The reconstruction of deformation and metamorphic history through space and time provides key information about the geodynamic evolution of the oceanic and continental lithosphere. However, these contexts are sometimes strongly affected by the interaction with melt/fluid, by rocks' rheological behaviour and by their geological framework. Thus, establishing (micro)structural and (petro)chronological links between these processes is the best tool to constrain the Pressure, Temperature, time, Deformation and Composition (P-T-t-D-X) history of geological areas from the grain scale to the lithospheric scale.
The continuous advancement of high-resolution analytical techniques in structural geology and petrochronology enables us to investigate processes ranging from nano- to lithospheric-scale responses. We aim to provide a forum for geologists dealing with and contributing to unravelling geological issues using a multiscale and multidisciplinary approach. This session welcomes contributions that integrate the results of traditional and innovative analyses with cutting-edge analytical techniques (e.g., EBSD, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, APT, TEM, µ-CT tomography, and Raman Spectroscopy) addressing the comprehension of local and regional settings.

Understanding stress distribution and evolution in the Earth's lithosphere is fundamental to unraveling the dynamics of plate boundaries, the development of shear zones, and time-dependent processes such as creep transients. This session aims to bring together research focused on quantifying stress in the viscous crust and mantle using a variety of techniques, including naturally deformed exhumed rock samples, paleopiezometry, in-situ deformation experiments, wattmeters, and quantitative numerical models.
We are particularly interested in studies that explore how stress evolves at plate boundaries, influences their viscosity, and drives large-scale geodynamic processes. Contributions that investigate the role of time-dependent processes, such as creep transients, in stress evolution are highly encouraged, as are those that delve into the boundary conditions governing shear zone development and stress distribution. Additionally, we seek research that addresses the origins and implications of stress heterogeneity in rocks, from the sub-grain scale to plate boundaries, and its preservation potential in the rock record.
This session will provide a platform for discussing the integration of different methodologies to better understand the complex behavior of Earth's lithosphere. We welcome innovative approaches to stress quantification and encourage submissions that bridge scales and techniques to offer new insights into the stress dynamics of the viscous 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.

Fluid-rock interactions play a pivotal role in shaping crustal dynamics and influencing subsurface engineering processes. From the shallow sedimentary rocks down to the deep magmatic and metamorphic rocks, fluids govern aspects such as deformation localization, earthquake genesis, and the emergence of metamorphic reactions and rheological weakening. In most cases, there is a dynamic feedback between fluids, deformation and metamorphism at all scales. Fluids are critical not only for creating robust models of the solid Earth but also for advancing subsurface engineering endeavors like geothermal energy recovery, hydrogen storage and extraction as well as permanent carbon storage.
As we navigate through the ongoing energy transition, enhancing these interactions for maximum geo-resource efficacy is a vital priority. The legacy inscribed within rock records paints a vivid picture of intricate interplay between mineral reactions, fluid flow and deformation—testaments to the often-intense nature of fluid-rock interactions.
This session aims to draw the current picture of the advances and challenges, whether conceptual, methodological, or experimental when considering the role of fluid-rock interactions. We invite contributions that utilize an array of methodologies, ranging from natural observations, microstructural assessments, and geochemical analyses to rock mechanics, all intertwined with modelling techniques. This modelling can span from ab initio simulations to continuum scale simulations, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of fluid-rock/mineral interactions. Contributions that harness the power of artificial intelligence and its subsets are particularly encouraged.

Understanding the initiation and evolution of faults and fractures is a prerequisite to understanding the mechanics of the upper crust, and by extension better apprehending fundamental and engineering usage of the subsurface. Fault and fracture mechanics is a vastly studied topic, yet unsolved questions remain about the processes of fault initiation and propagation, about the role of fluid pressure on both neoformation and reactivation of faults and fracture, about the impact of dissolution or precipitation in the fault core, or about the stress build-up, transmission and attenuation in the crust.
This session aims at drawing the current picture of the advances and challenges in this topic, embracing the fault geomechanics, the development and application of paleopiezometry techniques in the upper crust, new insights about the feedback between fluid pressure and deformation, and the understanding of diffuse fracture network with respect to the deformation history. We welcome contributions focusing on, but not limited to, faults, fractures and/or (past and current) stress orientations and magnitudes in the crust, whether these contributions involve experimental approaches, numerical simulations, theoretical and conceptual modelling, and/or naturalistic case studies.

Microstructures play a fundamental role in deciphering the rheology of the lithosphere and lithospheric tectonics. Microstructures and crystallographic textures are used to analyze the physical and chemical properties of geomaterials, while deformation microstructures (e.g., fabrics, textures, grain sizes, shapes, cracks, etc.) can be used to infer, identify, and quantify deformation, metamorphic, magmatic or diagenetic processes. Processes such as grain-size reduction, metamorphic reactions, crack growth, and the development of crystallographic preferred orientations modify the rheological properties of rocks and minerals, providing key information on the dynamics of small- to large-scale tectonic processes. In this session, we invite contributions that use microstructure and texture analyses from field observations, laboratory experiments, and numerical modelling at brittle and/or ductile conditions aiming to constrain deformation mechanisms.

The upscaling of laboratory results to regional geophysical observations is a fundamental challenge in geosciences. Earthquakes are inherently non-linear and multi-scale phenomena, with dynamics that are strongly dependent on the geometry and the physical properties of faults and their surrounding media. To investigate these complex processes, fault mechanisms are often scaled down in the laboratory to explore the physical and mechanical characteristics of earthquakes under controlled, yet realistic boundary conditions.
However, extrapolating these small-scale laboratory studies to large-scale geophysical observations remains a significant challenge. This is where numerical simulations become essential, serving as a bridge between scales and enhancing our understanding of fault mechanics. Together, laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and geophysical observations are complementary and necessary to understand fault mechanisms across the different scales.
In this session, we aim to convene multidisciplinary contributions that address multiple aspects of earthquake mechanics combining laboratory, geophysical and numerical observations, including:

(i) the interaction between the fault zone and surrounding damage zone;
(ii) the thermo-hydro-mechanical processes associated with all the different stages of the seismic cycle;
(iii) bridging the gap between the different scales of fault deformation mechanisms.

We particularly encourage contributions with novel observations and innovative methodologies for studying earthquake faulting. Contributions from early career scientists are highly welcome.

