This session contains the 2025 EGU Augustus Love medal lecture by Neil Ribe and GD Division Outstanding ECS Award Lecture by Iris van Zelst.
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The plate tectonics theory satisfactorily explains ~90% of the Earth’s volcanism, attributing it to convergent or divergent plate boundaries. However, the origin of significant amounts of anomalous volcanism within both continental and oceanic plate interiors (i.e. intraplate volcanism) as well as regions of excessive magmatism along ridges (i.e. Iceland), are not directly related to plate boundary processes, such as subduction or ridge extension. A variety of models have been developed to explain the origins of this enigmatic magmatism (e.g. mantle plumes, edge-driven convection etc.). Improvements in instrumentation, numerical modelling, the temporal and spatial resolution of data as well as the development of new techniques, have allowed us to better understand mantle dynamics and the Earth’s interior. Re-evaluation, refinement, and creation of new models for the origin of intraplate/anomalous magmatism have also provided better insights on deep mantle processes and shed light on the complex interactions between the Earth’s mantle and surface. Understanding what triggers magmatism unrelated to plate boundary processes is critical to understand the evolution of Earth’s mantle through time, especially before the initiation of plate tectonics and when supercontinents dominated, as well as for understanding magmatism on other planetary bodies in the solar system and beyond. This session aims to facilitate new understandings of intraplate and anomalous magmatism by bringing together diverse ideas, observations, and approaches from researchers around the globe.
We therefore welcome contributions dealing with the origins and evolution of intraplate or anomalous magmatism using a variety of approaches and techniques to tackle outstanding questions from any field, including: petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, isotope geochemistry, geophysics, geodynamics, seismology, and more. This session brings together scientists from any and all backgrounds who work on intraplate/anomalous magmatism using any approach, enhancing discussion and collaboration between disciplines.

A variety of geophysical and geological observational techniques are now mature enough to provide valuable insights into the influence that mantle convection has on Earth' surface and its core. Current challenges include the need to reconcile different spatial resolutions between models and observations, uneven data coverage and the determination of appropriate sampling and simulation scales. This session will provide a holistic view of the influence of mantle convection on core dynamics and surface expressions from geodetic to geological time scales using multi-disciplinary methods, including (but not limited to): geodetic, geophysical, geological, long-term evolution of the geomagnetic field, Earth's core dynamics magnetism and the seismic imaging of mantle convective processes, as well as numerical modeling.

Our session will provide rich opportunities for presenters and attendees from a range of disciplines, demographics, and stages of their scientific career to engage in this exciting and multidisciplinary problem in Earth science.

The recent methodological and instrumental advances in paleomagnetism further increased its already high potential in solving geological, geophysical, and tectonic problems. Indirect records from archaeological materials, volcanic rocks, sediments, and speleothems are essential for studying the ancient geomagnetic field, covering different time scales, from secular variation to magnetic reversals. In this session, we welcome abstracts that contribute to the advancement of our understanding of geomagnetic field variations in terms of time scale (short and long) and spatial scale (e.g., magnetic anomalies). Also welcome are contributions combining paleomagnetic and magnetic fabric data, showing novel approaches in data evaluation and modelling to reconstruct and analyze paleogeography on the regional to global scale across all timescales.

The Earth’s lithosphere is a highly dynamic system, that, by interacting with the deeper mantle, exerts a key control on global scale tectonics and shapes the chemical composition of our planet. Among the factors that can influence the lithosphere and mantle rheological and geodynamic behaviour, fluid occurrence is one of the most prominent. The presence and migration of fluids and/or melts in the lithosphere can be caused by natural mechanisms (e.g., metasomatic reactions in the mantle, melt ascent and degassing, dehydration metamorphic reactions and meteoric water percolation) or by industrial activities (e.g., ore deposit exploitation and energy production).
Subsurface fluids interact with the rock matrix, triggering or enhancing numerous geological processes in the crust and lithosphere. For example, the presence of fluids can lead to rocks’ stress changes and reactivate pre-existing faults, therefore generating earthquakes. Fluids also play a crucial role in the development of magmatic processes and have a remarkable environmental impact. In the lithospheric mantle, fluids and melts can induce physico-chemical modifications, promote outgassing, cause a drastic reduction in rock viscosity and favor mechanisms of delamination. In addition, fluids can be a key factor in the generation of intraslab earthquakes during subduction.
To investigate the causes for fluid presence at various depths in the lithosphere, and the effects of melt/fluid-rock interactions from mantle to crust, it is necessary to adopt integrated, multi-parametric and multi-disciplinary approaches. Integrated studies, in fact, are better suited not only to image and trace melts and fluids in mantle, volcanic, tectonic and industrial exploitation environments, but also to identify specific seismicity patterns in correlation to an increase/decrease in natural and anthropogenic hazards.
The session will focus on innovative research, field studies, modeling aspects, theoretical, experimental and observational advances in detecting and tracking the migration of melts and fluids at the micro- to macro-scale.
We welcome contributions from a broad range of disciplines, including seismic monitoring, petrology, geochemistry of minerals, melt/fluid inclusions and gaseous emissions, tomography, volcanology, thermodynamic modelling. The session also encourages contributions from Early Career Scientists.

The origin and evolution of the continental lithosphere is closely linked to changes in mantle dynamics through time, from its formation through melt depletion to multistage reworking and reorganisation related to interaction with melts formed both beneath and within it. Understanding this history is critical to constraining terrestrial dynamics, element cycles and metallogeny. We welcome contributions dealing with: (1) Reconstructions of the structure and composition of the lithospheric mantle, and the influence of plumes and subduction zones on root construction; (2) Interactions of plume- and subduction-derived melts and fluids with the continental lithosphere, and the nature and development of metasomatic agents; (3) Source rocks, formation conditions (P-T-fO2) and evolution of mantle melts originating below or in the mantle lithosphere; (4) Deep source regions, melting processes and phase transformation in mantle plumes and their fluids; (5) Modes of melt migration and ascent, as constrained from numerical modelling and microstructures of natural mantle samples; (6) Role of mantle melts and fluids in the generation of hybrid and acid magmas.These topics can be illuminated using the geochemistry and fabric of mantle xenoliths and orogenic peridotites, mantle-derived melts and experimental simulations.

