PS – Planetary & Solar System Sciences
Programme Group Chairs:
Anezina Solomonidou,
Joana S. Oliveira
MAL28-PS
The Runcorn-Florensky Medal Lecture at EGU25 honors an individual whose work has made outstanding contributions to planetary and solar system sciences, spanning research into planetary bodies, surface and atmospheric processes, and extraterrestrial environments. This distinguished medal lecture highlights exemplary achievements that have shaped our understanding of the solar system and advanced planetary exploration.
Solicited authors:
Cathy Quantin-Nataf
PS0 – ITS & EOS sessions of PS interest
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officer:
Anezina Solomonidou
EOS1.6
| PICO
All science has uncertainty. Global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change illustrate that an effective dialogue between science and society requires clear communication of uncertainty. Responsible science communication conveys the challenges of managing uncertainty that is inherent in data, models and predictions, facilitating the society to understand the contexts where uncertainty emerges and enabling active participation in discussions. This session invites presentations by individuals and teams on communicating scientific uncertainty to non-expert audiences, addressing topics such as:
(1) Innovative and practical tools (e.g. from social or statistical research) for communicating uncertainty
(2) Pitfalls, challenges and solutions to communicating uncertainty with non-experts
(3) Communicating uncertainty in risk and crisis situations (e.g., natural hazards, climate change, public health crises)
Examples of research fitting into the categories above include a) new, creative ways to visualize different aspects of uncertainty, b) new frameworks to communicate the level of confidence associated with research, c) testing the effectiveness of existing tools and frameworks, such as the categories of “confidence” used in expert reports (e.g., IPCC), or d) research addressing the challenges of communicating high-uncertainty high-impact events.
This session encourages you to share your work and join a community of practice to inform and advance the effective communication of uncertainty in earth and space science.
EOS1.1
Science communication includes the efforts of natural, physical and social scientists, communications professionals, and teams that communicate the process and values of science and scientific findings to non-specialist audiences outside of formal educational settings. The goals of science communication can include enhanced dialogue, understanding, awareness, enthusiasm, improving decision making, or influencing behaviors. Channels can include in-person interaction, online, social media, mass media, or other methods. This session invites presentations by individuals and teams on science communication practice, research, and reflection, addressing questions like:
What kind of communication efforts are you engaging in and how you are doing it?
How is social science informing understandings of audiences, strategies, or effects?
What are lessons learned from long-term communication efforts?
This session invites you to share your work and join a community of practice to inform and advance the effective communication of earth and space science.
Solicited authors:
Oliver Strimpel
Including Katia and Maurice Krafft Award Lecture
EOS2.2
| PICO
Fieldwork is essential in geoscience, it provides direct and practical experiences, produces valuable data, validates hypotheses, contextualizes findings, encourages discovery, and helps to understand and eventually solve real-world challenges faced by everyone. Fieldwork is the foundation upon which a significant part of geoscience research and understanding is built. This session is dedicated to exploring the broad range of fieldwork-related topics for education and research that can be as diverse as the fieldwork itself. Topics evolve around novel methods for conducting, teaching and planning fieldwork in a safe and welcoming manner, best practises for managing field teams, addressing sigmatised subjects (personal hygiene, safety equipment) as well as working with local communities and utilizing and sharing existing infrastructure and expertise both inside and outside of institutions. This session provides a safe space to exchange ideas on more inclusive fieldwork practices and strategies.
EOS3.1
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).
EOS4.8
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.
Solicited authors:
Jan Seibert
EOS4.2
| PICO
Climate change represents one of the defining societal challenges of the 21st century. However, the response to this challenge remains largely inadequate across the board. Both in terms of mitigation and adaptation, measures currently taken by countries or companies fall short of what is required to ensure a safe and healthy life for populations around the globe, both today and in the future. The past and continued failure to address climate change results in extreme weather events causing damages and losses, as well as the prospect of further worsening impacts. Insufficient emission reductions exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and lead to increasingly unsafe living conditions in the future. The shortfall in climate action has led citizens to take up legal action to either receive compensation for suffered climate damages or force decision makers to commit to the necessary emissions reductions. In this session, we invite contributions that help bridge the gap between the legal practice of climate litigation and the geosciences. This can include new scientific methods that can support legal efforts, and inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives on how to integrate geoscience insights in litigation, and how to communicate scientific findings to legal practitioners and society at large, in light of legal and ethical aspects of climate change. We also welcome contributions assessing questions of climate change and impact attribution, responsibility, human rights, burden sharing of efforts, translation between science and law, and communication of scientific findings, that link beyond disciplinary boundaries.