Geological materials such as ice and olivine are often modelled as viscous fluids at the large scale. However, they have complex, evolving microstructures which are not present in normal fluids, and these can have a significant impact on large-scale flow behaviour. These different materials have many commonalities in how the evolving microstructure influences the large scale flow, yet research is often siloed into individual disciplines.

With this session, we aim to bring together researchers from a range of disciplines, studying a variety of anisotropic materials, and working on different aspects of complex viscous flow such as: viscous anisotropy related to CPO or extrinsic microstructures; crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) or fabric evolution; other controls on rheology such as grain size, dynamic recrystallisation and deformation mechanisms; and impact of rheology on complex flow, e.g. in the transition through a shear margin.

We encourage submissions investigating this topic through numerical modelling, laboratory experiments and observational studies. We are aiming to convene an inclusive and collaborative session, and invite contributions from all disciplines. We particularly encourage early career researchers to participate.

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.

The Earth’s mantle makes up 84% of the volume of our planet but our direct knowledge of it is still inadequate because mantle rocks are generally inaccessible to direct sampling as they are buried underneath tens of kilometers of the Earth’s crust. Nevertheless, there are geological processes that can bring slices of mantle rocks to the surface, as in magma-poor passive continental margins and in orogenic belts. Most of these processes remain still puzzling as they are ruled by a complex, time-dependent, compositional, thermal, chemical and rheological interplay.
The objective of this session is present the latest developments in field measurements and observations, monitoring and high-resolution geophysical imaging of i) mantle exhumation at passive margins and ii) orogenic belts. A variety of disciplines are involved in these studies, including rock mechanics, numerical modeling, field-based petrology and geochemistry, geodynamics, seismology, geodesy as well as the results of recent IODP expeditions. The goal of this session is to provide new insight into mantle exhumation and to promote new collaborations in order to advance our understanding of this important and still intriguing process.

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.

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.

Fold-and-thrust belts represent an outstanding place to investigate deformational and surface processes and the way these processes interact to shape mountain belts. 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 fold-thrust belts provides pathways to a more mechanistic understanding of rock deformation from micro- to orogen-scale.

In order to understand the rates and mechanisms of orogenic growth, determining the age and longevity of structures such as folds and thrusts is key. Chronological constraints are critical for defining the timing, duration and rate of shortening, fold growth and deposition and more generally the sequence of deformation. In addition to more classical constraints from growth strata, deformed terraces, or low-temperature thermochronometry, the topic benefited from recent advances in K–Ar illite and U–Pb calcite geochronology applied to fault zones and mesoscale brittle structures, allowing for deeper insights into the mechanics of the upper crust.

This session aims at bridging the gap between spatial - from shallow depth to full lithospheric scale- and temporal -short-term vs long-term- scales for a better understanding of building of orogenic wedges and to provide a forum for all disciplines concerned with orogenic wedges to meet and discuss their views. We warmly welcome contributions reporting topical works on fold-thrust belts including seismology, rheology and mechanics, structural geology, dating deformation, thermochronology, geomorphology, thermicity, or fluid rock-interactions. Analogue or numerical modeling work as well as regional case studies are welcome. Furthermore, applied studies aiming at linking the structures and dynamics of fold-and-thrust belts with hydrogeology and generation of carbon-free energy resources such as geothermal energy or natural H2 are also encouraged

The shift from accretionary to collisional orogenic setting is elusive, as both scenarios can be laterally contemporaneous along a mountain chain, involving far-field, regional and local geological events that overprint in time and space. The conditions that trigger this shift can be influenced by inherited features of the lithosphere architecture of oceans and continents, including the amount of deformation accumulated during continental breakup and rifting and the thickness and geometry of the converging margins. Classic 2D models of accretionary and collisional belts have become insufficient to explain the diversity of geological aspects, namely structural, magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary, which are critical to understand the paleogeography and the different geodynamic settings involved in the evolution of orogens through the Earth’s history. Modern geological mapping, including classic and modern field geological research using advanced laboratory techniques and geophysics, is highly relevant for conceiving 3D and 4D conceptual and numerical models, which may help to understand better the polycyclic evolution of the orogenesis. We encourage contributions that provide an integrated picture by combining results from active margins in accretionary and in collisional orogens, including lower crust-lithosphere-mantle interactions, highlighting the role of plate tectonics in the architecture of the continental crust, namely on the connection of deep to surface phenomena, including the development of marine and continental synorogenic basins to synorogenic compressional, transcurrent and extensional tectonic settings.
Special emphasis will be given to contributions that use different disciplines and innovative methods like (but not restricted to); field geology, structural geology, geochronology, petrochronology, geochemistry (including isotope geochemistry), geophysics, igneous and metamorphic petrology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, plate reconstructions, numerical and analogue modelling.

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. We invite contributions from relevant fields that help to quantify geodynamic drivers of past and present plate kinematics and lithospheric deformation. In particular, presentations on the results of passive seismic experiments and quantitative comparisons of models, concepts, and field observations are welcome.

The Neoproterozoic Era is known for rapid continental scale movements manifested by at least two major supercontinent assemblies: Rodinia and Gondwana. It is believed that the early-middle Proterozoic continental fragments grew to form Rodinia by a series of collisions at ~1000 Ma and broke up in stages from 1000 to 520 Ma. Before Rodinia had completely broken up, some of its segments had already begun to form Gondwana, which assembled completely by ~500 Ma.
The Neoproterozoic Era sandwiched between the Grenvillian and Pan-African orogenic activities, experienced dramatic changes in the global environment and the development and fragmentation of supercontinents. Significant crustal readjustments from Rodinia to Gondwana during the Neoproterozioc era (1000-542 Ma) have been reported. This interval of rapid plate configuration changes is often considered an important factor for the preceding biological changes. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand the paleogeographic distribution of cratons during the Neoproterozoic Era to understand the dawn of complex life. Despite significant developments, a major gap in our understanding exists between the breakup of Rodinia and the assembly of Gondwana.
This session invites Earth scientists to explore and investigate the 1100-500 million years ago interval to illuminate the intricate dynamics of this transformative era.