The dynamics of magmatic systems are driven by complex processes that span from deep mantle melt generation to surface eruptions. These processes involve complex melt-rock interactions, including melt generation in the upper mantle and lower crust, magma transport, differentiation, and emplacement in the crust, the genesis of energy and mineral resources, and volcanic extrusion with consequent hazards. Fluid-mechanical and thermo-chemical processes involving different phases (liquid melt, solid crystals, volatile fluids, and pyroclasts) emerge on sub-millimetre scales while influencing systems at the metre to kilometre scale. Understanding these processes requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining observations, experiments, and computational methods including forward and inverse modelling and machine learning.
Despite the crucial role of computational methods in integrating and interpreting data from various sources, there has been limited progress in establishing a dedicated community within volcanic and magmatic studies. This session aims to address this gap by focusing on computational approaches. We seek to bring together researchers working on forward and inverse modelling, machine learning, and other computational methods to foster a thriving community to complement well established observational and experimental communities.
We encourage contributions that explore the theory, application, and validation of computational approaches in the context of experimental and observational data. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Multiphase flow dynamics
- Thermodynamics and phase equilibria
- Magma transport and storage
- Chemical and rheological melt-rock interactions
- Crystallization and degassing processes
- Energy and mineral resource genesis
- Magma-hydrothermal interactions
- Eruption dynamics and hazards
This session aims to provide a platform for in-depth technical discussions that are challenging to facilitate in broader multidisciplinary sessions, ultimately fostering a stronger computational community within volcanic and magmatic studies.

Dynamical processes shape the Earth and other rocky planets throughout their history; their present state is a result of this long-term evolution. Early on, processes and lifetimes of magma oceans establish the initial conditions for their long-term development; subsequently their long-term evolution is shaped by the dynamics of the mantle-lithosphere system, compositional differentiation or mixing, possible core-mantle reactions, etc.. These processes can be interrogated through observations of the rock record, geochemistry, seismology, gravity, magnetism and planetary remote sensing all linked through geodynamical modelling constrained by physical properties of relevant phases.

This session aims to provide a holistic view of the dynamics, tectonics, structure, composition and evolution of Earth and rocky planetary bodies (including exoplanets) on temporal scales ranging from the present day to billions of years, and on spatial scales ranging from microscopic to global, by bringing together constraints from geodynamics, seismology, mineral physics, geochemistry, petrology, volcanology, planetary science and astronomy.

The first half of Earth’s history (Hadean to Paleoproterozoic) laid the foundations for the planet we know today. But how and why it differed and how and why it evolved remain enduring questions.
In this session, we encourage the presentation of new approaches that improve our understanding on the formation, structure, and evolution of the early Earth ranging from the mantle and lithosphere to the atmosphere, oceans and biosphere, and interactions between these reservoirs.
This session aims to bring together scientists from a large range of disciplines to provide an interdisciplinary and comprehensive overview of the field. This includes, but is not limited to, fields such as early mantle dynamics, the formation, evolution and destruction of the early crust and lithosphere, early surface environments and the evolution of the early biosphere, mineral deposits, and how possible tectonic regimes impacted across the early Earth system.

In June 2021, NASA and ESA selected a fleet of three international missions to Venus, which are planned to launch in 2031. Moreover, other missions are in preparation, such as Shukrayaan-1 (ISRO), Venus Life Finder (Rocket Lab), and VOICE (Chinese Academy of Sciences). With the ‘Decade of Venus’ upon us, many fundamental questions remain regarding the planet. Did Venus ever have an ocean? How and when did intense greenhouse conditions develop? How does its internal structure compare to Earth's? How can we better understand Venus’ geologic history as preserved on its surface as well as the present-day state of activity and couplings between the surface and atmosphere? Although Venus is one of the most uninhabitable planets in the Solar System, understanding our nearest planetary neighbor may unveil important lessons on atmospheric and surface processes, interior dynamics, and habitability. Moreover, as an early-Earth analogue, Venus may help us draw important conclusions on the history of our own planet. Beyond the solar system, Venus’ analogues are likely a common type of exoplanets, and we probably have already discovered many of Venus’ sisters orbiting other stars. This session welcomes contributions that address the past, present, and future of Venus science and exploration, and what Venus can teach us about (ancient) Earth as well as exo-Venus analogues. Moreover, Venus mission concepts, new Venus observations, Earth-Venus comparisons, exoplanet observations, new results from previous observations, and the latest lab and modelling approaches are all welcome to our discussion of solving Venus’ mysteries.

This session aims to bring together a diverse group of scientists who are interested in how life and planetary processes have co-evolved over geological time. This includes studies of how paleoenvironments have contributed to biological evolution and vice versa, linking fossil records to paleo-Earth processes and the influence of tectonic and magmatic processes on the evolution of climate and life. As an inherently multi-disciplinary subject, we aspire to better understand the complex coupling of biogeochemical cycles and life, the links between mass extinctions and their causal geological events, how fossil records shed light on ecosystem drivers over deep time, and how tectono-geomorphic processes impact biodiversity patterns at global or local scales. We aim to understand our planet and its biosphere through both observation- and modelling-based studies. We also invite contributions on general exoplanet-life co-evolution.

This session is co-organized by COST Action CA23150 - pan-EUROpean BIoGeodynamics network (EUROBIG)

Subduction drives plate tectonics, generating the majority of subaerial volcanism, releasing >90% of global seismic moment, forming continents, and recycling lithosphere. Numerical and laboratory modelling studies have successfully built our understanding of many aspects of the geodynamics of subduction zones. Detailed geochemical studies, investigating compositional variations within and between volcanic arcs, provide further insights into systematic chemical processes at the slab surface and within the mantle wedge, constraining thermal structure and material transport within subduction zones. However, due to different technical and methodological approaches, model set-ups, inputs, and material properties, and in some cases conflicting conclusions between chemical and physical models, a consistent picture of the controlling parameters of subduction zone processes has not yet emerged.

This session seeks to provide an integrated understanding of subduction zone processes, combining insights from global subduction zones with a detailed focus on the western margin of South America, one of the Earth's most significant subduction systems. While advancing a broad framework for the initiation, evolution, and dynamics of subduction zones globally, this session will also highlight distinctive features of the South American margin, such as its accretionary orogen, occurrences of flat-slab subduction, and its history of major seismic events. This presents an opportunity to examine a variety of processes, such as the generation and migration of volatiles and melts, seismic activity, magmatism, and crustal deformation.

We invite contributions from disciplines including geodynamics, geochemistry, petrology, volcanology, seismology, and geophysics to discuss subduction zone dynamics at all scales from the surface to the lower mantle, and in applications to natural laboratories, especially in relation to the Andes. With its broad focus, this session aims to foster interactions across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Orogens, either accretionary or collisional in type, represent an outstanding place to investigate deformational and surface processes and the way these processes interact. On a short-time scale, the pattern of deformation and erosion illuminates crustal mechanics and its relation to seismicity, the influence of climate-driven erosion, as well as the influence of fluid flow. On longer-time scales, the structure and dynamics of orogenic belts provides pathways to a more mechanistic understanding of rock deformation from micro- to orogen-scale.
The reliable appraisal of the diversity of geomorphic, structural, magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary processes at work during orogeny as well as the 3D-4D conceptual and numerical modeling of the evolution of orogens require a multisource approach encompassing field geology, geomorphology, geophysics, petrology and geochemistry as well as advanced laboratory techniques. In order to constrain the timing, sequence, duration, rates of strain localization in the crust and orogenic growth, determining the age and longevity of structures - folds and thrusts in fold-and-thrust belts and foreland basins and ductile shear zones in the deeper crust - is key. Adding to the petrochronological toolbox applied to metamorphic minerals from the ductile realm, recent advances in K–Ar illite and U–Pb calcite geochronology applied to fault zones and mesoscale brittle structures have allowed for deeper insights into the upper crust mechanics.
This session aims at bridging the gap between spatial - from shallow depth to lithospheric scale- and temporal -short-term vs long-term- scales for a better understanding of mountain building and to provide a forum for all disciplines concerned with orogenic wedges to meet and discuss their views. We welcome contributions reporting topical works on mountain belts including seismology, rheology and mechanics, structural geology, dating deformation, thermochronology, geomorphology, thermicity or fluid rock-interactions. We encourage integrated studies highlighting the respective role of plate tectonics, crust-mantle interactions and surface processes in shaping the architecture of the continental crust. Analogue or numerical modeling work as well as regional case studies are welcome. Furthermore, applied studies aiming at linking structure development and crustal dynamics with hydrogeology and generation of carbon-free energy resources such as geothermal energy or natural H2 are also encouraged.

