosphere and climate.
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- 2025
- Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award
The 2025 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to
Johannes Jakob Lohmann for important contributions to our understanding of non-linear climate dynamics during the last glacial period.
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- 2025
- Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award
The 2025 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to
Joaquín Espinoza Troni Electron scale magnetic holes generation driven by Whistler-to-Bernstein mode conversion in fully kinetic plasma turbulence
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Current issue of the EGU newsletter
In our December Issue we we are focusing on positive stories of surprises in science. Asmae Ourkiya shared how a prize established in 1900 to reward anyone making contact with alien life (expect Martians) ended up funding more than a century of astronomy research and innovation. Guest blogger Fernanda Matos described the discovery her autism had been driving her interest in Oceanography for years, in her blog on how we can better support people with disability in geoscience. And we highlight some surprises to avoid in our blog on the Austrian visa and Schengen system ahead of EGU26. Also catch up on all the upcoming dates for webinars and funding, including €10,000 to host a Geoscience Day event in your European country, and share your opinions on where EGU should be focusing strategically in the next 5 years in the EGU Members' Survey.
All this and much more, in this month's Loupe!
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