Ore-forming processes during the supercontinent cycle are mainly associated with tectono-thermal events and crustal deformation along subduction zones and orogenic wedges. The amalgamation of the supercontinent Pangea was completed in the Paleozoic along with the Caledonian, Variscan and Ellesmerian orogens that now represent the core of central Europe, Scandinavia, East Greenland and the Arctic. The potential for mineral resources supply in Europe, particularly for the Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), can be strengthened with a better understanding of the deformation history and ore-forming processes, defining the favorable metallogenic belts and tracing along the orogenic belts of the supercontinent Pangea. Aims of the session are to receive contributions describing the tectono-thermal, sedimentary and structural evolution associated with the assembly of Pangea focusing on ore-forming processes, with the purpose of defining metallogenic belts, with special attention on CRMs.

Subduction drives plate tectonics, generating the major proportion of subaerial volcanism, releasing >90% seismic moment magnitude, 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 variation within and between volcanic arcs, provide further insights into systematic chemical processes at the slab surface and within the mantle wedge, providing constraints on thermal structures and material transport within subduction zones. However, with 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 so far not emerged.

This session aims to follow the subducting lithosphere on its journey from the surface down into the Earth's mantle and to understand the driving processes for deformation and magmatism in the over-riding plate. We aim to address topics such as: subduction initiation and dynamics; changes in mineral breakdown processes at the slab surface; the formation and migration of fluids and melts at the slab surface; primary melt generation in the wedge; subduction-related magmatism; controls on the position and width of the volcanic arc; subduction-induced seismicity; mantle wedge processes; the fate of subducted crust, sediments, and volatiles; the importance of subducting seamounts, LIPs, and ridges; links between near-surface processes and slab dynamics and with regional tectonic evolution; slab delamination and break-off; the effect of subduction on mantle flow; and imaging subduction zone processes.

With this session, we aim to form an integrated picture of the subduction process and invite contributions from a wide range of disciplines, such as geodynamics, modeling, geochemistry, petrology, volcanology, and seismology, to discuss subduction zone dynamics at all scales from the surface to the lower mantle, or in applications to natural laboratories.

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.

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.

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 western South American subduction zone is among the largest subduction systems on the planet and stands out as the archetype of ocean-continent convergent margins. Compared to other subduction zones, the region is notable because it is associated with the largest accretionary orogen of the world (The Andes cordillera), it shows several regions of flat slab subduction, and it hosted some of the largest instrumentally recorded earthquakes. Over the last years and decades, significant progress has been achieved in characterizing and imaging the constituent parts of the South American subduction zone (downgoing oceanic plates, South American upper plate, plate interface between them, mantle wedge beneath the upper plate) as well in the understanding of geodynamic and seismotectonic processes shaping the convergent margin.

In this session, we aim to bring together scientists and contributions from a wide variety of disciplines that try to constrain and understand past and ongoing processes in this subduction zone. These can include, but are not limited to: seismo-geodetic studies of slow and fast deformation along the plate interface; geophysical studies of subduction zone structure, geometry and fluid processes; analog and numerical modeling studies of this subduction zone; studies on faulting or fluid processes in the upper plate; offshore studies on bathymetry and structure of the downgoing plate or the outer forearc; studies of Andean magmatism, volcanic processes and their link to tectonics and metallogenesis.

A crucial aspect of seismotectonic studies is accurately identifying active faults and reconstructing their geometry, kinematics, and deformation rates using geological, seismological, and geodetic data to the fullest extent possible within the current deformation field. This task is challenging, often complicated by the scarcity of clear evidence or quantitative data, both at the near-surface and at seismogenic depths. Developing a reliable seismotectonic model is, therefore, subject to uncertainties stemming from data limitations and errors, which can hinder the precise characterization of fault geometry, kinematics, and associated stress and deformation fields.
To overcome these challenges, it has become essential to integrate various methodologies both cutting-edge in their technologies and complementary in their resolution scales, depth, and dimensions (from 3D to 4D). The multidisciplinary nature of seismotectonics, which synthesises structural-geological, morphological, seismological, geophysical, remote-sensing, and geodetic data alongside numerical and analogue modelling, offers a comprehensive approach to identifying active tectonic signals. Additionally, the increasing availability of big data and the application of deep learning techniques in geosciences present a unique opportunity to bridge data gaps and improve the accuracy and reliability of seismotectonic models.
This session invites studies focused on the following themes: i) field-based geological and structural surveys of active faults, including those in volcanic regions; ii) classical and innovative multiscale and multidisciplinary approaches in geology, seismology, and geophysics; iii) the development and analysis of new or updated seismological, geophysical, and field- or remotely-collected datasets; iv) fault imaging, tectonic setting definitions, and the creation of 3D seismotectonic models; v) numerical and analogue modelling; vi) studies that explore the alignment or discrepancies between known fault characteristics, seismotectonic models, and seismic events; vii) novel insights aimed at advancing seismotectonic modelling.
Our goal is to stimulate significant scientific interest and debate on advancing our understanding of active faulting, aiming to produce robust seismotectonic models. We particularly encourage submissions that combine classical and innovative methodologies, including big data, deep learning, and other forms of artificial intelligence.

Given that approximately 90% of the seismic moment released by earthquakes worldwide occurs along and near subduction zones, there is a clear need for a better understanding of seismic processes and the associated seismic hazards in these areas. Seismicity in subduction zones manifests in various forms, from relatively shallow activity on outer-rise and splay faults, as well as the megathrust, to intermediate-depth (70-300 km) and deep events (>300 km). All these distinct seismogenic environments play a role in shaping the seismic moment budget, hazard, and overall dynamics of a subduction zone.
This session aims to integrate observations and models of seismicity in subduction zones, as well as research that aims at characterizing the processes that drive this seismicity. In order to improve our understanding of the interplay between earthquake occurrence and subduction dynamics, combining seismicity constraints with observations from other disciplines (geodesy, petrology, geomorphology and others) can provide a more complete view of complex subduction zones. We thus also invite interdisciplinary studies that combine geophysical and/or geological observations with laboratory experiments and/or numerical models to address questions such as: (1) What mechanisms control intraplate seismicity? (2) How does outer-rise and splay fault seismicity relate to the seismogenic behavior of the megathrust? (3) How do slab dynamics influence and potentially link to shallow and deep seismicity?

