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To reduce the risks and uncertainty that surround volcanic eruptions, attention must be given to all available data. Historical records can provide insight into past eruptions, as well as the social and political responses to volcanic activity.
Games are a popular way for people to spend their spare time, but they can also provide useful tools to communicate and teach geoscience. The SeriousGeoGames Lab has engaged thousands with geosciences through the Earth Arcade and virtual reality gaming.
Geoscience is increasingly transdisciplinary, requiring researchers from many different scientific backgrounds to work together. Jayme Feyhl-Buska, a biologist pursuing a doctoral degree in an Earth Science department, highlights lessons that she learned on the cusp of the two fields, and urges collaborators to convey lines of thinking and define terminology upfront.
Due to lack of infrastructure and capital to manage waste properly, developing regions face significant challenges from plastic waste accumulation. The Trash-to-Tank program enables communities to locally convert post-consumer use plastic to plastic-derived fuel oil, providing environmental and economic benefits.
There are thousands of potential students desperate to learn behind bars, but few resources for scientific education. The Think Like A Scientist programme offers prisoners a chance to learn geoscience.
Geology is gradually being withdrawn from the school curriculum in the UK, and risks losing its identify as a distinct subject. GeoBus provides workshops and support for Earth science education, inspiring teachers and pupils to engage with fundamental questions in geology.
Ethical dilemmas are regularly encountered by Earth and environmental scientists. Explicit training is required to allow the community to recognize such dilemmas, and to prevent and mitigate ethical issues as they arise.
It can be difficult to balance parental responsibilities with academic life, due to frequent travel, long working hours and fixed term contracts. Prolonged or regular fieldwork can be a particular challenge for geoscientists. Increased financial and institutional support is needed to alleviate the burden often felt by academic parents.