This session explores the mechanisms driving seismicity and deformation across diverse tectonic settings. In subduction zones, which account for approximately 90% of global seismic moment release, we examine the processes governing megathrust behavior, intermediate-depth and deep-focus earthquakes, and the role of fluids in faulting. In intracontinental regions, particularly Southeastern Europe, the interaction between the Adriatic/Dinarides collision and Aegean extension gives rise to complex faulting patterns and significant seismic hazards, although deformation rates are more distributed.
We welcome interdisciplinary studies that integrate seismological, geodetic, geological, and modeling approaches to address key questions, including: i) What controls seismicity patterns and fault behavior across different tectonic environments? ii) How do fluids, stress interactions, and regional geodynamics influence deformation processes? iii)How can multi-scale observations—from high-resolution geophysics to paleoseismology—better constrain active fault characteristics and seismic hazard assessments?
By bridging insights from different tectonic settings, this session aims to advance our understanding of earthquake generation and the factors shaping seismic hazard worldwide.

The links between crustal deformation, mantle dynamics, and climate-driven surface processes have long been recognized as main drivers for the evolution of orogens and sedimentary basins. Yet, the feedback mechanisms between erosion, sediment transportation and deposition, crustal tectonics and mantle dynamics, including magmatism, remain elusive. Understanding the complex interplay between tectonic and surface processes requires an interdisciplinary approach. Quantifying the uplift and erosion rates in orogens and subsidence and sedimentation rates in basins, and separating distinct crustal, deep mantle, and climatic forcings are among the most challenging objectives, because they all act on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Understanding such a dynamic system requires observational data from field studies, geophysical and well data analysis, thermochronological studies as well as analogue and numerical modelling techniques.
We invite contributions investigating orogenesis and sedimentary basin evolution and their connection to (climate-driven) surface processes, and crustal and mantle dynamics. We encourage contributions using multi-disciplinary and innovative methods addressing the coupling between tectonics and surface processes.

Subduction zones generate numerous natural hazards, including volcanism, earthquakes and tsunamis, and shape the landscape through a series of processes lasting from seconds to millions of years. Their dynamics are driven by complex feedbacks between stress, strain, rock transformation and fluid migration along and across the plate interface, from shallow to deep environments. Despite their utmost importance, the intricate time-sensitive thermo–hydro–mechanical–chemical (THMC-t) processes remain largely puzzling. This is essentially due to the complexity of integrating observations across multiple spatial, magnification and temporal scales (from the nanoscale and the grain boundary size to the plate interface, and from seconds to millions of years).

Our session aims, therefore, at gathering recent advancements in observatory techniques, monitoring and high-resolution imaging of i) the plate interface kinematics, ii) the accretionary wedge, iii) the subducting slab, and iv) the mantle wedge in active and fossil subduction interfaces. This includes studies from a wide range of disciplines, such as seismology and geodesy, geodynamics, marine geosciences, field-based petrology and geochemistry and microstructure, rock mechanics and numerical modelling. We particularly encourage initiatives that foster collaboration between communities to achieve a comprehensive understanding of subduction systems through space and time.

It is becoming clear that Wilson Cycle processes including rifting, drifting, inversion, and orogenesis are more complex than standard models suggest. In this session, we explore new understandings of Wilson Cycle processes, including the onset of extensional reactivation/rifting, breakup, ocean drifting, margin inversion, subduction initiation, and orogenesis. In rifted margins, oceans, subduction zones, and orogens, observations and models showcase the significance of inherited geological structures, lithospheric rheology, time-dependence, surface processes, magmatism, obliquity, and geometry in processes of rifting, drifting, and extensional reactivation. However, our understanding of the role and interaction of these factors remains far from complete. Unexpected observations such as continental material far offshore (e.g., at the Rio Grande Rise), wide-magmatic rifted margins (e.g., the Laxmi Basin), extensive subsidence and sedimentation during rift-basin inversion (e.g., in the Pannonian basin), and thermal imprinting from continental rifting affecting subsequent orogenesis (e.g., in the Pyrenees) continue to challenge conventional models and exemplify the need for further work on Wilson Cycle processes.

This session will bring together new observations, models, and ideas to help understand the complex factors influencing extensional reactivation, rifting, and drifting during the Wilson Cycle. Works investigating time-dependence, inheritance, plate kinematics, strain localisation, magmatism, obliquity, interior plate deformation, driving forces, sedimentation, surface processes, lithospheric/crustal structure, and the interaction/feedback between processes controlling the Wilson Cycle are therefore welcomed to this session.

Contributions from any geoscience discipline, including but not limited to geophysics, marine geosciences, seismology, ocean drilling, geochemistry, petrology, plate kinematics, tectonics, sedimentology, field and structural geology, numerical and analogue modelling, or thermo/geochronology etc., are sought. We particularly encourage cross-disciplinarity, innovative studies, spanning different spatio-temporal scales, and thought-provoking ideas that challenge conventions from any and all researchers, especially including students.

Mid-oceanic ridges (MORs) provide the unique opportunity to study two of the three plate boundaries: divergent plate boundaries along and across the ridge axis and tectonically dominated movements (e.g., transform faults). Our understanding of the active processes building and modifying the oceanic lithosphere has increased over the past 20 years due to advances in deep-sea research technologies and analytical and numerical modeling techniques. Increasingly, the processes inferred from the present oceanic lithosphere are also transferred into those operating in the Proterozoic and Archean. Yet, the relative role of magmatic, tectonic, and hydrothermal processes and their interaction in the formation and accretion of the oceanic lithosphere at the ridge, especially at slow and ultra-slow spreading ridges and along transform faults, remains poorly constrained. Transform faults and their extension into fracture zones have previously been considered as relatively cold and magmatically inactive; however, evidence for magmatism has recently emerged. The complex network of faults associated provide ideal pathways for hydrothermal percolation into the Earth’s lithosphere and may therefore play a significant role in the chemical and the thermal budget of the planet, as well as in the chemical exchange with the ocean (e.g., nutrients). Yet, little is known about fluid circulation in the lithosphere in these ultraslow settings.
This session objective is to favor scientific exchange across all disciplines and to share recent knowledge acquired along mid-oceanic ridge axes, transform faults, and fracture zones. We particularly welcome studies using modern deep-sea high-resolution techniques. The session also welcome contributions dealing with recent discoveries in hydrothermal systems, and which integrate geophysical, geochemical, petrological and geological data with numerical modeling tools.