Tectonic faults accommodate plate motion through various styles of seismic and aseismic slip spanning a wide range of spatiotemporal scales. Understanding the mechanics and interplay between seismic rupture and aseismic slip is central to seismotectonics as it determines the seismic potential of faults. In particular, unraveling the underlying physics controlling these deformation styles bears a great deal in earthquake hazard mitigation, especially in highly urbanized regions. We invite contributions from observational, experimental, geological, and theoretical studies that explore the diversity and interplay among seismic and aseismic slip phenomena in various tectonic settings, including the following questions: (1) How does the nature of creeping faults change with the style of faulting, fluids, loading rate, and other factors? (2) Are different slip behaviors well separated in space, or can the same fault areas experience different failure modes? (3) Is there a systematic spatial or temporal relation between different types of slip?

New observations about earthquakes keep accumulating that contribute to unveil every time a bit more our understanding of earthquake processes and related earthquake cycle. Methods have significantly improved in geophysics, in geodesy, and in paleoseismology-geomorphology. Hence, on one hand the number of earthquakes with well-documented rupture process and deformation pattern has increased significantly. Similarly, the number of studies documenting long time series of past earthquakes, including quantification of past deformation has also increased. On the other hand, the modeling communities, both numerical and analogue, which are working on rupture dynamics and/or earthquake cycle are also making significant progresses. Thus, this session is the opportunity to bring together these different contributions to foster further collaboration between the different groups focusing all on the same objective of integrating earthquake processes into the earthquake cycle and crustal deformation framework. Hence, in this session we welcome contributions documenting earthquake ruptures and crustal deformation processes, both for ancient events or recent events, from seismological, geodetic, or paleoseismological perspective. Contributions documenting deformation during pre-, post-, or interseismic periods, which are highly relevant to earthquake cycle understanding, are also very welcomed. Finally, we seek for any contribution looking at the earthquake cycle from the modeling perspective, especially including approaches integrating data and modeling.

The Eastern Mediterranean is a region of active deformation driven by the complex interaction of three major tectonic plates: the African, Arabian, and Eurasian plates. Its Cenozoic geodynamic evolution is characterized by processes such as subduction, collision, strike-slip faulting, crustal block extrusion, and slab deformation. This session aims to explore key aspects of Eastern Mediterranean geodynamics:
Active Structures and Mechanisms: What are the primary geodynamic mechanisms shaping the region’s key active structures, and how do they operate?
Surface Deformation and Earthquake Dynamics: How is deformation accommodated across different temporal and spatial scales? How do individual earthquakes contribute to the long-term kinematics of faults? What role do deep-seated processes play in surface deformation?
Geodynamic Evolution: How has the Cenozoic geodynamic history shaped the current tectonic activity in the region?
We invite contributions from a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to: neotectonics, seismology, tectonic geodesy (e.g., GNSS, InSAR), paleoseismology, tectonic geomorphology, remote sensing, structural geology, and geodynamic modeling. We strongly encourage submissions from early career researchers to foster new perspectives and ideas in the field.

Intracontinental areas, away from active rapid plates boundaries, do experience moderate to large earthquakes that are often destructive, poorly anticipated, and partially recorded due to sparse observation networks in their vicinity.
Among these, South-eastern Europe has experienced several Mw 6+ earthquakes in the last decades, caused by faults that were poorly studied. The area is influenced by the Adriatic/Dinarides collision in the west, and the Aegean extension in the south. It experiences low but measurable deformation rates and includes many potentially active faults, with remarkable geomorphological signal but poorly known activity rates.
This challenges our understanding of the geodynamics and the seismic cycle. Key questions remain open to understand the faults’ history and slip budget, the processes at play in leading the deformation, the seismic rupture characteristics, and the soil response to shaking.

This session aims at gathering contributions that address these challenges by developing studies on deformation and seismicity of intracontinental tectonically active areas, in particular in Southeastern Europe (but not restricted to). We encourage presentations of geophysical, seismological, geodetical, paleoseismological and geomorphological studies: our rationale is that a multidisciplinary approach is required to cover features and processes of different time and space scales.

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?

Plate tectonics has had a profound influence on Earth’s biosphere, possibly from its inception. Tectonic processes can directly affect ecosystem evolution by impacting available habitats and controlling changes in nutrient flux through oceanic rifting, or weathering and erosion of the continents, which sheds nutrients and raw materials necessary for biological processes into the oceans. Collision and break-up of tectonic plates also affects the distribution of marine organisms, whether by altered ocean circulation patterns or by the creation and destruction of physical barriers (e.g. mountain ranges, land bridges, seaways). While it is relatively easy to reproduce palaeogeographic and tectonic configurations for more recent time periods (e.g. Jurassic to the present day), reconstructing the spatial relationships of more ancient tectonic blocks can be challenging. Nevertheless, reliable palaeogeographic models and/or full tectonic global plate models (GPMs) are the cornerstone for testing the relationships between global tectonics and the biosphere.

This session aims to bring together a broad spectrum of researchers investigating how Precambrian–Phanerozoic tectonics has impacted biological processes. Because tackling such questions leans heavily on multi-disciplinary approaches, we encourage submissions from researchers utilizing data and methods across a variety of research fields. We welcome submissions covering a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to; palaeomagnetism, palaeogeography, palaeontology/palaeobiology, macroevolution, palaeoclimatology, geochemistry, sedimentology and geochronology. We would also like to showcase studies that emphasise the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable), CARE (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics) and Open Science principles when it comes to leveraging data at both model-development and model-application stages.

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.

Earth's landscape evolution is shaped by the dynamic interplay between tectonics, climate, and surface processes, with added complexity due to contrasting lithospheric structures in cratonic and orogenic settings. Moreover, the physicochemical properties of the basement rocks and their cooling/exhumation histories are deeply affected by fault activity, hydrothermal alteration, and long-term exposure to superficial conditions.
Thermochronology is essential for paleogeographic reconstructions, as it allows quantifying cooling, exhumation, and weathering patterns in distinct geodynamic and physiographic settings. Recent developments in thermochronology, including 40Ar/39Ar, fission tracks, Raman dating, (U-Th)/He, 4He/3He, trapped charge systems, as well as complementary isotopic methods like K-Ar dating of clay weathering products and U-Pb carbonate dating, provide a comprehensive toolset to study the journey of rocks from deep crustal levels to the surface, and their remobilization in source-to-sink systems. Computational tools and remote sensing methods further contribute to this interdisciplinary approach. While integrating such methods enables the development of robust tectonic and landscape evolution models, these technical advancements also underscore the existing limitations in our holistic understanding of the Earth systems and their interaction.
We invite contributions that: (1) present theoretical and experimental work on the development of new thermochronometric systems and modeling approaches, or improve our understanding of the capabilities and limitations of current methods for reliable geological interpretations; and (2) address deep-time evolution of rocks to elucidate the timing and rates of processes shaping the Earth's surface using interdisciplinary approaches involving geothermochronology, geomorphology, tectonics, geochemistry, and mineralogy.