PS1 – Terrestrial planets
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officers:
Franck Montmessin,
Joana S. Oliveira
PS1.1
After the joint ESA/JAXA mission BepiColombo completed 4 successful swingbys of Mercury with closest approaches of only 200 km, spacecraft observations and numerical modelling give us insight into the unexplored regions around the innermost terrestrial planet. Together with data obtained by the late NASA mission MESSENGER, BepiColombo’s swingbys and orbit phase will lead to new understanding about the origin, formation, evolution, composition, interior structure, and magnetospheric environment of Mercury. This session hosts contributions to planetary, geological, exospheric and magnetospheric science results based on spacecraft observations by Mariner 10, MESSENGER, BepiColombo, and Earth-based observations, modelling of interior, surface and planetary environment and theory.
In particular, studies investigating the required BepiColombo observations during the nominal mission to validate the existing theoretical models about the interior, exosphere and magnetosphere are welcome, as well as presentations on laboratory experiments useful to confirm potential future measurements.
PS1.2
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.
Solicited authors:
Stephen Kane
PS1.3
This session aims to provide a comprehensive platform for discussing the latest advancements in lunar science, exploration, and sustainable utilization.
We will cover critical aspects of lunar science, including the deep interior, subsurface structure, surface morphology, up to atmospheric dynamics and the solar wind interaction. Such studies can make use of lunar mission data, lunar samples, meteorites, terrestrial analogues, laboratory experiments, and / or modeling efforts.
Furthermore, highlighting results from past and current space missions, this session seeks to explore innovative ideas for future exploration, including insights on forthcoming space missions and instrumentation aiming to greatly advance our understanding of the Moon in the next decades. In addition, the session will focus on identifying strategic knowledge gaps crucial for the safe and sustainable exploration of cis-lunar space and the lunar surface by astronauts.
We welcome all relevant contributions — spanning theoretical models, observational data, and experimental findings — from experts of different fields including science and engineering. As such, the session aims to foster a comprehensive dialogue on the status and future of lunar exploration.
Solicited authors:
Adrien Broquet
PS1.4
This session welcomes all studies on Mars science and exploration. With many active missions, Mars research is as active as ever, and new data come in on a daily basis. The aim of this session is to bring together disciplines as various as geology, geomorphology, geophysics, and atmospheric science. We look forward to receiving contributions covering both past and present processes, either pure Mars science or comparative planetology (including fieldwork on terrestrial analogues), as well as modeling approaches and laboratory experiments (or any combination of those). New results on Mars science obtained from recent in situ and orbital measurements are particularly encouraged, as well as studies related to upcoming missions and campaigns (ExoMars, Mars Sample Return).
PS1.5
This session covers all aspects of the lunar and deep space exploration missions developed by CNSA, with a focus on the Chang’e series to the Moon and on Tianwen-1, CNSA’s first deep space mission, which successfully operated in Mars orbit and at its surface.
The Chang-E series of missions deployed a broad spectrum of Lunar science investigations, from remote sensing and in-situ measurements to lunar sample return and analysis. Since the Chang-E1 mission, CNSA has successfully launched six lunar exploration missions and brought samples back from the far and near sides of the Moon. It returned a broad harvest of scientific data addressing the formation of the Moon and its geophysical and geological properties, attracting broad interest from the international community. The next two missions, Chang-E 7 and Chang-E 8, are planned to be launched in 2026 and 2028, respectively.
CNSA’s series of deep space missions opened with the Tianwen-1 mission to Mars, launched in July 2020. It successfully achieved orbit, landed, and deployed the Zhurong rover, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. The mission comprises an orbiter and the Zhurong rover, which landed on Utopia Planitia, a large plain in Mars' northern hemisphere. The primary objectives of Tianwen-1 were to investigate the Martian surface, atmosphere, internal structure, magnetic field and geological history. Both the orbiter and rover have collected valuable scientific data, contributing to a deeper understanding of Mars. Its rich harvest of discoveries and their implications for the understanding of Mars will be presented and compared with results from other Mars missions. Tianwen-1 will be followed by two sample return missions, first from a near-Earth asteroid (Tianwen-2), and then from Mars (Tianwen-3).