Ever since the inception of Wegener’s Continental Drift and ensuing plate tectonics, the Earth’s crust has been described using a bimodal classification: oceanic versus continental. However, after decades of advances in subsurface imaging, it is clear this is an over-simplification. The crust offshore may be hyperextended and/or extensively intruded continental crust, and continental microplates may be common.
Recent advances in geophysical imaging, dredging and drilling-based exploration have evidenced features like dykes, sills, and Seaward-Dipping Reflectors and tectonic structures such as folds, brittle faults, and shear zones, revealing details of large crustal transects offshore.
We welcome contributions from all fields of geoscience that relate to the extent of continental, oceanic, and hybrid crust beneath continental shelves and in the oceans. Contributions may be based on observations, numerical modelling or theory, and may derive from any part of the world. We also welcome contributions focusing on the long-term processes from orogenesis to rifting and transform faulting, and bring new perspectives to disputed areas.

Continental rifting is a complex process spanning from the inception of extension to continental rupture or the formation of a failed rift. This session aims at combining new data, concepts and techniques elucidating the structure and dynamics of rifts and rifted margins. We invite submissions highlighting the time-dependent evolution of processes such as: initiation and growth of faults and ductile shear zones, tectonic and sedimentary history, magma migration, storage and volcanism, lithospheric necking and rift strength loss, influence of the pre-rift lithospheric structure, rift kinematics and plate motion, mantle flow and dynamic topography, as well as break-up and the transition to sea-floor spreading. We encourage contributions using multi-disciplinary and innovative methods from field geology, geochronology, geochemistry, petrology, seismology, geodesy, marine geophysics, plate reconstruction, or numerical or analogue modelling. Special emphasis will be given to presentations that provide an integrated picture by combining results from active rifts, passive margins, failed rift arms or by bridging the temporal and spatial scales associated with rifting.

Geodynamic and tectonic processes are the key engines in shaping the structural, thermal and petrological configuration of the crust and lithosphere. In the course, they constantly modify the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical properties of the rock record, ultimately leading to a heterogenous endowment of (often co-located) subsurface resources.
Supporting the transition to sustainable low-carbon economies at scale poses significant challenges and opportunities for the global geoscience community. An integrated and interdisciplinary understanding of the subsurface processes that can provide access to alternative energy supplies and critical raw materials is lacking, as are unifying science-backed exploration strategies and resource assessment workflows.
This session aims to improve our scientific understanding of the pathways and interdependencies that lead to the concentration of economic quantities of energy carriers or noble gases, mineral resources, and sufficient geothermal gradients. Further, it also focuses on providing input for exploration decision-making, the engineering of access strategies to the policy makers as well as for the strategic planning of collaborative research initiatives.
In particular, we invite studies on observational data analysis, instrumentation, numerical modeling, laboratory experiments, and geological engineering, with an emphasis on integrated approaches/datasets which address the geological history of such systems as well as their spatial characteristics for sub-topics such as:
- Geothermal systems: key challenges in successfully exploiting geothermal energy are related to observational gaps in lithological heterogeneities and tectonic (fault) structures and sweet-spotting zones of sufficient permeability for fluid extraction.
- Geological (white/natural) hydrogen and helium resources: potential of source rocks, conversion kinetics, migration and possible accumulation processes through geological time, along with detection, characterisation, and quantification of sources, fluxes, shallow subsurface interactions and surface leakage of hydrogen (H2) and Helium (He).
- Ore deposits: To meet the growing global demand for metal resources, new methods are required to discover new ore deposits and assess the spatio-temporal and geodynamic characteristics of favourable conditions to generate metallogenic deposits, transport pathways, and host sequences.

Crust forms as a consequence of planetary differentiation and recycling processes. On Earth, differentiation processes have led to the formation and modification of felsic, evolved crust over time and provide a window into the complexity of crust from the Archean to the present. Near-surface interaction with the biosphere, internal differentiation by tectonic, igneous and metamorphic processes, and recycling into the mantle constantly change the composition of Earth crust. However, we have a limited understanding of the formation, differentiation, and stabilization of the Earth's lower crust and the transition zone between that and the mantle. Recent studies on exposed deep crust, including ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) terrains and the crust–mantle transition, as well as drilling initiatives (such as ICDP-DIVE) are adding novel insights and a new dimension to our understanding of planetary crust evolution and its control on physical properties, redox conditions, volatile elements and georesources such as critical minerals and natural hydrogen. In addition, deep crustal environments may host a range of microbial life that interacts with the chemistry of the crust and influences biogeochemical cycles. We invite submissions aimed at understanding crust-forming and modification processes, using any geological, geophysical, geochemical, geochronological, microbiological datasets and/or geodynamic modelling with the aim of elucidating the 4D evolution of crust on Earth and beyond.

The session topic is interpretation and modelling of the geodynamic processes in the lithosphere-asthenosphere system and the interaction between crust and lithospheric mantle, as well as the importance of these processes for the formation of the discontinuities that we today observe in the crust and mantle. We aim at establishing links between seismological observations and process-oriented modelling studies to better understand the relation between present-day fabrics of the lithosphere and contemporary deformation and ongoing dynamics within the asthenospheric mantle.

The Tethyan Belt is the most prominent collisional zone on Earth, covering the vast area between far eastern Asia and Europe. The Tethyan Belt is the result of the subduction of the Tethyan Oceans, including significant terrane amalgamation, and collisional tectonics along the whole belt. The belt is today strongly affected by the ongoing convergence and collision between the Eurasian, African, Arabian and Indian plates. The long formation history and the variability of tectonic characteristics and deep structures of the belt make it a natural laboratory for understanding the accretion processes that have shaped the Earth through its history and have led to the formation of vast resources in the crust.

We invite contributions based on geological, tectonic, geophysical and geodynamic studies of the lithosphere. We particularly invite interdisciplinary studies, which integrate observational data and interpretations based on a variety of methods. Papers with focus on the structure of the crust and the nature of the Moho are also welcome.

We are looking for studies that investigate how tectonic plates move, how this movement is accommodated in deformation zones, and how elastic strain builds up and is released along faults and in subduction zones. These studies should use space geodetic data and sea floor geodetic measurements in combination with observations like seismicity, geological slip rates and rakes, sea-level, and gravity. How can the observed elastic strain buildup best be used to infer the likelihood of future earthquakes? How persistent are fault asperities over multiple earthquake cycles? Are fault slip rates from paleoseismology identical to those from geodetic data? What portion of plate motion results in earthquakes, and where does the rest go? How fast are mountains currently rising? How well can we constrain the stresses that drive the observed deformation? How much do the nearly constant velocities of plates vary during the earthquake cycle, and does this influence the definition of Earth's reference frame?