The complex interactions between tectonic, geodynamic, climate, and earth surface processes that occur above subduction zones drive changes in mountain building, ocean and atmospheric circulation, the flux and dispersal of sediment, water, and nutrients, and biological evolution. Understanding these processes, their feedbacks, and their effects on the Earth system requires studying ideal experiments playing out on our planet. For example, the Italian Peninsula is a geodynamic menagerie with active and inactive subduction segments, slab windows, and portions of the crust with variable states of stress and expressions of strain, and it is also a biodiversity hotspot. Such interesting regions offer unique opportunities to improve understanding of mountain-building processes and their influence on geomorphic and biological systems. For example, faulting and uplift influence not only mountain relief, river channel steepness, and drainage reorganization, but also the connectivity of ecological domains. Understanding how these processes are linked can create a deeper understanding of the past and present geodynamics and how solid earth processes facilitate landscape and biological evolution.

We particularly welcome studies of process connections between biological evolution and landscape evolution in the Italian Peninsula and other interesting regions. These areas are veritable playgrounds for researchers interested in the interrelationships among tectonics, climate, geomorphology, and biodiversity. We invite contributions linking quantitative techniques (e.g., cosmogenic nuclides and thermochronometry, environmental DNA metabarcoding, topographic analysis, landscape evolution modeling) to field interpretations to test geological and biogeographical hypotheses.

The coupling between tectonics, climate and surface processes governs the dynamics of mountain belts and basins. However, the amplitude of these couplings and their impact on mountain building are not well understood. Quantitative constraints are therefore needed to quantify these interactions. They can be provided by geomorphic and sedimentary records including longitudinal river profiles, fluvial and marine terraces, landslides, downstream fining trends, growth strata, sediment provenance, sequence stratigraphy, and changing depositional environments. In addition, such interactions may be explored by geodetic analyses (e.g., GPS, UAV and satellite images analyses) as well as with innovative geo-informatic approaches. Indeed, the increasing integration of geochronological methods for quantifying erosion rates and source-to-sink sediment transfer with landscape evolution, stratigraphic, climatic, and tectonic models allows us to advance our understanding of the interactions between surface processes, climate and tectonic deformation.
We invite contributions that use geomorphic, geochronologic and/or sedimentary records to understand tectonic deformation, climate histories, and surface processes, and welcome studies that address their interactions and couplings at a range of spatial and temporal scales. We invite contributions that address the role of surface processes in modulating rates of deformation and tectonic style, or of tectonics modulating the response of landscapes to climate change. We encourage coupled catchment-basin studies that take advantage of numerical/physical modelling, geochemical tools for quantifying rates of surface processes (cosmogenic nuclides, low-temperature thermochronology, luminescence dating) and high resolution digital topographic and subsurface data.

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.

Recent advancements in thermochronology have significantly broadened its applicability to provide insights on Earth-system processes across various geological settings and timescales. However, novel applications of thermochronometric techniques sometimes reveal limitations in our understanding of thermochronometric systems and flaws of their associated theoretical models. This session aims to present the state-of-the-art of mid- and low-temperature thermochronometric systems – including but not limited to the Ar/Ar, fission tracks, Raman dating, (U-Th)/He, 4He/3He and trapped charge dating systems – and assess their ability (and disability) to provide reliable datasets for geological interpretation. We welcome contributions that explore (1) theoretical and experimental work introducing new thermochronometers or aiming at improving our understanding of current systems, (2) innovative approaches to quantify and model thermochronometric data, (3) integration of thermochronology with field observations, remote sensing, geomorphological techniques, isotopic methods and modeling (numerical and analog), and (4) applications that constrain the timing, magnitude, and rates of processes affecting the lithosphere and shaping the Earth surface across various temporal and spatial scales. We particularly welcome contributions aiming at providing new constraints on relief evolution, deposition/erosion, source to sink processes, sediment provenance, weathering, faulting, hydrothermalism, tectonics, geothermal changes, formation of ore deposits. These insights will pose important implications for the broader Earth-science community.

As demand for more accurate geological representations grows in fields such as resource exploration, geohazard assessment, and environmental geoscience, advances in modelling algorithms and inversion methods have become critical. Presentations will cover new approaches to the construction of detailed geological models, the use of machine learning and AI in model refinement, and the application of inversion techniques to improve the accuracy of subsurface property predictions.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- New methodologies for 3D structural modelling, including deterministic, stochastic, and hybrid approaches
- Case studies highlighting the application of model-based inversion for resource exploration, such as mineral, petroleum, and groundwater systems
- Integration of geophysical and geological data in model-based inversion for improved subsurface characterization
- Advances in computational efficiency and uncertainty quantification in inversion techniques
- Innovative use of machine learning and AI in enhancing both geological models and inversion results

This session brings together geoscientists, modellers, and computational experts to discuss the latest advancements and challenges, offering insights into the future direction of 3D structural geological modelling and inversion applications.

The formation of magma storage zones and subsequent magma pathways towards the surface are crucial processes in driving a range of Earth’s magmatic phenomena, such as continental volcanism, volcanic arc development, and oceanic lithospheric generation at mid-ocean ridges. Both magma storage and propagation imply that magma makes its own space by deforming the host rock. Understanding the coupling between magma flow and host rock deformation has spurred a robust line of research on melt transport mechanisms, with the objective to unveil how the melt and the surrounding host rock of complex rheology interact, determining the structure of magma pathways and driving flow dynamics . Varying combinations of magma and host rheologies eventually give rise to diverse intrusive geometries, ranging from typical tabular dikes and sills to more complex non-tabular conduits and batholiths. It is a major challenge to theoretically or experimentally predict them in terms of magma emplacement mechanisms under a given melt-wall rheological combination. Furthermore, a comprehensive interpretation of volcanic and magmatic processes must account for variability in spatial and temporal scales, from microscopic crystals to kilometre-wide volcanoes and from “moments” to millions of years. This becomes particularly relevant when questioning how magmatic systems form a network, create pathways for melt migration, and eventually erupt to the surface. A direction of these studies shows the role of faults and shear zones as potential pathways for magma movement. However, faults can either aid or hinder magma ascent depending on stress orientation, permeability, and mechanical properties. We thus need to substantially refine the present knowledge about fault-driven magma migration and look for alternative models. This session aims to explore innovative methods, modelling techniques and case studies shedding light onto magmatic systems, with particular interest for the underlying mechanisms of magma storage formation, melt transport, modes of magma emplacement, and associated wall-rock deformation, including also application-oriented issues. We welcome contributions from experts in diverse directions, such as field analysis, InSAR, seismicity, seismic imaging, gravity and electromagnetic data, as well as experimental, analogue, numerical, and thermal modelling, with the objective to discuss the problems of magma dynamics and related subjects with an integrated approach.

