GeoLog

Short Courses

Open Access (OA)

Demystifying Open Access – an open discussion for early career researchers tackling how OA can benefit young scientists without compromising their careers. From what it costs to publish an open access paper to how we can measure its impact, all interested scientists are invited to drop in and join us over drinks in a marketplace of discussion.

How to apply for a job. It’s a topic rarely addressed in postgraduate courses, but in this session, career training experts will help you make the most of your strengths and show them off to a potential employer. Pick up some tips about finding the right job for you, preparing a good CV, and writing a targeted cover letter.

The Blogs and social media in scientific research session explores the ways in which scientists can use blogs and social media to communicate their work. Why should scientists blog or use Twitter?  How do they find the time? And what are the benefits? A panel of blog and social media-savvy scientists will talk about their experience before opening the discussion to the audience.

Last year’s communicate your science workshop

If you’re a Geomorphologist, you’ll be set for the week as the Geomorphology division has loads on offer! Pickup skills on dating techniques, project supervision, open access publishing  and you can also meet the master for tips from seasoned academics.

If you’re a Hydrologist, there’s also the opportunity to meet experts in the field in a round-table discussion with established scientists. You can also pick up pointers on writing the perfect hydrology paper.

See the session programme for more short courses at EGU 2013.

Meeting other Geoscientists during the tweet up at last year’s General Assembly.

Networking

The opening reception on Sunday, 7 April is a great opportunity to meet people, network, get to know the Assembly venue. There is free food and drink as well as specific places for Young Scientists to meet up on the Green Level. Tall signs will tell you where to go, so stop by to meet fellow early career researchers, division presidents and the Young Scientist representatives for the EGU (Jennifer Holden and Sara Mynott).

Earlier in the day, there will also be an opportunity for women in the geosciences to attend a networking event run by the Earth Science Women’s Network, for more information and how to register, see here.

Check this post for more details on networking opportunities at the General Assembly.

Have your say!

What would you like us to do for you? Join us over lunch (food provided!) to find out what the EGU can do to for Young Scientists and let us know what you’d like more of. These will take place on Tuesday 9 April and Thursday 11 April.

Other Sessions

The Medal Lectures, which highlight the work of brilliant scientists. Head on over to the lectures on the Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists (ML4-ML7) and be inspired!

You can also join in a conference call for Young Researchers in Earth Sciences, which aims to promote interdisciplinary research efforts among early career researchers.

Interested in working in geoscience education and outreach? We have just the opportunity for you…

EGU Fellowships offer young scientists the opportunity to gain experience in science management and communication at the EGU Executive Office in Munich, Germany. Fellows are strategically deployed to develop new initiatives and capabilities for long-term use by the EGU. The Educational Fellowship will last six months and can be extended for a further six months.

In September 2013, we intend to appoint a Fellow to expand the Union’s educational programme with activities that are targeted directly at school students. These activities will complement our current efforts, such as the Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshops, which are aimed primarily at teachers. The Fellow will further assist our Education Committee with an EGU-UNESCO collaboration intended to expand GIFT to Africa.

We are looking for a good team player with excellent interpersonal, organisational, and communication skills to fill this role. The successful applicant will have a masters or PhD in the Earth, space or planetary sciences, experience in science education, flexibility to travel frequently (especially to France), and an expert command of English. Preference will be given to candidates who are also proficient in French, and who are familiar with film or web-based media.

The Fellowship salary is according to the German public service pay scale and can be up to E13 TV-L, depending on expertise and experience.

Applications should include

• A cover letter and CV
• Two writing samples that demonstrate the candidate’s ability to communicate science to a school-age audience (blog posts, magazine or newspaper articles, etc.). An educational video or podcast can replace one of the writing samples
• Contact details of two referees

The deadline for application is 24 March and interviews will be conducted during the 2013 EGU General Assembly, which takes place in Vienna over 7–12 April. Further details about the position and how to apply can be found here.

Feel free to contact Dr Bárbara Ferreira, the Media and Communications Manager, at media@egu.eu or on +49-89-2180-6703 if you have any questions about the position.

Geotalk, featuring short interviews with geoscientists about their research, continues this month with a Q&A with Jane Robb from University College London (UCL), who tells us about the excitement of geo-outreach and importance of conserving heritage collections. If you’d like to suggest a scientist for an interview, please contact Sara Mynott.

Jane Robb

First, could you introduce yourself and let us know a bit about your current work at UCL?

