Recruitment of the next generation of students to geoscience programs at the university level is important not to sustain departments, but also in filling the job short fall. Summer bridge programs targeted at science inclined students are one way in which to recruit students. Though these programs are impactful, they are not without challenges. Here we report on successes and lessons learned from our summer program conducted from 2021–2023.

This study examines how 15 Asian universities connect English-related curricula with Earth science and sustainability, including space concerns. Through comparative analysis of course and programme documents, it finds that explicit communication training is limited. Most provision uses English mainly for disciplinary learning or curricular visibility, while space sustainability remains marginal. The findings highlight the need for more explicit, audience-aware science communication in curricula.

Geoscientists construct and use models to represent a target system in certain respects, but it is often unclear by what virtues such models represent and allow us to draw inferences about the target phenomena. Using accounts of model representation from philosophy of science, different ways of representation, and the role of the modellers, are elucidated, culminating in recommendations for communication in science and in society.

Geoscience research exploring how study subjects are influenced by how much water is available on the earth’s surface often uses the word ‘aridity’. This work reviews the history of aridity and how geoscientist define it, including the two most common and opposite definitions. We advise researchers to use the more intuitive meaning of aridity, where a high aridity is used to describe a dry place, in order to clearly communicate research findings.

Schools need practical ways to teach how to act in response to natural hazards. We created Heroes of Disaster, a semi-cooperative board game, and tested it with future primary teachers. After playing, students made safer choices about protective actions and preparedness, and rated the experience positively. The game can help teachers move from abstract lessons about hazards to active, community-focused learning.

Subsurface activities, such as geothermal energy, require reliable information to be managed safely. We surveyed 135 professionals across the Dutch subsurface sector to understand how they find, share, and trust information. We found that information is scattered across too many sources, that civil society is largely cut off from information flows, and that professionals value openness about uncertainty but struggle to practice it. These findings can help design better knowledge sharing.

Scientists often keep a map's default projection without question, even though every projection changes how sizes, shapes, and distances appear. Scale bars and direction arrows are only accurate under certain projections, so a poor choice can make them misleading. Motivated by how often this goes unnoticed in published research, this paper argues that projections should be chosen deliberately and stated in each figure, so readers can trust what a map is showing.

The internationally agreed 30 x 30 objective implies protecting 30 % of ocean and terrestrial ecosystem spaces by 2030 to halt the ongoing 6th species mass extinction. Marine protected areas (MPAs) must play an important part, but often remain paper parks. The role-play Protecting Blue Horizons provides fun learning for respectful dialogue by focussing on co-creation of solutions. The objective is to make an MPA work and enable ocean ecosystem regeneration in a socially just mode.

Physical oceanographers build knowledge from measurements, theory, and models, yet how this knowledge forms and is judged is rarely explicit. This paper offers a simple framework for classifying scientific claims by what they aim to show and how they are supported. Applied to real studies, including how ocean waves are represented, it reveals hidden assumptions. The result is a practical checklist researchers can use to state evidence and limits, helping scientists trust each other's work.

This study explores whether academic careers in the geosciences are attractive to women. Drawing on focus groups with female academics in Ireland and Germany, it finds that job insecurity, expectations of mobility, caregiving responsibilities, and persistent gender bias reduce the appeal of academic careers. The findings suggest that improving gender equality requires addressing structural barriers to create more sustainable and attractive models of academic success.

This study presents an educational computer tool that helps students and instructors compare different methods for estimating the stability of rock pillars in underground mining. The tool allows users to change the input values, visualize the results, and understand how the design choices affect safety and material recovery. The case study shows that the tool can make complex calculations easier to interpret and can support learning in mining and rock mechanics courses.

We flooded a video game and the results matched the science. Using GIS software and UN climate projections, we simulated sea level rise in Los Santos, the fictional city in Grand Theft Auto V, and found that it floods in exactly the same places as Los Angeles. The paper demonstrates that the topographic realism of modern open-world video games can be scientifically validated and used to communicate climate change to audiences that conventional scientific visualisation struggles to reach.

Earth Observation and geospatial data are everywhere, but access alone does not teach students to judge data as evidence. Viewing curricula as geoscience communication, we analyzed public materials from 20 Asia-Pacific general education courses. We found four patterns in how courses turn data into spatial evidence. Most stop at map interpretation and projects, with few clear expectations for data quality and uncertainty. Evidentiary alignment is key to supporting spatial evidence literacy.

Climate researchers are key in communicating the climate crisis, but most studies focus on university scientists. Little is known about those working in government organisations. We interviewed 14 Dutch climate scientists at government-funded institutes about opportunities and barriers to advocacy and activism, including concerns about civil servant roles, independence, institutional identity, and unclear rules.

Climate science uses terms like “tipping points” that shape how people understand climate risks, but these words are not always interpreted as intended. Through focus groups, this study shows that people rely on everyday meanings and personal experience, which can lead to misunderstandings and varied emotional responses. It highlights the how clearer language can be used and introduces a practical glossary to support better communication.

Many science students understand climate change but have few chances to practice explaining it to the public. In this study, students turned climate research papers into illustrated children’s books. Surveys and reflections from two groups showed that students gained confidence in using visuals and storytelling to explain science. The assignment helped students practice making complex ideas accurate, clear, and meaningful for young readers, offering a model that can be adapted in other courses.

GeoArte is a geoscience outreach initiative that uses geological specimens, art, and workshops during a cultural festival in Loja, Ecuador. Surveys showed participants improved their understanding of geological concepts and valued the importance of protecting geological heritage, highlighting cultural events as effective spaces for geoscience communication.