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.

Cratons, the oldest and most stable parts of Earth's lithosphere, have withstood billions of years of tectonic activity. However, some cratonic lithosphere can become unstable under certain conditions, leading to profound geological changes. Understanding the processes that drive cratonic stability and instability is essential for deciphering the complex interactions between the deep mantle, lithosphere, and surface processes. These mechanisms play a critical role in the evolution of mountain ranges, magmatism, change in surface topography, with even potential implications for climate. Despite their importance, the triggers behind cratonic destabilization, including mechanical and compositional variations, deep mantle dynamics, and long-term surface effects, remain areas of active debate. In this session, we invite contributions that investigate the causes, effects, and observational evidence related to cratonic stability and instability over time. Topics may include, but are not limited to geological, geophysical and geochemical signatures, numerical modeling, and case studies of cratonic regions undergoing or having experienced significant transformations. We aim to bring together these diverse perspectives to enhance our understanding of how cratonic regions evolve over time, linking deep processes with surface phenomena and broader tectonic and environmental changes.

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.

Vertical motions of the Earth’s lithosphere away from an isostatically compensated state provide a powerful lens into the dynamic behavior of the sublithospheric mantle. These motions can now be monitored geodetically at unprecedented precision. At the same time, geological records provide invaluable spatial-temporal information about the history of vertical lithosphere motion, for instance through provenance, stratigraphic and other proxies. Altogether, the combination of geodetic and geologic observations provide extraordinary opportunities to constrain deep earth processes in geodynamic forward and inverse models of past mantle convection. The challenges of using Earth's surface records to better understand deep Earth processes involve (1) signal separation from other uplift and subsidence mechanisms, such as isostasy and plate tectonics, and (2) different spatial resolutions and scales between models and observables.

In this session, we aim to bring together researchers interested in the surface expression of deep Earth processes from geodetic to geological time scales using multi-disciplinary methods, including (but not limited to) geodetic, geophysical, geochemical, geomorphological, stratigraphic, and other observations, as well as numerical modeling. We welcome studies that tackle challenges and address questions surrounding mantle convection and its surface manifestation in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic times. Studies using a multidisciplinary approach are particularly encouraged.

Ocean island archipelagos are outstanding natural laboratories in which we can explore the complex interactions between tectonic, magmatic and mantle processes at a wide range of scales, from mantle-lithosphere interactions to outcrop (or smaller) level observations without forgetting the possible influence of interplay with external forcing. Within the Atlantic Ocean, several such sites exist, such as Iceland, the Azores or the Canaries, each with its own unique setting, dynamics and evolution.

This session aims to bring together contributions from geological, tectonic, geophysical, geodetic and geodynamic studies of the Atlantic Ocean islands and archipelagos. We particularly welcome contributions that might have a new perspective or methodological approach that aim to understand the recent
Icelandic rifting unrest and eruptions, the 2022 Sao Jorge Island (Azores) aborted eruption and the 2011-2012 El Hierro or 2021 La Palma eruptions in the Canary Islands.

We also welcome studies or datasets documenting past activity based on geological or geophysical approaches in/around eroded shield volcanoes across the Atlantic islands.

The relationship between endogenic and exogenic processes have produced a variety of landforms, compositions and structures observed on Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, which are often similar to those on Earth. The calibration and interpretation of the datasets provided by the plethora of space missions, testing of hypotheses and other practical questions require an ever increasing number of tools and methods for verification. Thus, despite the utility of classical methods of investigations and the continual developments of data mining and machine learning, the scientific community still needs to look for ground-truth to fully interpret the data and test their hypotheses.

The study of analogues (i.e. natural geological settings) and simulant (i.e. artificially made) materials provide insights into processes that may have occurred on other planets, allowing an additional viewpoint for interpretations. Thus, they represent the most effective tool to fill the gap between models/lab experiments and reality, making them fundamental in interpreting geological and other planetary processes.

Due to the increasing interest and importance of this topic, the goal of this session is to bring together scientists from different fields to share their insights in understanding the Earth and terrestrial planets with new “eyes”, plan future missions and investigate limits of life. This includes planetary geologists (working with remotely sensed data, potential field data and seismic data), engineers, astrophysicists studying rocky exoplanets and astrobiologists studying life in extreme environments.

This session welcomes contributions involving studies of:
-Terrestrial analogues to Mars, Mercury, Moon, Icy Satellites and other Solar System bodies
-Field analogues and remotes sensing studies
-Field analogues and potential field /seismological studies
-Laboratory experiments on planetary analogue conditions
-Soil and regolith simulants
-Field terrestrial analogues and studies on life in extreme environments
-Development of ISRU technologies, based on the insights provided by analogue and simulant experiments

To truly understand the surface features and inner workings of a planet, its tectonic, volcanic, and seismic processes need to be thoroughly studied. To do so, many different methods exist including numerical and analogue modelling studies, lab experiments on rock rheology and environmental conditions, detailed geological mapping, and theoretical geophysical studies of a planet’s available data, such as topography and gravity. To further complement these studies, missions are an invaluable addition to gather data on the various planetary bodies of interest.

Indeed, from a mission perspective, we are set to learn a lot about planetary tectonics, volcanism, and seismicity in the coming decades as BepiColombo reaches Mercury to study its geology and tectonics, the VERITAS and EnVision missions will study the current tectonic and volcanic activity of Venus, and Dragonfly promises a wealth of seismological observations of Titan. As the recent InSight mission showed, these missions have the power to transform our understanding of a planetary system. Looking even more towards the future, it is also expected that seismology will return to the (farside of the) Moon with the selection of the Farside Seismic Suite on a commercial lander in the next few years and the Lunar Geophysical Network remains an encouraged mission concept for a future NASA New Frontiers call.