Hi, I am Jane Robb and I currently work as a research assistant at UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment (The Bartlett) in student experience and pedagogy. This is quite a departure from my background – I have a BSc in geology from the University of Edinburgh and an MRes in heritage science from UCL. Not that this explains everything – I find that most people don’t know what ‘heritage science’ is. So let me enlighten you:

Heritage science is a relatively new discipline that incorporates scientific methods and practice into conservation of heritage objects. After my geology degree, I was not enticed by the prospect of a career in oil or mining and stumbled across this research masters. Having had a lifelong interest in geology, I had an affinity for all things old which incorporated museums and archaeology so I decided to combine these two passions in doing this MRes degree.

The degree programme was nested in the Centre for Sustainable Heritage in UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment, which then led me to get the job as a research assistant improving the student experience and pedagogical practice across the faculty.

So what did you end up doing in your MRes?

Since the Masters was research based, I had the power to mould the degree into something very unique to my own interests. I really wanted to work at the Natural History Museum but keep my connection with geology, which led to me working directly with the famous Russell Collection – one of the best British topographical mineralogical collections. I was really interested in how the collection was managed, and comparing this to the way other heritage collections are managed. Unfortunately geological collections are not commonly associated with our heritage, but do form an important cultural and scientific resource which we have a responsibility to preserve in the best possible condition.

To ensure heritage collections are preserved and that appropriate conservation decisions are made for objects, they are often assessed using an understanding of their value. I am not talking about financial value here, but other values that can often contribute to attribution of financial value: educational, historic, personal, inspirational values and so on. Once again, geological collections have been left in the shadows when it comes to valuation of this kind, and subsequently collections are under-cared for and missing integral parts. I used social science techniques such as interviews and questionnaires and subsequent statistical analysis to understand what expert stakeholders (curators, scientists, conservators) value about geological collections. The results will then be used to help better care for and manage geological collections, and my supervisors and I are planning on publishing my thesis.

As well as working at UCL, you’re also the Communications Officer for Geology for Global Development – how do you balance your work with active science outreach?

I love doing geoscience outreach. I have worked for four years in science centres, education forums and museums as a science communicator and developed my own projects, training and resources around these roles. Because of this I love to spend my time volunteering for organisations such as Geology for Global Development (GfGD). I also volunteer with Rockwatch, the club for young geologists run by the Geological Association, where I write articles for their magazine, judge their annual competition and facilitate events. Of course, I also have my own blog where I like to discuss issues within science communication, specifically geology and I am also trying to find the time to complete training to become a STEM Ambassador and contribute some more to the WikiProject:Geology! It does all manage to balance out though – I manage my time with the help of Google Calendar and task lists, and because I enjoy what I do it means that I never feel bogged down by these commitments.

I also like to do some of my own projects – like the geology of Skyrim or the Twitter and Pinterest mini-project ‘SciAdvent’ where I made an advent calendar which told the history of the Earth in 25 days from a geological perspective. Both projects were just silly things I cooked up, but of all the things I have ever done, they were the projects that managed to get exponential views! Especially the geology of Skyrim, current views count on my blog of 60,000 in one week!

My work at UCL compliments the skills I need to communicate science as well. I run an event called Bartlett Showoff – inspired by the popular Science Showoff with built environment professionals from The Bartlett which has turned out a great success as well as a new scheme for graduates where they can become ambassadors for the faculty when they graduate and finally organising an international conference! Learning how to organise these events from scratch myself is invaluable, and communicating to such a different audience in all of the student experience resources I develop offers a good challenge. The Bartlett’s ‘architecture speak’ is so wildly different from science speak!

What are your future research plans – or do you hope to move further into science communication?

I am really excited about (hopefully!) publishing my Masters research, but I don’t know whether more research is on the cards for me right now. I would like to continue down the road of science communication, and at the moment I am building my ‘portfolio’ for this!

What advice would you give early-career researchers looking to communicate their work with the public?

Well, there is no harm in coming up with a project just by yourself and taking it forward. You don’t need to be part of something official to communicate science – just go out and do it! However, remember to take notice of when something does and doesn’t work – don’t get carried away with an idea just because you think it’s good.

Make sure you have a blog and talk about what you do, but also wider issues associated with your field and the challenges of communicating in it. Have a presence on Twitter – something I have found out working with GfGD and UCL is that not enough students are taking full advantage of Twitter as a resource for information and discussion on the latest topics that relate to them. Use it!

And finally there is no right or wrong way to start out in communicating your work. No one expects you to be a genius with your first try, whether this be a blog post, a set at Science Showoff or a full on event. I started out with no knowledge of communication working at a science centre and was there full time every summer for four years (and part-time during term). Every day I met different people who responded differently to various forms of explanation or interaction with science, and this taught me more than anything that to be a good communicator you have to be adaptable: you need to understand that there are so many diverse audiences out there and if you start learning how to be a communicator you will never stop.