This session aims to foster interdisciplinary conversations among planetary scientists, geologists, geophysicists, geochemists, atmospheric scientists, astrobiologists, and other researchers interested in Lunar, Mars and Deep Space Exploration. It will provide a platform for all scientists to discuss and share their ideas and achievements.
PS1.7
This session primarily focuses on neutral atmospheres, surfaces, and exospheres of terrestrial bodies other than the Earth. This includes not only Venus and Mars, but also exoplanets with comparable envelopes, small bodies and satellites carrying dense atmospheres such as Titan, exospheres such as Ganymede, or with a surface directly exposed to space like asteroids. We welcome contributions dealing with processes affecting the atmospheres of these bodies, from the surface to the exosphere. We invite abstracts concerning observations, both from Earth or from space, modeling and theoretical studies, or laboratory work. Comparative planetology abstracts will be particularly appreciated.
GM6.1
The Planetary Geomorphology session aims to bring together geomorphologists who study the Earth with those who work on other bodies such as Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, icy satellites of the outer solar system, comets, and/or asteroids. Studies applicable to landscapes on any scale on any solid body are welcome. We particularly encourage those who use Earth analogues, laboratory/numerical simulation and/or big satellite datasets to submit their work. Considered processes could include aeolian, volcanic, tectonic, fluvial, glacial, periglacial, or "undetermined" ones. We especially welcome contributions from early-career scientists and geomorphologists who are new to planetary science.
Solicited authors:
Joe McNeil
GD3.1
| PICO
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.
GD8.4
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.
PS2 – Outer Planets Systems
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officers:
Panayotis Lavvas,
Tristan Guillot
PS2.1
Jupiter’s icy moons – Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – are at the center of planetary science curiosity, particularly in the search for habitability in the solar system. In this context, ESA’s Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (Juice) is on its way to the Jovian system after its successful Earth–Moon gravity assist in August 2024 and will be joined by NASA’s Europa Clipper following its launch in October 2024.
This session invites contributions from the science community related to these two missions’ objectives. This includes, but is not limited to, better understanding of Jupiter icy moons’ surface properties, internal structures and dynamics of their subsurface oceans, as well as implications for habitability. The session will also cover the moons’ complex interactions with the space environment and their dynamic evolution within the Jovian system. Finally, abstracts related to observations and future science opportunities during cruise are also welcome.
As we reflect on this unique opportunity of having two spacecrafts in the Jovian system at the same time, the session will highlight the scientific opportunities offered by each mission as well as by the dual-spacecraft configuration, emphasizing the synergistic potential of Europa Clipper and Juice.
PS2.2
Since arriving in orbit in 2016, Juno has dramatically increased our understanding of Jupiter’s atmosphere, magnetosphere, interior, and origin. Now in its extended mission since 2021, Juno continues to not only explore Jupiter, but has also transformed into a full system explorer of the Jovian system, conducting close and distant flybys of Io, Europa, and Ganymede along with observations of Jupiter’s ring system. As the extended mission continues, Juno’s orbit evolves unveil even more mysteries of the moons and the northern pole of the planet. Observational results from Juno, Earth-based supporting observations, modeling of Jupiter and its moons, and comparisons to other giant plant systems (including exoplanets) and moons are welcome.
PS2.4
The Uranus and Neptune planetary systems are among the most intriguing and least explored in our Solar System, presenting exciting opportunities for new discoveries. This session invites submissions of interdisciplinary topics covering all aspects of ice giant systems, including atmospheres, interior structure, ionospheres, magnetospheres, rings, and satellites. Our session welcomes presentations that advance our understanding of the ice giant systems from a range of perspectives including observations, modelling, theory, and laboratory work. Papers related to future ice giant system exploration, instrumentation, mission concepts, technology developments, and international cooperation are welcome. We also encourage comparative and complementary studies of other planetary bodies, within our Solar System and beyond.
PS2.5
The icy moons of our Solar System are prime targets for the search for extraterrestrial life. Moons such as Saturn's Enceladus and Jupiter's Europa are considered potential habitats because of their subglacial water oceans, which are in direct contact with the rocks below. Titan is one of the most complex environments in the solar system, a complexity expressed in a triad of manifestations: in the photochemically intense and seasonally varying atmosphere; in the unique hydrocarbon lakes and oceans, the dunes and other geomorphological features; and in the astrobiologically intriguing subsurface water ocean.
