European Geosciences Union
Division on Nonlinear Processes in Geosciences
President: François Schmitt
(np@egu.eu)
Deputy President: Reik Donner
(reik.donner@h2.de)
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.
The 2023 Lewis Fry Richardson Medal is awarded to Angelo Vulpiani for contributions to stochastic resonance, as a mechanism for climate variability, the development of multifractals to describe turbulence and chaotic systems, and its implications for predictability.
The 2022 Lewis Fry Richardson Medal is awarded to Ulrike Feudel for fundamental contributions on tipping points in multistable systems.
The 2022 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Tommaso Alberti for outstanding research in the fields of data analysis and modeling, via dynamical system approaches, to understand complexity in geoscience, space plasma, and the planetary environment.
The 2022 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Benedikt Schulz Machine learning for postprocessing ensemble forecasts of wind gusts with a focus on European winter storms
The 2022 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Lana Blaschke AMOC early warning signals in CMIP6 models?
In the May newsletter, EGU spoke to researchers about the exclusionary practices contributing to the low retention rate of minority groups within the geosciences, and to understand what needs to be done to usher in change.
We hear about the geological period that no one talks about: menstruation in the field, and the struggles of being a parent or caregiver in academia. David Fernández-Blanco also shares his plans to better support early career researchers as EGU’s new Union-level Early Career Scientist Representative.
Members of EGU’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee invite your inputs to their survey on workplace experiences of geoscientists and EGU’s Education Committee shares ways to bring science to educators! Want to do your part in making the geoscience community more inclusive? Watch our free EGUwebinar to identify and combat structural discrimination in your work environment and personal life.