The goal of this session is to reconcile short-time/small-scale and long-time/large-scale observations, including geodynamic processes such as subduction, collision, rifting, or mantle lithosphere interactions. Despite the remarkable advances in experimental rock mechanics, the implications of rock-mechanics data for large temporal and spatial scale tectonic processes are still not straightforward, since the latter are strongly controlled by local lithological stratification of the lithosphere, its thermal structure, fluid content, tectonic heritage, metamorphic reactions, and deformation rates.

Mineral reactions have mechanical effects that may result in the development of pressure variations and thus are critical for interpreting microstructural and mineral composition observations. Such effects may fundamentally influence element transport properties and rheological behavior.
Here, we encourage presentations focused on the interplay between metamorphic processes and deformation on all scales, on the rheological behavior of crustal and mantle rocks, and time scales of metamorphic reactions in order to discuss
(1) how and when up to GPa-level differential stress and pressure variations can be built and maintained at geological timescales and modeling of such systems,
(2) deviations from lithostatic pressure during metamorphism: fact or fiction?
(3) the impact of deviations from lithostatic pressure on geodynamic reconstructions.
(4) the effect of porous fluid and partial melting on the long-term strength.
We, therefore, invite the researchers from different domains (rock mechanics, petrographic observations, geodynamic and thermo-mechanical modeling) to share their views on the way forward for improving our knowledge of the long-term rheology and chemo-thermo-mechanical behavior of the lithosphere and mantle.

Many regions of the Earth, from crust to core, exhibit anisotropic fabrics which can reveal much about geodynamic processes in the subsurface. These fabrics can exist at a variety of scales, from crystallographic orientations to regional structure alignments. In the past few decades, a tremendous body of multidisciplinary research has been dedicated to characterizing anisotropy in the solid Earth and understanding its geodynamical implications. This has included work in fields such as: (1) geophysics, to make in situ observations and construct models of anisotropic properties at a range of depths; (2) mineral physics, to explain the cause of some of these observations; and (3) numerical modelling, to relate the inferred fabrics to regional stress and flow regimes and, thus, geodynamic processes in the Earth. The study of anisotropy in the Solid Earth encompasses topics so diverse that it often appears fragmented according to regions of interest, e.g., the upper or lower crust, oceanic lithosphere, continental lithosphere, cratons, subduction zones, D'', or the inner core. The aim of this session is to bring together scientists working on different aspects of mechanical anisotropy to provide a comprehensive overview of the field. We encourage contributions from all disciplines of the earth sciences (including mineral physics, seismology, magnetotellurics, geodynamic modelling) focused on mechanical anisotropy at all scales and depths within the Earth.

Understanding the complex interplay between microstructural evolution and stress distribution during the viscous deformation of polycrystalline geological materials is pivotal for unravelling Earth's large-scale geodynamic processes. This session aims to synthesise insights across disciplines, merging research on the microstructural intricacies of materials like ice and olivine with advanced methodologies for quantifying stress in the lithosphere.


Join us to explore the impact of crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO), grain size, and dynamic recrystallization on the rheological behavior of Earth materials, alongside innovative techniques for stress analysis at various scales, from intragranular heterogeneity to plate boundary dynamics. We welcome contributions that employ numerical modelling, laboratory experiments, or observational studies that highlight the intersection of microstructural evolution and stress, emphasizing time-dependent processes, such as creep transients, and their role in viscous deformation.


This session aims to foster an inclusive, interdisciplinary dialogue, inviting researchers from all backgrounds to bridge scales and methodologies. We encourage participation from early career researchers to collectively advance our understanding of the stress-microstructure relationship and its implications for viscous deformations in the cryosphere, crust, and mantle.

Classic models predicting a depth that separates brittle deformation in the upper crust from a region below in which deformation is dominated by ductile processes have long been outdated. In fact, the deformation behavior of Earth’s lithosphere is more complex and brittle and ductile processes may interact throughout the lithosphere. In the rock record, brittle deformation may be expressed as features ranging from micro-fracturing of mineral grains up to seismic ruptures (e.g., pseudotachylytes) or large-scale faults, and ductile deformation is typically expressed as shear zones ranging from millimeter to kilometer scales. Factors known to determine whether strain is accommodated by brittle and/or ductile processes include, but are not limited to: material properties (e.g., grain size, composition), strain rate, strain incompatibilities, pressure-temperature conditions, the availability of fluids, and rock modification by metamorphic reactions.
The multitude of possible factors determining the deformation style in the lithosphere make a comprehensive understanding of the deformation behavior of Earth’s lithosphere challenging. In this session we aim to tackle the complex topic of lithospheric deformation by combining observations from natural rocks with those from experimental and numerical studies.

The dynamics of planetary cores and subsurface oceans represent fundamental components of planetary evolution models, contributing to the balance of heat and angular momentum, energy dissipation, and the generation of magnetic fields, which can be observed both in situ and remotely.

The steering mechanisms in the fluid layers of planetary cores encompass a range of processes, including slow thermal and compositional convection, as well as diurnal orbital perturbations, such as precession, nutations, librations, and tides. The resulting non-linear dynamics present a significant challenge for both numerical and experimental approaches. The increasing volume of data from satellite and Earth-based missions requires ongoing efforts to enhance our understanding of these dynamics through theoretical, numerical, and experimental research.

In addition, seismological observations provide a picture of the core as it is today. The increasing body of observations and data processing techniques offers new avenues to study the structure and physical properties of both the outer and inner core. This is complemented by information from high pressure mineral physics which can help in understanding the underlying effects of composition, chemical, and crystalline structure on the core as it is today or during its evolution since the formation of the Earth.

In this session, we welcome contributions from all disciplines to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of planetary core and geodynamo models. This includes research on thermal and compositional convection, mechanically driven flows by precession/nutation, libration, and tides, dynamo processes, high pressure mineral physics, and seismological observations.

The Alps are an orogen that offers an exceptional natural laboratory to study the evolution of mountain-building processes from short- to long-term and small- to large-scales, including the evolution of plate margins from rifting to subduction, inheritance from previous orogenic cycles, ophiolite emplacement, collision and (ultra)high-pressure rock exhumation, and upper-plate and foreland basin evolution.

Advances in a variety of geophysical, geochronological, geochemical and geological fields provide a rich and growing set of constraints on the crust-lithosphere and mantle structure, tectonics and geodynamics of the entire mountain belt.

We invite contributions from different and multi-disciplinary perspectives ranging from the Earth’s surface to the mantle, and based on geology (tectonics, petrology, stratigraphy, geo- and thermochronology, geochemistry, paleomagnetism and geomorphology), geophysics (seismotectonics, seismic tomography and anisotropy) and geodesy and modelling (numerical and analogue). The aim is for contributions to provide new insights and observations on the record of subduction/exhumation/collision; pre-Alpine orogenic stages; the influence of structural and palaeogeographic configuration; plate/mantle dynamics relationships; coupling between deep and surface processes.