To assess the habitability and sample the oceans of these moons, several approaches are being discussed, including water plume surveys on Europa and Enceladus, as well as developing key technologies to penetrate the ice and even study the ocean itself with autonomous underwater vehicles, if the ice is thin enough. Moreover, a key aspect of habitability is linked with the geological processes acting on these moons. The Dragonfly mission, currently under preparation, will explore Titan's surface and atmosphere and will provide important insight for possible processes acting in other icy moons.
The main questions that this session aims to address are the following:
- What can we learn from analogue studies on Earth?
- What are the properties of the ice shell and how do they evolve?
- How novel observations and planned missions to these bodies contribute to furthering our understanding?
- What measurements should be conducted by future missions?
The goal of this multidisciplinary session is to bring together scientists from different fields, including planetary sciences and the cryosphere community, to discuss the current status and next steps in the remote and in-situ exploration of the icy moons of our solar system. We welcome contributions from analogue studies, on the results of current and past missions, planned missions, mission concepts, lessons learned from other missions, and more. Contributions bridging the cryosphere-icy moons communities are of particular interest to this session.
Solicited authors:
Cyril Mergny
PS3 – Small bodies: asteroids, comets, TNOs, meteors, and interplanetary dust
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officer:
Chrysa Avdellidou
PS3.1
The session convenes researchers investigating various aspects of small celestial bodies and dust in planetary atmospheres and surrounding space. Discussions encompass asteroids, comets, meteoroids, meteors, meteorites, dust (including its behavior, charging, lifting, and settling on planetary surfaces), and more. We welcome contributions on Martian moons that aim to study Phobos and Deimos' physical properties and understand their origin. The session emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of such studies, incorporating laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and observations. It provides insights into small bodies' evolutionary and compositional aspects, elucidating their role in shaping space environments. We invite presenters to showcase recent and upcoming space missions, warmly welcome early career scientists, foster collaborative ideas, and encourage the presentation of cross-disciplinary research.
Solicited authors:
Eloy Peña-Asensio
PS4 – Space weather and space weathering
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officer:
Moa Persson
PS4.1
The ionospheres and (induced) magnetospheres of unmagnetized and weakly magnetized bodies with substantial atmospheres (e.g. Mars, Venus, Titan, Pluto and comets) are subject to disturbances due to solar activity, interplanetary conditions (e.g. solar flares, coronal mass ejections and solar energetic particles), or for moons, parent magnetospheric activity. These objects interact similarly as their magnetized counterparts but with scientifically important differences.
As an integral part of planetary atmospheres, ionospheres are tightly coupled with the neutral atmosphere, exosphere and surrounding plasma environment, possessing rich compositional, density, and temperature structures. The interaction among neutral and charged components affects atmospheric loss, neutral winds, photochemistry, and energy balance within ionospheres.
This session invites abstracts concerning remote and in-situ data analysis, modelling studies, comparative studies, instrumentation and mission concepts for unmagnetized and weakly magnetized solar system bodies.
Solicited authors:
Li-Jen Chen
PS4.2
The session solicits contributions that report on nonthermal solar, planetary radio emissions, and radio wave generation at exoplanets. Coordinated multi-point observations from ground radio telescopes (e.g., LOFAR, LOIS, LWA1, URAN-2, UTR-2) and spacecraft plasma/wave experiments (e.g., BepiColombo, Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe, UVSQ-Sat, Inspire-Sat 7, Cassini, Cluster, Demeter, Galileo, Juno, Stereo, Ulysses and Wind) are especially encouraged. Presentations should focus on radiophysics techniques which offer a wealth of diagnostic tools for detecting and measuring the magnetic field, the energetic particles, and the plasma properties in solar system regions, like the solar corona, the interplanetary medium and the magnetized auroral regions. Overview contributions on current states of radio investigation, scientific advances, and outlooks on the next decade are supported. Interest also extends to laboratory and experimental studies devoted to the comprehension of the generation mechanisms (e.g., cyclotron maser instability, mode conversion), and the acceleration processes (e.g., Alfven waves). Further preparations, evaluations, investigations, analyses of forthcoming space missions or nanosatellites (like Juice, SunRISE, UVSQ-Sat NG…) are also welcome.