Here, we aim to bring together contributions that use a range of different methods (modelling, mapping, missions, etc.) to study the tectonics, volcanism, and seismicity of planetary bodies such that different communities may learn from each other in their quest to more thoroughly understand the workings of rocky and icy planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.

It is becoming clear that Wilson Cycle processes including rifting, drifting, inversion, and orogenesis are more complex than standard models suggest. In this first of two sessions, we explore new understandings of Wilson Cycle processes from the onset of extensional reactivation/rifting, through to breakup and mature ocean drifting. In rifted margins and oceans, 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 discoveries, such as continental material far offshore (e.g., at the Rio Grande Rise), wide-magmatic rifted margins (e.g., the Laxmi Basin), and ROMP (Rifted Oceanic Magmatic Plateau), 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.

It is becoming clear that Wilson Cycle processes including rifting, drifting, inversion, and orogenesis are more complex than standard models suggest. In this second session of two, we explore new understandings of Wilson Cycle processes from margin inversion, through subduction initiation and progression, to orogenesis. In subduction zones and orogens observations and modelling showcase the significance of inherited geological structures, lithospheric rheology, time-dependence, surface processes, magmatism, obliquity, and geometry in processes of inversion, subduction initiation, and orogenesis. However, our understanding of the role and interaction of these factors remains far from complete. Unexpected observations, such as extensive subsidence and sedimentation during rift-basin inversion (e.g., in the Pannonian basin), or thermal imprinting from continental rifting affecting subsequent orogenesis (e.g., in the Pyrenees) challenge conventional models and emphasize the need for further work on the convergent part of the Wilson Cycle.

This session will bring together new observations, models, and ideas to help understand the complex factors influencing margin inversion, subduction initiation, and orogenesis 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 geophysics, seismology, 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. We especially welcome contributions from student researchers.

The lithosphere is constantly subject to stresses resulting from geodynamic processes, gravitational forces and anthropogenic activities. A thorough understanding of the stress state is crucial for a wide range of topics, from plate tectonics and geohazards to mass transport and engineering applications. Conventional and emerging applications such as geothermal energy, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), hydrogen or gas storage or disposal of nuclear waste are pivotal for a low-emission society, with their efficacy heavily reliant on knowledge of the stress state. However, the stress state remains difficult to measure, and our comprehension of stress magnitudes depends much on our ability to constrain them from observations, experiments and models.

Characterisation of stress state is challenging because stresses orientation and magnitude are variable (spatially and with depth) and sometimes are time-dependant. More importantly, in most cases we do not fully understand all the factors causing these variability. Fluids are known to reduce rock strength and trigger seismicity by reducing effective stresses and driving mineral reaction, but their exact role in driving mechanical instabilities needs to be better understood, also with respect to other processes like transformation-driven stress transfers.

The current state of stress is mainly assessed using seismic focal mechanisms, fault monitoring and slip inversion, borehole data, and methods such as hydraulic fracturing to determine the magnitude of the applied stress. However, the full stress tensor remains difficult to determine, and investigations typically cover specific spatial and/or temporal scales. Another limitation posed by current methods to stress magnitude estimation is their deterministic nature. In real-world scenarios, parameter uncertainties, such as variations in rock strength, play a crucial role. This necessitates the integration of uncertainty quantification techniques to deal with incomplete datasets.

To address these challenges, we must advance and develop concepts, experiments, measuring methods, data compilations, and models. In this session, we intend to bring together researchers from various fields. We seek contributions that advance (1) our ability to estimate the stress orientation and magnitude, (2) improve geomechanical modelling approaches, (3) our general understanding of the governing mechanics of seismotectonic processes, and (4) relevant case studies.

Earth System Reconstructions provide vital insights across all geological spatiotemporal scales, from the depths of deep time to future projections, crucial for understanding the complex interplay among the geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. These reconstructions are underpinned by paleogeographic research at regional to global scales. They leverage emerging modeling techniques and expanding databases to elucidate the interactions and feedback driving major past environmental crises and long-term evolutionary changes. In the current era of climate, biodiversity, and energy crises, such reconstructions are increasingly pivotal in shaping informed decision-making, with applications spanning environmental risk assessments, climate forecasting, and resource exploration.

The field is witnessing significant advancements through the application of machine learning, large language models, and other sophisticated statistical and nonlinear optimization techniques. These methods enhance our ability to interpret complex and often obscure geological, environmental, and geophysical data. By integrating approaches from various disciplines, we enhance the quantifiability of geological processes over a broad spectrum of spatial and temporal scales. This integration is critical for incorporating better quantifications of uncertainty in both parameter values and model choice, as well as the fusion between geophysical, geological and environmental sensing constraints with data analyses and numerical modelling of Earth Systems.

We invite contributions from all disciplines focused on modeling or constraining Earth Systems, from deep geological times to anticipated future scenarios, whether regional or global in scope. We welcome submissions that are analytical or lab-focused, field-based, or involve numerical modelling. This session also aims to explore cutting-edge methods, tools, and approaches that push the boundaries of inference and uncertainty analysis, and interdisciplinary model-data fusion. We ask the question `Where to next?’ in our collective quest to develop digital twins of our planet.

We also celebrate the contributions of early career researchers, open/community research philosophy, and innovations that have adopted interdisciplinary approaches.

The role of natural hydrogen (a.k.a. “geological”, or “white” hydrogen) as a potential major contributor to a decarbonized energy system in the future has sparked significant debate in recent years. Geological helium resources, independent of co-production with fossil fuels, have similarly attracted the attention of both scientists and industry professionals, especially when co-located with hydrogen.