The Caribbean region is an ideal natural laboratory for studying long- to short-term deformation processes along plate boundaries. Indeed, the Caribbean plate has been individualized since at least 140 Ma and its boundaries are still deforming today. Earthquakes in the Caribbean are a stark reminder of the dangers posed by active deformation along the densely populated boundaries of the Caribbean plate, where vulnerability is often extremely high. Over the past decades, these boundaries have been the focus of extensive international research, providing new insights into the geodynamics of the region and the broader geological processes occurring in subduction and strike-slip zones. This includes studies on fluids, seismicity, deformation partitioning, and mantle dynamics, as well as the reorganization of plate boundaries in response to changes in plate kinematics—such as suturing, the migration, extinction, or initiation of volcanic arcs, and deformation or vertical movement.

The geodynamics of Southeast Asia presents a set of processes both at the Earth's surface and deep in the Earth's interior that have shaped the evolution of our planet since the onset of plate tectonics. These processes include rifting at continental margins and marginal basins, long-lived to short-lived ocean subduction, arc and plume-related magmatism, collisional mountain building, and arc docking. Some of these processes are still ongoing or were active in the Cenozoic, which allows us to study those in great detail. Main unknowns on the geodynamics of SE Asia include questions on the reconstruction of the proto-South China Sea plate, paleo-Pacific subduction, and proto-Philippines Sea plate as well as the connection with the Tethyan realm to the south, the collision of Australian-derived fragments in eastern Indonesia and associated extension processes. To address these issues, we welcome contributions from all disciplines of the earth sciences focused on the geodynamics of Southeast Asia: field-based geology, geochronology, and geochemistry on detrital minerals and magmas, seismology, geodynamic thermal-mechanical modeling, plate kinematic and tectonic reconstructions.

The Variscan orogeny, a mountain-building event that spanned a staggering more than 100 million years (c. 400-270 million years ago), has left its mark on structures stretching across Europe, North Africa, and even the Appalachian mountains of North America. This ancient event was shaped by the collision of two enormous landmasses—Laurussia and Gondwana—whose coastlines and boundaries were anything but straightforward. These irregular edges, formed when the Rheic and Paleo-Tethys oceans opened, played a crucial role in the way the continents converged. As the continents came together, the uneven boundaries triggered a wide variety of geological processes over different places and times. These processes included the subduction of oceanic crust, the extension of the upper continental plate, large-scale indentation of the crust, and the twisting and bending of mountain chains. Recent research, using tools like detrital zircon dating, geophysical studies, and tracking the pressure-temperature-time-deformation (P-T-t-D) history of rocks, has helped scientists get a clearer picture of the complex events that occurred during this time. To truly understand the paleogeography and geodynamics of the Variscan orogeny, scientists need to combine data from many different fields. We encourage contributions from all kinds of research, whether it’s looking at the structure of the Earth’s crust and mantle, the conditions under which mountain-building occurred, or how magma and metamorphic processes played a role. Studies from both sides of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are welcome, helping us develop an exciting new perspective on this ancient and influential orogenic system.

The Southeast Asian region, at the convergence of the Eurasia, Indian-Australia, and Pacific plates, is a crucial area for studying Earth's tectonics. This region is surrounded by subduction zones, where these significant plates are convergent from the west, south and east to form a complicated, curved-shape subduction system. This tectonic setting makes Southeast Asia an important natural laboratory for understanding the interactions between plates, subduction processes, and mantle convection. Ongoing oceanic subduction has built extensive volcanic arcs characterized by active volcanoes and complex surface structures, contributing to the region’s high seismic and magmatic activity. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the subsurface structure, from the shallow crust to the deep mantle, particularly beneath ocean basins, as well as the impact of subducted materials on island arc and intraplate magmatic activities. An integrated approach combining geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and numerical modelling is essential for further understanding Southeast Asia's dynamic processes and the influence of past and present tectonic interactions on the region’s geology and climate.

Tectonics in the Alpine-Mediterranean region has been studied intensively for almost two centuries, starting with field observations and increasingly accompanied by geochemical analyses, seismicity and geohazard studies, geophysical imaging, geodesy and geodynamic modelling. Significant progress has been made in understanding the tectonic processes in the region. The area has been the breeding ground for new concepts such as subduction, nappe tectonics or exhumation of ultra-high pressure metamorphic rocks. Due to its considerable complexity, the area has been and continues to be a test bed for new imaging and geodynamic modelling techniques. However, important questions regarding the driving forces, the three-dimensional lithospheric stress field, seismic coupling, and magma ascent remain unanswered. The session will serve as an interdisciplinary platform to present recent results and new concepts, as well as to highlight open questions and methodological challenges, covering a time span evolution of the Mediterranean tectonism from the Permian to present. We invite contributions from relevant fields that help to quantify geodynamic drivers of past and present plate kinematics and lithospheric deformation. Presentations on the results from different perspectives, including field geology (tectonics, stratigraphy, petrology), geochronology, thermochronology, geochemistry, geophysics (paleomagnetism, seismicity, seismic imaging, seismic anisotropy, gravity), and modelling (both numerical and analogue) are welcome.

Geological and geophysical data sets convey observations of physical processes governing the Earth’s evolution. Such data sets are widely varied and range from the internal structure of the Earth, plate kinematics, composition of geomaterials, estimation of physical conditions, dating of key geological events, thermal state of the Earth to more shallow processes such as natural and "engineered" reservoir dynamics in the subsurface.

The complexity in the physics of geological processes arises from their multi-physics nature, as they combine hydrological, thermal, chemical and mechanical processes. Multi-physics couplings are prone to nonlinear interactions ultimately leading to spontaneous localisation of flow and deformation. Understanding the couplings among those processes therefore requires the development of appropriate numerical tools.

Integrating high-quality data into physics-based predictive numerical simulations may lead to further constraining unknown key parameters within the models. Innovative inversion strategies, linking forward dynamic models with observables, and combining PDE solvers with machine-learning via differentiable programming is therefore an important research topic that will improve our knowledge of the governing physical parameters.