ST1.11
Space and astrophysical plasmas are typically in a turbulent state, exhibiting strong fluctuations of various quantities over a broad range of scales. These fluctuations are non-linearly coupled and this coupling may lead to a transfer of energy (and other quantities such as cross helicity, magnetic helicity) from large to small scales and to dissipation. Turbulent processes are relevant for the heating of the solar wind and the corona, and the acceleration of energetic particles. Many aspects of the turbulence are not well understood, in particular, the injection and onset of the cascade, the cascade itself, the dissipation mechanisms. Moreover, the role of specific phenomena such as the magnetic reconnections, shock waves, solar wind expansion, plasma instabilities and their relationship with the turbulent cascade and dissipation are under debate. This session will address these questions through discussion of observational, theoretical, numerical, and laboratory work to understand these processes. This session is relevant to many space missions, e.g., Wind, Cluster, MMS, STEREO, THEMIS, Van Allen Probes, DSCOV, Solar Orbiter and the Parker Solar Probe.
This year, in particular, we welcome contributions on how future missions, such as HelioSwarm and Plasma Observatory, can advance our understanding of turbulence in space plasmas
Solicited authors:
Andrea Verdini,Naïs Fargette
ST2.9
The Earth's inner magnetosphere contains different charged particle populations, such as the Van Allen radiation belts, ring current particles, and plasmaspheric particles. Their energy range varies from eV to several MeV, and the interplay among the charged particles provide feedback mechanisms which couple all those populations together. Ring current particles can generate various waves, for example, EMIC waves and chorus waves, which play important roles in the dynamic evolution of the radiation belts through wave-particle interactions. Ring current electrons can be accelerated to relativistic radiation belt electrons. The plasmaspheric medium can also affect these processes. In addition, precipitation of ring current and radiation belt particles will influence the ionosphere, while up-flows of ionospheric particles can affect dynamics in the inner magnetosphere. Understanding these coupling processes is crucial for fundamental understanding and for accurate space weather forecasting.
While the dynamics of outer planets’ magnetospheres are driven by a unique combination of internal coupling processes, these systems have a number of fascinating similarities which make comparative studies particularly interesting. We invite a broad range of theoretical, modelling, and observational studies focusing on the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere of the Earth and outer planets, including the coupling of the inner magnetosphere and ionosphere and coupling between the solar wind disturbances and various magnetospheric processes. Contributions from all relevant fields, including theoretical studies, numerical modelling, observations from satellite and ground-based missions are welcome as well as new mission concepts. In particular, we encourage presentations using data from MMS, THEMIS, Van Allen Probes, Arase (ERG), Cluster, CubeSat missions, Juno, SuperDARN, magnetometer, optical imagers, IS-radars and ground-based VLF measurements. We also invite contributions from new mission concepts.
Solicited authors:
Wen Li
ST2.8
Understanding plasma energization and energy transport is a grand challenge of space plasma physics, and due to its vicinity, Geospace provides an excellent laboratory to investigate them. Strong plasma energization and energy transport occur at boundaries and boundary layers such as the foreshock, the bow shock, the magnetosheath, the magnetopause, the magnetotail current sheet, and the transition region. Fundamental plasma processes such as shock formation, magnetic reconnection, turbulence, wave-particle interactions, plasma jet braking, field-aligned currents generation and their combinations initiate and govern plasma energization and energy transport.
ESA/Cluster and NASA/MMS four-point constellations, as well as the large-scale multipoint mission NASA/THEMIS, have greatly improved our understanding of these processes at individual scales compared to earlier single-point measurements. However, such missions, as well as theory and numerical simulations, also revealed that these processes operate across multiple scales ranging from the large fluid to the smaller kinetic scales, implying that scale coupling is critical. Simultaneous in situ measurements at both large, fluid and small, kinetic scales are required to resolve scale coupling and ultimately fully understand plasma energization and energy transport processes. Such measurements are currently not yet available.
Building on previous single-scale missions, multiscale missions such as HelioSwarm and mission concepts such as MagCon and Plasma Observatory represent the next generation of space plasma physics investigations. Coordination of all of these assets and ideas is also part of a drive towards a new International Solar Terrestrial Physics program (ISTPNext), to focus on the system of systems that is heliophysics.