If you are pre-registered for the 2013 General Assembly (Vienna, 7—12 April), you can now submit photos and moving images to our annual competition! Winners receive a free registration to next year’s General Assembly.

The fourth annual EGU photo competition is now open! Up until 26 March, every pre-registered participant of the General Assembly can submit up to two photos on any broad theme related to the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. Short-listed photos will be exhibited at the conference and the winner will be voted for by General Assembly participants.

In addition, we will also be running a competition for the best moving image, for which we invite you to submit unedited films/footage no longer than 3 minutes in duration.

If you submit your images to the competition, they will also be included in the EGU’s open access photo database, Imaggeo. You retain full rights of use since photos submitted to the database are licensed and distributed by the EGU under a Creative Commons license. This means that Imaggeo content can be used by scientists for their presentations or publications, by the press for news articles, and others or education, blogs — you name it! — as long as they are attributed to the photographer.

You will need to register on Imaggeo so that the organisers can appropriately process your photos. For more information, please check the photo competition page on Imaggeo. Previous winning photographs can be seen on the 2010, 2011 and 2012 winners’ pages.

In the meantime — get shooting!

Last year’s winning photo: Melt Stream by Ian Joughin, distributed by EGU under a Creative Commons licence.

Meet the newest member of EGU’s communications team, Sara Mynott! Sara will manage GeoLog and the EGU blog network, run our social media channels, and develop EGU’s networking activities for young scientists.

Hello from the EGU office!

I have just taken on the task of being the EGU’s new social media bod or – if we’re being official – their new Communications Officer.

Sara Mynott is the new Communications Officer at the EGU

After completing a Masters in Environmental Geoscience at the University of Bristol, and a second in Marine Ecology, from Queen Mary University of London I’ve investigated areas such as: the use of microphones to monitor volcanoes; how crustacean fisheries can be managed effectively, and how warming climates may impact the fitness of cold-blooded animals. I can’t wait to spread the wonders of new research further afield.

I also have a keen interest in informal education, having volunteered at many a science festival, school and exhibition centre. Most recently this entailed demonstrating the principles of Newtonian physics using simple toys in a festive invention workshop! Before joining the EGU, I had the pleasure of working for PLoS, which gave me a good grounding in the essentials of open access publishing and the merits of alternative ways to share and discuss research online.

Working with the EGU’s Media and Communications Manager, Bárbara Ferreira, I’ll be sharing all things Geoscience, while contributing to the EGU blog and developing communications with young scientists. With all the tools we have for sharing science, I couldn’t be more excited about the task at hand!

Feel free to contact me at mynott@egu.eu if you have any questions about the EGU or any of its publications – it would be great to hear from you!

Cheers,

Sara Mynott
@SaraMynott

We have a vacancy for a science communication or science journalism student in Europe to work at the press office of the 2013 General Assembly, which is taking place in Vienna, Austria, from 07-12 April. Applications from geosciences students with science communication experience are also welcomed. The student will join the team assisting the EGU press officer and the journalists at the press centre, and is expected to help run press conferences. Other tasks include writing and/or editing for GeoLog, the EGU blog, and distributing EGU Today, the daily newsletter at the General Assembly.

This is a paid opportunity for science communication students to gain experience in the workings of a press office at a major scientific conference, and to interact with journalists, freelance science writers and public information officers. Similarly to other student assistants at the conference, the successful candidate will receive €600 for the week and will be given support towards travel expenses.

The positions are open to University students or recent graduates in science communication, science writing or science journalism (preference will be given to postgraduate students). Applicants must have an expert command of English and good computer and Internet skills.

Applications should include
* Cover letter and CV (one page each) summarising relevant experience
* Two recent writing samples (published or unpublished, aimed at a general audience)

Application documents (in English) should be submitted by e-mail in a single file to Bárbara Ferreira, the EGU Media and Communications Officer (media@egu.eu). Bárbara can also be contacted for informal enquiries.

The deadline for applications is 1 February 2013.

Press conference at the 2012 EGU General Assembly. Credit: Sue Voice

The European Geosciences Union (EGU, www.egu.eu) is Europe’s premier geosciences organisation, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the Earth, planetary, and space sciences for the benefit of humanity, worldwide. The EGU organises a General Assembly that attracts over 10,000 scientists each year, as well as reporters interested in hearing about the latest research in topics that range from volcanology and earthquakes to climate science, and from solar physics to planetary science.