We invite contributions from the following two complementary themes:

#1 Computational advances associated with
- Alternative spatial and/or temporal discretisation for existing forward/inverse models
- Scalable HPC implementations of new and existing methodologies (GPUs / multi-core)
- Solver and preconditioner developments
- Combining PDEs with AI / Machine learning-based approaches (physics-informed ML)
- Automatic differentiation (AD) and differentiable programming
- Code and methodology comparisons (benchmarks)

#2 Physics advances associated with
- Development of partial differential equations to describe geological processes
- Inversion strategies and adjoint-based modelling
- Numerical model validation through comparison with observables (data)
- Scientific discovery enabled by 2D and 3D modelling
- Utilisation of coupled models to explore nonlinear interactions

The research output presented in this session can be submitted to the ongoing Special Issue (SI) in the EGU journal of Geoscientific Model Development (GMD): https://www.geoscientific-model-development.net/articles_and_preprints/scheduled_sis.html

Sitting under a tree, you feel the spark of an idea, and suddenly everything falls into place. The following days and tests confirm: you have made a magnificent discovery — so the classical story of scientific genius goes…

But science as a human activity is error-prone, and might be more adequately described as "trial and error", or as a process of successful "tinkering" (Knorr, 1979). Thus we want to turn the story around, and ask you to share 1) those ideas that seemed magnificent but turned out not to be, and 2) the errors, bugs, and mistakes in your work that made the scientific road bumpy. What ideas were torn down or did not work, and what concepts survived in the ashes or were robust despite errors? We explicitly solicit Blunders, Unexpected Glitches, and Surprises (BUGS) from modeling and field or lab experiments and from all disciplines of the Geosciences.

Handling mistakes and setbacks is a key skill of scientists. Yet, we publish only those parts of our research that did work. That is also because a study may have better chances to be accepted for publication in the scientific literature if it confirms an accepted theory or if it reaches a positive result (publication bias). Conversely, the cases that fail in their test of a new method or idea often end up in a drawer (which is why publication bias is also sometimes called the "file drawer effect"). This is potentially a waste of time and resources within our community as other scientists may set about testing the same idea or model setup without being aware of previous failed attempts.

In the spirit of open science, we want to bring the BUGS out of the drawers and into the spotlight. In a friendly atmosphere, we will learn from each others' mistakes, understand the impact of errors and abandoned paths onto our work, and generate new insights for our science or scientific practice.

Here are some ideas for contributions that we would love to see:
- Ideas that sounded good at first, but turned out to not work.
- Results that presented themselves as great in the first place but turned out to be caused by a bug or measurement error.
- Errors and slip-ups that resulted in insights.
- Failed experiments and negative results.
- Obstacles and dead ends you found and would like to warn others about.

--
Knorr, Karin D. “Tinkering toward Success: Prelude to a Theory of Scientific Practice.” Theory and Society 8, no. 3 (1979): 347–76.

Recent Earth System Sciences (ESS) datasets, such as those resulting from high-resolution numerical modelling, have increased both in terms of precision and size. These datasets are central to the advancement of ESS for the benefit of all stakeholders, and public policymaking on climate change. Extracting the full value from these datasets requires novel approaches to access, process, and share data. It is apparent that datasets produced by state-of-the-art applications are becoming so large that even current high-capacity data infrastructures are incapable of storing, let alone ensuring their usability. With future investment in hardware being limited, a viable way forward is to explore the possibilities of data compression and new data space implementation.

Data compression has gained interest for making data more manageable, speeding up transfer times, and reducing resource needs without affecting the quality of scientific analyses. Reproducing recent ML and forecasting results has become essential for developing new methods in operational settings. At the same time, replicability is a major concern for ESS and downstream applications and the necessary data accuracy needs further investigation. Research on data reduction and prediction interpretability helps improve understanding of data relationships and prediction stability.

In addition, new data spaces are being developed in Europe, such as the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem and Green Deal Data Space, as well as multiple national data spaces. These provide access to data, through streamlined access, cloud processing and online visualization generating actionable knowledge enabling more effective decision-making. Analysis ready data can easily be accessed via API transforming data access and processing scalability. Developers and users will share opportunities and challenges of designing and using data spaces for research and industry.

This session connects developers and users of ESS big data, discussing how to facilitate the sharing, integration, and compression of these datasets, focusing on:
1) Approaches and techniques to enhance shareability of high-volume ESS datasets: data compression, novel data space implementation and evolution.
2) The effect of reduced data on the quality of scientific analyses.
3) Ongoing efforts to build data spaces and connect with existing initiatives on data sharing and processing, and examples of innovative services that can be built upon data spaces.

Almost a decade ago, the FAIR data guiding principles were introduced to the broader research community. These principles proposed a framework to increase the reusability of data in and across domains during and after the completion of e.g. research projects. In subdomains of the Earth System Sciences (ESS), like atmospheric sciences or partly geosciences, data reuse across institutions and geographical borders was already well-established, supported by community-specific and cross-domain standards like netCDF-CF, geospatial standards (e.g.OGC). Further, authoritative data producers such as CMIPs were already using Persistent Identifiers and corresponding handle systems for data published in their repositories – so it was often thought and communicated this data is “FAIR by design”.

However, fully implementing FAIR principles, particularly machine-actionability—the core idea behind FAIR—has proven challenging. Despite progress in awareness, standard-compliant data sharing, and the automation of data provenance, the ESS community continues to struggle to reach a community-wide consensus on the design, adoption, interpretation and implementation of the FAIR principles.

In this session, we invite contributions from all fields in Earth System Sciences that provide insights, case studies, and innovative approaches to advancing the adoption of the FAIR data principles. We aim to foster a collaborative dialogue on the progress our community has made, the challenges that lie ahead, and the strategies needed to achieve widespread acceptance and implementation of these principles, ultimately enhancing the future of data management and reuse.

We invite contributions focusing on, but not necessarily limited to,
- Challenges and solutions in interpreting and implementing the FAIR principles in different sub-domains of the ESS
- FAIR onboarding strategies for research communities
- Case studies of successful FAIR data implementation (or partial implementation) in ESS at infrastructure and research project level
- Methods and approaches to gauge the impact of FAIR data implementation in ESS
- Considerations on how AI might help to implement FAIR
- Future direction for FAIR data in ESS

Geologic processes are generally too slow, too rare, or too deep to be observed in-situ and to be monitored with a resolution high enough to understand their dynamics. Analogue experiments and numerical simulation have thus become an integral part of the Earth explorer's toolbox to select, formulate, and test hypotheses on the origin and evolution of geological phenomena.

To foster synergy between the rather independently evolving experimentalists and modellers we provide a multi-disciplinary platform to discuss research on tectonics, structural geology, rock mechanics, geodynamics, volcanology, geomorphology, and sedimentology.

We therefore invite contributions demonstrating the state-of-the-art in analogue and numerical / analytical modelling on a variety of spatial and temporal scales, varying from earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions to sedimentary processes, plate tectonics and landscape evolution. We especially welcome those presentations that discuss model strengths and weaknesses, challenge the existing limits, or compare/combine the different modelling techniques to realistically simulate and better understand the Earth's behaviour.

This short course aims to introduce non-geologists to the geological, petrological, and morphological principles that are used by geologists to study system earth.

The data available to geologists is often minimal, incomplete, and only partly representative for the geological history of our planet. To overcome these challenges, geologists need to learn the necessary observational skills, field, and analytical techniques needed to acquire and interpret the data, in addition to developing a logical way of thinking.

In this course we cover the following subjects:
1) A journey through the principles of geology.
2) Building mountains: fairytale from rocks
3) To the mantle and back: an isotope tale
4) Landscape morphology: a story about tectonic constraints.
5) Q&A!