This session invites submissions on the topic of scale coupling in fundamental plasma processes, covering in situ observations, theory and simulations, multipoint data analysis methods and instrumentation. Submissions on coordination with ground based observations as well as on remote solar and astrophysical observations are also encouraged.
Solicited authors:
Arnaud Masson,Alessandro Retinò
ST3.3
The Earth's middle atmosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere (MLT) region provide a great platform for studying ionospheric dynamics, disturbances, eddy mixing, atmospheric drag effects, and space debris tracking. The thermal structure of these regions is influenced by numerous energy sources such as solar radiation, chemical, and dynamical processes, as well as forces from both above (e.g. solar and magnetospheric inputs) and below (e.g. gravity waves and atmospheric tides). Solar atmospheric tides, related to global-scale variations of temperature, density, pressure, and wind waves, are responsible for coupling the lower and upper layers of the atmosphere and significantly impact their vertical profiles in the upper atmosphere. With evidence of climate change impacts on the middle and upper atmosphere, monitoring and understanding trends through observational data is critical. There has been a contraction of the stratosphere and a decrease in the density of the upper atmosphere, which could impact the accumulation of space debris. This session invites presentations on scientific work related to various experimental/observational techniques, numerical and empirical modeling, and theoretical analyses on the dynamics, chemistry, and coupling processes in the altitude range of ~ 20 km to 180 km of the middle atmosphere and MLT regions, including long-term climatic changes.
Solicited authors:
Ludger Scherliess,Claudia Stolle
GI4.4
Cosmic rays carry information about space and solar activity, and, once near the Earth, they produce isotopes, influence genetic information, and are extraordinarily sensitive to water. Given the vast spectrum of interactions of cosmic rays with matter in different parts of the Earth and other planets, cosmic-ray research ranges from studies of the solar system to the history of the Earth, and from health and security issues to hydrology, agriculture, and climate change.
Although research on cosmic-ray particles is connected to a variety of disciplines and applications, they all share similar questions and challenges regarding the physics of detection, modeling, and the influence of environmental factors.
The session brings together scientists from all fields of research that are related to monitoring and modeling of cosmogenic radiation. It will allow the sharing of expertise amongst international researchers as well as showcase recent advancements in their field. The session aims to stimulate discussions about how individual disciplines can share their knowledge and benefit from each other.
We solicit contributions related but not limited to:
- Health, security, and radiation protection: cosmic-ray dosimetry on Earth and its dependence on environmental and atmospheric factors
- Planetary space science: satellite and ground-based neutron and gamma-ray sensors to detect water and soil constituents
- Neutron and Muon monitors: detection of high-energy cosmic-ray variations and its dependence on local, atmospheric, and magnetospheric factors
- Hydrology and climate change: low-energy neutron sensing to measure water in reservoirs at and near the land surface, such as soil, snowpack, and vegetation
- Cosmogenic nuclides: as tracers of atmospheric circulation and mixing; as a tool in archaeology or glaciology for dating of ice and measuring ablation rates; and as a tool for surface exposure dating and measuring rates of surficial geological processes
- Detector design: technological advancements in the detection of cosmic rays and cosmogenic particles
- Cosmic-ray modeling: advances in modeling of the cosmic-ray propagation through the magnetosphere and atmosphere, and their response to the Earth's surface
- Impact modeling: How can cosmic-ray monitoring support environmental models, weather and climate forecasting, agricultural and irrigation management, and the assessment of natural hazards
NP6.2
Geophysical and astrophysical flows in stratified media exhibit stratified turbulence that gives rise to a variety of flow phenomena spanning a range of spatial scales from the Kolmogorov to planetary scales. Stratified turbulence significantly influences the flow dynamics on various temporal scales via complex nonlinear interactions, which continue to be challenging to understand, diagnose, and quantify from both theory and numerics. This understanding is fundamental to advance our knowledge of turbulent flow dynamics, and a prerequisite for improved turbulent closures and parameterizations for robust predictions of weather and climate. This session aims at bringing together the recent advancements in the field of fluid dynamics, with a focus on geophysical and astrophysical flows, as well as magneto-hydro dynamics.