Geotalk, featuring short interviews with geoscientists about their research, continues this month with a Q&A with Dr Olivier Galland (University of Oslo), who tells us about his volcanology research and the importance of outreach in promoting the Earth sciences. If you’d like to suggest a scientist for an interview, please contact Bárbara Ferreira.

Olivier Galland at the foot of the Tromen Volcano, northern Patagonian Andes, Argentina, during a field expedition of Nov-Dec 2011. Photograph: Derya Gürer

First, could you introduce yourself and let us know a bit about your research topic(s)?

Becoming a volcanologist was my childhood dream, and my studies have always been oriented towards this goal. I first integrated the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon, then I completed my MSc and PhD degrees at the University of Rennes 1. I continued with a postdoc at the Norwegian Centre of Excellence for Physics of Geological Processes, University of Oslo, where I have become Senior Researcher.

My main research topics focus on the mechanics of fluid-rock systems and their implications on volcanic processes. In other words, what is the mechanical behavior of a system where a fluid of given properties flows into a deforming solid matrix? Such a system cannot be understood only from the point of view of the fluid or of the solid, but by the dynamic mechanical interplay between them. This fundamental mechanical loop controls numerous geological processes such as, among others, magma transport and emplacement in the Earth’s crust, hydraulic fracturing, and explosive volcanism. I have mostly addressed these processes through integration of field observations in volcanic systems and quantitative laboratory experiments.

Last year, you received an EGU Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists for your “remarkable contribution to the understanding of volcanic and magma emplacement processes”. Could you summarize the research you have done in this area?

Magma transport plays a key role in the Earth’s dynamics, as it accounts for the main mass and heat transport through the crust. Although magmatism has been studied for more than a century, major questions have remained unsolved. For instance, geologists have assumed that volcanism can occur only in extensional tectonic settings, the extension providing space for magma pathways. This generally accepted assumption is contradictory with the occurrence of intense volcanic activity in the Andean Cordillera, where tectonic shortening has been coeval with volcanism. Part of my research work has demonstrated that volcanism can take place in compressional tectonic settings by focusing on a spectacular case study: the Tromen volcano, in the northern Patagonian Andes. Through several field campaigns at Tromen, we collected structural and geochronological evidence, which showed that the volcano built up during the regional tectonic shortening. To explain how magma can rise in such setting, I also designed a novel experimental apparatus that can simulate coeval tectonic deformation and the injection of low viscosity magma. The experimental results show that magma can migrate along thrust faults, strongly modifying our understanding of magma plumbing systems in active margins and volcanic arcs.

In 2008 you embarked on an exciting scientific expedition called the Andean Geotrail: “cycling 10,000 kilometers to discover the Earth and its resources”. Could you tell us about this adventure, including its aims and what you learnt from it?

The Andean Geotrail was a personal outreach project organized together with my partner, Caroline Sassier, also a geologist at the University of Oslo. The project was based on a 9-month cycling adventure in a spectacular geological environment: the Andean Cordillera. The aim was to use the adventure as a pedagogical tool to catch the attention of the young public and to trigger their curiosity through our own observations. This made Earth sciences less theoretical and more dynamic, and our hope was to create scientific vocations by sharing our scientific knowledge through a unique personal experience. Seventeen schools in France and Norway were associated, involving almost 600 pupils from 6 to 18 years of age.

During the expedition, we cycled from Ushuaia, southernmost Argentina, to Cuzco, Peru, and after the theft of our bikes, we walked to Nazca for a last 400 km long crossing of the Andes. We selected and visited more than 30 geological localities along the route to illustrate various implications of Earth sciences in our society (natural resources, natural hazards, geological landscapes). During the visits, we made our own observations and interviewed local geologists or workers. Since our return, we have presented the expedition in the involved schools and during public conferences, and produced an exhibition of our photographs.

By visiting the selected localities we obviously learnt a lot about the applications of Earth sciences in modern society. But overall, we gained an incredible human experience through the numerous encounters with the Andean populations.

You are also a keen photographer, and you were even one of the finalists of the 2012 EGU Photo Competition. How can Earth science photography contribute to promote the importance of geoscientific research among the wider public?

The most difficult challenge to attract the young generations is to overcome their initial reluctance to Earth sciences by catching their attention and triggering their curiosity about the Earth system. Our experience with the pupils during the Andean Geotrail clearly showed that it is a very challenging task without relevant support. During our conferences in the schools, the only way we managed to create a successful link with the pupils was to show them fantastic photographs of spectacular, unusual, strange and/or extreme geological patterns. Once this link has been established with the pupils, very interesting discussions started and it became possible to share our scientific knowledge with them.