Our aim is not to make you the next specialist in geology, but we will try and make you aware of the challenges a geologist faces when they go out into the field or work in the lab. We will also address currently used methodologies for the collection of geological data, to give other earth scientists a feel for the capabilities and limitations of geological research.

This 60-minute short course is part of a series of introductory 101 courses that also includes Tectonic modelling and Geodesy. All courses are led by experts who aim to make complex Earth science concepts accessible to non-experts.

During this short course, which is open to anyone with a general interest in plate tectonic processes, we will introduce the participants to the principles and application of analogue models in interpreting tectonic systems.

Tectonic processes act at different spatial and temporal scales. What we observe today in the field or via direct and indirect measurement is often just a snapshot of processes that stretch over hundreds or thousands of km, and take millions of years to unfold. Thus, it is challenging for researchers to interpret and recontrust the dynamic evolution of tectonic systems. Analogue modeling provides a tool to overcome this limitation, allowing for the physical reproduction of tectonic processes on practical temporal and spatial scales (Myr → hrs, km → cm/m). Of course, the reliability of analogue models is a function of the assumptions and simplifications involved, but still their usefulness in interpreting data is outstanding.

In this course we will go through the following outline:
- Aims and history of analogue modelling
- Model setups and materials
- Model scaling
- Monitoring techniques
- Interpreting model results
- Interactive demonstration: Running a live model :)
- Q&A

The final aim of this short course will be to present analogue modeling as a valid technique to be applied side by side with observations and data from the real world to improve our interpretation of the evolution of natural tectonic systems. We also intend to inspire the course participants to develop and run their own analogue tectonic modeling projects, and to provide them with the basic skills, as well as directions to find the additional resources and knowledge required to do so.

This short course is part of a quintet of introductory 101 courses on Geodesy, Geodynamics, Geology, Seismology, and Tectonic Modelling. All courses are led by experts who aim to make complex Earth science concepts accessible to non-experts.

Discover the basics of Geodesy and geodetic data! Geodetic data, from GNSS to gravity measurements, play a crucial role in various Earth sciences, including hydrology, glaciology, geodynamics, oceanography, and seismology. Curious about what these data can (and cannot) tell us? This short course offers a crash course in core geodetic concepts, giving you the insights you need to better understand the advantages and limitations of geodetic data. While you won’t become a full-fledged geodesist by the end, you’ll walk away with a clearer picture of how to use these datasets across various fields. Led by scientists from the Geodesy division, this course is open to all, whether you frequently work with geodetic data or are simply curious about what geodesists do. Expect lively discussions and practical insights. For all geodesists, get the chance to learn what non-geodesists need when working with geodetic data!

This 60-minute short course is part of a quintet of introductory 101 courses on Geodesy, Geodynamics, Geology, Seismology, and Tectonic Modelling. All courses are led by experts who aim to make complex Earth science concepts accessible to non-experts.

Software plays a pivotal role in various scientific disciplines. Research software may include source code files, algorithms, computational workflows, and executables. It refers mainly to code meant to produce data, less so, for example, plotting scripts one might create to analyze this data. An example of research software in our field are computational models of the environment. Models can aid pivotal decision-making by quantifying the outcomes of different scenarios, e.g., varying emission scenarios. How can we ensure the robustness and longevity of such research software? This short course teaches the concept of sustainable research software. Sustainable research software is easy to update and extend. It will be easier to maintain and extend that software with new ideas and stay in sync with the most recent scientific findings. This maintainability should also be possible for researchers who did not originally develop the code, which will ultimately lead to more reproducible science.

This short course will delve into sustainable research software development principles and practices. The topics include:
- Properties and metrics of sustainable research software
- Writing clear, modular, reusable code that adheres to coding standards and best practices of sustainable research software (e.g., documentation, unit testing, FAIR for research software).
- Using simple code quality metrics to develop high-quality code
- Documenting your code using platforms like Sphinx for Python

We will apply these principles to a case study of a reprogrammed version of the global WaterGAP Hydrological Model (https://github.com/HydrologyFrankfurt/ReWaterGAP). We will showcase its current state in a GitHub environment along with example source code. The model is written in Python but is also accessible to non-python users. The principles demonstrated apply to all coding languages and platforms.

This course is intended for early-career researchers who create and use research models and software. Basic programming or software development experience is required. The course has limited seats available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Science’s “open era” is here (to stay?). Data and software repositories make it possible to share and collectively develop tools and resources. Diamond open-access publishing and pre-print servers are breaking barriers to knowledge exchange. Free virtual meetings make science more accessible to those interested in listening, or speaking.

The benefits for the community are clear—better communication and more collaboration foster scientific advancement. It is therefore surprising that the vast majority of data-, tool-, and knowledge-sharing initiatives rely on the community and the community alone, without financial support from funding bodies and more often than not lacking the recognition they deserve.

We aim to bring together individuals and teams who have, in any way, served the wider geoscience community through knowledge, data, or tool creation and/or distribution. Such efforts include—but are not limited to—online learning platforms, transdisciplinary databases, open-access software and publishing.

Ultimately, this session seeks to:
1. Be a space for sharing, advertising, discussing, and recognising the value of existing resources and initiatives
2. Discuss the challenges faced by those behind them (i.e., lack of funding and institutional support) and possible strategies to eliminate these
3. Inspire new efforts, initiatives, and projects

Following the success of previous years, this session will explore reasons for the under-representation of different groups (gender identities, sexual orientations, racial and cultural backgrounds, abilities, religions, nationality or geography, socioeconomic status, ages, career stages, etc.) by welcoming debate among scientists, decision-makers and policy analysts in the geosciences.

The session will focus on both obstacles that contribute to under-representation and on best practices and innovative ideas to remove those obstacles. Contributions are solicited on the following topics:

- Role models to inspire and further motivate others (life experience and/or their contributions to promote equality)
- Imbalanced representation, preferably supported by data, for awards, medals, grants, high-level positions, invited talks and papers
- Perceived and real barriers to inclusion (personally, institutionally, culturally)
- Recommendations for new and innovative strategies to identify and overcome barriers
- Gender Equality Plans (GEP) in European host institutions: the good, the bad, and the ugly
- Best practices and strategies to move beyond barriers, including:
• successful mentoring programmes;
• networks that work;
• specific funding schemes;
• examples of host institutions initiatives;

Report on situations that you may have experienced in light of recent socio-political changes.

This session is co-organised with the support of the European Research Council (ERC).

Science for policy is the practice of integrating scientific knowledge into policymaking to ensure that scientific evidence is available for policymakers when making decisions. There are some basic considerations for engaging in science for policy that can help get you started, from considering how you frame your message, looking for windows of opportunity, and more.

This session will start by diving into some of the basics of policy, enabling participants to understand what science for policy is and how they can start engaging with it. The tips for engaging are relevant to all career stages and will also help you understand the different paths available depending on the level of engagement you are interested in.
The session will then introduce experts working on the science for policy interface to highlight specific skills that researchers can develop to increase their policy impact and provide some practical examples.