To date, a truly interdisciplinary scientific understanding of the subsurface natural hydrogen/helium system is lacking, with knowledge being fragmented across disciplines, and exploration/assessment workflows in their infancy. This session aims to address key subsurface aspects of geological hydrogen/helium systems, soliciting contributions from a broad range of disciplines, covering solid earth geosciences, geochemistry, hydrology, remote sensing and soil system sciences. In particular, the session aims to address:

- Generation potential and migration/possible accumulation processes and fluid pathways
- Geological history of such systems through the Wilson cycle
- Source rock/origin and conversion kinetics, flux estimates and relation to emplacement/host environment through geological time
- Spatial characteristics of geological hydrogen/helium systems - distribution, 3D geometry and their activity through geological time.
- Measurement and instrumentation aspects to detect, characterize, and quantify source, fluxes, shallow subsurface interactions and surface leakage of H2 and He.
- Natural hydrogen/helium occurrences and recent discoveries

Fluid-rock interactions have a fundamental impact on the formation of ore minerals within ore deposits across a wide range of scales, particularly those of high economic value such as porphyry Cu-Au systems, orogenic Au deposits, volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, and alkaline and carbonatite REE-HFSE systems. Fluid-rock interaction also facilitates mobilization of metallic materials from the source zone to the deposit, leaving a significant footprint that aids in understanding how these metals are transported and concentrated to feed the deposit. At the nano- and microscales, these processes can be recorded by the formation of natural patterns in rocks, such as the dendritic patterns, banding patterns, crack patterns, mineralogical replacement, growth or deformation patterns. The regularity of these patterns elucidates the physio-chemical environment during fluid-rock interactions. At the meso- to macroscale, fluid-rock interactions are documented in alteration zones within rocks, where chemical reactions are evidenced by the distribution and character of mineral replacement, overgrowth, and hydrothermal alteration. These phenomena petrologically reflect the processes of elemental transfer and exchange during fluid-rock interactions that contribute to the formation of ore deposits. Such natural observations enable thermodynamic and dynamic simulations of the fluid-rock interaction processes associated with metal mobilization and responsible for ore formation, deepening our understanding of underlying mechanisms. Moreover, recent advances in machine-learning-assisted analytical techniques have significantly improved our ability to uncover hidden physiochemical relationships during spatial-temporal evolution of metal source rocks, ore minerals and deposit formation.
In this session, we invite multidisciplinary contributions that investigate fluid-rock interactions associated with ore formation and metal mobilization, using field work, microstructural and petrographic analyses, geochemistry and machine-learning techniques, thermodynamic modeling and numerical modeling.

Faults and fractures are critical components of geological reservoirs, exerting significant control over the physical and mechanical properties of subsurface formations. Their influence on fluid behaviour and fluid-rock interactions plays a crucial role in the success and safety of geoenergy applications, including geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and subsurface energy and waste storage.

Recent advancements in field observations, monitoring technologies, and laboratory experiments have deepened our understanding of how faults and fractures impact deformation processes, rock failure, and fault/fracture (re-)activation. These discontinuities act as conduits or barriers for fluid flow, transport and heat flow, leading to complex interactions that can either enhance or impair reservoir performance. Of particular concern are the changes in the thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) properties due to hydraulic stimulation and fluid circulation within faulted and fractured zones, which can alter transmissibility and influence the stability of these structures.

Understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting and mitigating risks associated with induced seismicity, leakage, and other subsurface hazards. Furthermore, insights gained from these studies are essential for improving the accuracy of numerical models, which are used to predict fault behaviour at reservoir scales and guide the design and management of geoenergy projects.

We invite contributions from researchers who are exploring the role of faults and fractures in subsurface systems, particularly those involved in applied or interdisciplinary studies related to low-carbon technologies. We are particularly interested in research that bridges the gap between laboratory-scale measurements and field-scale processes, and that employs a diverse range of methods, including but not limited to outcrop studies, in-situ experiments and monitoring, subsurface data analysis, and laboratory investigations. Interdisciplinary approaches that integrate geological, geophysical, and engineering perspectives are especially welcome.

The session aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of faults and fractures on subsurface energy systems, showcasing innovative methods for their characterisation and management.

Geodynamic and tectonic processes play a crucial role in shaping the structural and thermal configuration of the lithosphere, influencing the distribution of magmatic, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Consequently, these processes are also responsible for the heterogeneous distribution of critical subsurface resources, such as metals, rare earth elements, geothermal energy, and natural hydrogen, all essential for the energy transition. Geophysical methods provide us with a present-day snapshot of the long-term geological and structural evolution, as well as insights into short-term deformation, ultimately helping in underpinning large-scale exploration programs to avoid adverse effects on the environment; however, these methods are limited in resolution and can be costly.
Researchers studying the subsurface have identified the natural processes responsible for the formation of these resources, but significant gaps remain in our understanding of when and where the necessary conditions for their formation occurred within the Earth. Furthermore, extracting subsurface resources requires detailed knowledge and understanding of the tectonic evolution and the resulting stress field, whether the rock naturally possesses porosity, permeability, and fractures, or if and how engineering techniques could be used to improve the productivity of these systems.
This session aims to close research gaps between geodynamic processes and the formation of georesources. We invite contributions on observational data analysis, numerical modeling, laboratory experiments, and geological engineering, with a particular emphasis on studies that integrate multiple approaches/datasets.

Performing research in Earth System Science is increasingly challenged by the escalating volumes and complexity of data, requiring sophisticated workflow methodologies for efficient processing and data reuse. The complexity of computational systems, such as distributed and high-performance heterogeneous computing environments, further increases the need for advanced orchestration capabilities to perform and reproduce simulations effectively. On the same line, the emergence and integration of data-driven models, next to the traditional compute-driven ones, introduces additional challenges in terms of workflow management. This session delves into the latest advances in workflow concepts and techniques essential to address these challenges taking into account the different aspects linked with High-Performance Computing (HPC), Data Processing and Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In the session, we will explore the importance of the FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) principles and provenance in ensuring data accessibility, transparency, and trustworthiness. We will also address the balance between reproducibility and security, addressing potential workflow vulnerabilities while preserving research integrity.

Attention will be given to workflows in federated infrastructures and their role in scalable data analysis. We will discuss cutting-edge techniques for modeling and data analysis, highlighting how these workflows can manage otherwise unmanageable data volumes and complexities, as well as best practices and progress from various initiatives and challenging use cases (e.g., Digital Twins of the Earth and the Ocean).

We will gain insights into FAIR Digital Objects, (meta)data standards, linked-data approaches, virtual research environments, and Open Science principles. The aim is to improve data management practices in a data-intensive world.
On these topics, we invite contributions from researchers illustrating their approach to scalable workflows as well as data and computational experts presenting current approaches offered and developed by IT infrastructure providers enabling cutting edge research in Earth System Science.