Our session invites fundamental and applied contributions on stratified turbulence in fluids from theoretical, numerical, and experimental observational perspectives. The topics include, but are not limited to: two dimensional, three dimensional, isotropic, and anisotropic turbulence; energy transitions and cascades in turbulent flows; turbulent fluxes and transports; turbulent decay, mixing, and dissipation; stable boundary layer flows and intermittent turbulence; wave-vortex dynamics in various turbulent regimes; wave turbulence; clear air turbulence; turbulence in weakly and strongly stratified flows and stratified shear flows.
We particularly encourage participation from early career researchers.
Solicited authors:
Colm-cille Caulfield
PS5 – Exoplanets and Origins and evolution of Planetary Systems
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officer:
Emeline Bolmont
PS5.1
This session addresses recent progress in characterisation of exoplanet climate regimes based on observations including JWST, TESS, and CHEOPS. JWST for the first time observed features of solid particles which have been interpreted as signatures of mineral clouds in transition spectra of gas giant exoplanets while complementary facilities such as TESS and CHEOPS provide equally important insight into the physics of exoplanet atmospheres. TESS and CHEOPS phase curves point to the need of a magnetically coupled atmospheric gas. While all these processes have been predicted for exoplanets before they could be observed, planetary clouds and magnetic fields have been extensively studied for solar system planets in situ with diverse space missions.
This session aims to invite recent progress in exoplanet atmosphere characterisation based on a combination of observation and modelling. The session focusses on cloud and gas-phase chemistry modelling, the modelling of magnetic coupling in atmospheres and how these have and can be observed. Contributions working at the cross-over of solar system and exoplanet sciences are particularly welcomed.
This session is triggered by the recent CHEOPS atmosphere interpretation activities on incorporating complex 3D modelling in their data interpretation. This session is part of the PLATO WP/WG activities for exoplanet gas giants.
Organisational aspects:
We plan to assure a diverse program as well as a diversity of speakers according to the EGU EDI labels. The program shall foster exchange by leaving enough time for questions and answers. We further plan to involve young researchers into the session handling (following the EANA example).
PS6 – Life in the Cosmos: Astrobiology and Planetary habitability
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officer:
Tim Lichtenberg
PS6.1
Organic matter with variable degrees of chemical complexity is found throughout our Solar System – ranging from simple molecules like methane in Titan’s lakes to macromolecular matter in meteorites. While small bodies like comets and Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt Objects (EKBOs) are thought to have preserved a pristine material record, the organic chemistry in planets and their satellites can be strong indicators of environmental processes. The widespread nature of organic species leaves us wondering: How did these organics form? Was this chemical complexity inherited, did it emerge in the Solar System, or a combination of both? What do these molecules tell us about the physical conditions and formational history of planetary bodies and other objects in the Solar System? Is there a link between this organic matter and the emergence of life?
This session is dedicated to the study of organic molecules and their chemical reactions throughout the Solar System, as well as in the nearby environments from which these compounds could be inherited. Scientists with backgrounds in laboratory experimentation, chemical modelling, space exploration, instrumentation, theoretical chemistry, geo-/cosmochemistry and astronomical observations are brought together to share knowledge and progress our understanding of the evolution of organic chemistry in interplanetary / interstellar dust particles, meteorites, comets, asteroids, EKBOs, icy moons, terrestrial planets, and planetary atmospheres. We also ask how current and future space exploration missions, such as OSIRIS-REx, Hayabusa2, Europa Clipper, JUICE, Dragonfly, and Martian Moons Explorer (MMX) can push the boundaries of our knowledge of organic matter.
Solicited authors:
Silke Asche
BG5.3
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)
Solicited authors:
Taras Gerya,Sean Willett
PS7 – Planetary and Solar System exploration: Mission Support, Instruments, Observations, Applications, Analogues
Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officers:
Anezina Solomonidou,
Tristan Guillot
PS7.2
This session invites contributions to new or improved instrumentation and methods for space and sustainable planetary exploration, including novel and established applications. The session is open to all branches of planetary and space measurement tools and techniques, including, but not limited to optical, electromagnetic, seismic, acoustic, and gravity measurements. The session will also include a sub-session on radio science and techniques. This session is also intended as an open forum, where discussion between representatives of different fields within planetary, space and geosciences will be strongly encouraged, looking for a fruitful mutual exchange and cross fertilization between scientific areas.
Solicited authors:
Michel Blanc
PS7.5
