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It is an aspiration to infer flow conditions from bedform morphology (e.g. riverbed ripples) where sedimentary structures preserve the geological past or in inaccessible environments (e.g. Mars). This study was motivated by the idea of better designing an AI (artificial intelligence) algorithm to do this by using lessons from non-AI (i.e. human) abilities, investigated using a geoscience communication activity. A survey and an artificial neural network are used in a successful proof of concept.

In this paper we suggest that introductory level geoscience students can learn more about the Earth and the processes that change it through well-designed interactive videos and 3-D images than they typically can learn from a field trip or live lecturer, textbook, and hand samples. This is particularly important at this time as many schools and universities are moving away from actual field experiences, and there is a common viewpoint that geology is not a real science.

Climate change is one of the major challenges of our society, and therefore we present a climate risk training for tertiary students and practitioners. The training uses a hands-on method and was tested with five independent groups in Brazil. We find that the application of a mapping exercise supports learning about climate risk, as well as the development of problem-solving skills. The proposed training enables the teaching of climate risk in stand-alone courses and professional development.

This paper presents an analysis of public responses to U.S. National Weather Service heat-related Facebook posts for the Phoenix (Arizona) County Warning Area to identify community norms that may present challenges to the effectiveness of heat risk communication. Findings suggest that local audiences tend to view heat as normal and the ability to withstand heat as a marker of community identity. Recommendations are provided for harnessing those norms to promote positive behavioral change.

In this article, we present authorship guidelines which also include a novel authorship form along with the documentation of the formulation process for a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary center with more than 250 researchers. Our practical approach promotes fair authorship practices and, by focusing on clear, transparent, and timely communication, helps avoid late-stage authorship conflict.

In this editorial we expand upon the brief advice in the first editorial of Geoscience Communication (Illingworth et al., 2018), illustrating what constitutes robust and publishable work for this journal and elucidating its key elements. Our aim is to help geoscience communicators plan a route to publication and to illustrate how good engagement work that is already being done might be developed into publishable research.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, we designed a virtual geology field camp based in the video game Minecraft. Students learned how to map geological features on the surface and in the subsurface using this fun and engaging platform. Students' perceptions of the course were positive, and they showed improvement in basic geologic skills between pre-assessment and post-assessment surveys. Students discussed career pathways and skills and fostered interpersonal relationships.