Photography also has the potential to associate two communities that often barely interact: scientists and artists. In addition to be a fascinating scientific subject, the Earth and geological patterns are also unlimited sources of inspiration for artists and lovers of natural beauty. Photography of geological patterns is thus a precious way to promote geoscientific research and its associated challenges via artistic contemplation of the esthetic nature of the Earth.

Last but not least, what are your future research plans?

In the near future, I aim to expand my current work. I am leading a field-based project in the northern Patagonian Andes to unravel the structure of exhumed sub-volcanic systems emplaced in relation to thrust faults and folds, to better constrain the processes of magma transport in compressional tectonic settings. This is a good complement of the former project on Tromen volcano.

In addition, I aim to establish a quantitative bridge between volcano geophysics and laboratory models of volcanic processes. I am adapting my experimental apparatus to study the subtle ground deformation induced by the emplacement of magmatic dykes. Combined with new theoretical models, the provisional experimental results are expected to considerably help geophysicists to interpret ground deformation data monitored in active volcanoes with GPS and interferometry Radar (InSAR). In particular, this technique has the potential to provide a new tool to predict the location of forthcoming volcanic eruptions.

The Andean Geotrail project. Caroline Sassier lost in the immensity of the Bolivian Altiplano (4000 MOSL). Photograph: Olivier Galland

A limited amount of the overall budget of the EGU General Assembly is reserved to assist young scientists who wish to present at the meeting. From 2005 to 2012, the total amount awarded grew from about €50k to €80k; for the 2013 General Assembly, the EGU has allocated €90k for support awards.

The financial support may include waiving of the registration fee and a refund of the Abstract Processing Charge related to the abstract for which support was requested. Additionally, the grant may include a support for travel expenditures. The EGU currently runs three different financial support schemes; you can find more details about these awards on the Support & Distinction section on the EGU2013 website.

Scientists who wish to apply for financial support should submit an abstract, on which they are first authors, by 30 November 2012. Late applications, or applications where the young scientist is not the main author, will not be considered.

To submit the abstract of your oral or poster presentation, please enter the Session Programme page on the EGU2013 website, select the part of the programme you would like to submit an abstract to, and study the respective session list. Each session shows the link to Abstract Submission that you should use. More information on how to submit an abstract is available from the EGU2013 website.

To apply for financial support, make sure you click the appropriate box(es) when submitting your abstract. Bare in mind that, even if you are applying for support, you will still need to pay the Abstract Processing Charge. A screenshot of the first screen of the abstract submission process is shown below; the support application section is just above the Abstract Title box.

The selection process follows a three-step process:

• The first and most important step, after the submission deadline of 30 November 2012, corresponds to the evaluation (ranking and comments) made by the session convener and/or co-conveners.
• The second step corresponds to the decision made by the EGU support selection committee which is based, on a first instance, on the quality of the abstract, which is reflected on a convener’s higher ranking and favourable comments.
• In the third and final step, the Treasurer/Finance Committee takes into account the overall annual budget allocation, the number of abstracts submitted by each session, and the number of registered participants by country (estimated based on previous-year numbers).

In 2012, of the 1113 applications received, representing 1086 applicants, 218 were awarded financial support. Next year’s financial-support awardees will be notified in late January.

The EGU is seeking to appoint a Communications Assistant to work with the EGU Media and Communications Officer in maintaining and further developing media-related and science information communications between the EGU and its membership, the working media, and the public at large. The position will be based at the EGU Executive Office in Munich, Germany.

More information about this vacancy, including main tasks, requirements, application materials, and salary and starting date, is available in PDF format or on the EGU website.

Informal enquiries about this position can be made to the Media and Communications Officer, Dr Bárbara Ferreira (media@egu.eu, +49-89-2180-6703). Applications should be submitted by e-mail in a single file to Dr Bárbara Ferreira by 15 November.

Do you know anyone who might be interested in this position? The EGU would be grateful if you shared this opportunity widely.

Teachers and educators interested in taking part in the 2013 Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop should submit their symposium applications and requests for travel and accommodation support by 30 October 2012.

As previously announced on the EGU website, the GIFT workshop will be taking place on April 8-10 2013 at the EGU General Assembly in Vienna, Austria. The topic of the 2013 edition of GIFT is Natural Hazards, and the workshop will explore the complex relations between natural hazards – such as earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, or floods – and society. Application information is available for download in PDF format, and the document also includes the preliminary programme.

More information about the GIFT workshops can be found in the GIFT section of the EGU website.

GIFT 2013 – Natural Hazards