EGU General Assembly 2024  

Communication with the public is a necessary part of geoscience outreach and museums are an established medium for this. However, in many places, including South Africa, even the physical structures of museums are colonial which can create an atmosphere of exclusion, rather than one of learning, discovery and inspiration. South Africa has a rich record of the history of life, from deep time to our own human origins and the public are fascinated with these stories. We need to acknowledge that, like most scientific disciplines, human evolution (or palaeoanthropology) itself has a colonial history. As a result, narratives of human origins are often racist and patriarchal, and demographic representation remains skewed to the Global North. The combination of this colonial legacy with our colonial museums means that human evolution narratives in this space tend to othering, which can alienate young people and impede both knowledge transfer and uptake of this field by young scholars. Here we present a case study of a new permanent human evolution museum exhibit, titled HUMANITY, at the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town, South Africa. Our goal in producing this exhibit was to decolonize the narrative of human evolution and decenter Whiteness, specifically the Great White Explorer narrative of discovery, which is central to most museum displays on this theme. This exhibit was co-created, with active community engagement, and input from researchers, curators, artists, community leaders, educators, school teachers, university students and more. The exhibit does not fit traditional Western museum aesthetics of white walls, square information boards and objects on plinths. We flipped the order in which such exhibits are normally presented, i.e., starting in the deep past and working towards the present day. Our flipped approach has the advantage of starting with the visitor themselves and drawing people in, focusing on the biological and cultural diversity of people in South Africa today as a means for exploring how that diversity came to be. Throughout the exhibit, we weave a story of complex human interconnectedness, a narrative that is consistent with our current understanding of the braided stream analogy for human origins. The exhibit also addresses the negative legacies of palaeoanthropological practice and encourages critical reflection on race, skin color variation, and privilege. The biggest departure from previous exhibits comes from our intention to examine our own practice and to co-create an exhibit which speaks to a much broader audience. We believe this intentionality played a significant role in the success of the final installation and reaction from the public. We believe that being deliberate about moving away from colonial and Western norms is vital in the communication of science, in this case palaeosciences, to the public and scholars within the educational system. Our new HUMANITY exhibit could be a model for considering similar museum displays, especially those dealing with aspects of geosciences, palaeonthology and human origins, many of which have the same problems.

How to cite: Pickering, R., Black, W., Campbell, T., Mazibuko, N., Sephton, A., and Ackermann, R.: Decolonizing geoscience communication: a case study of a new human evolution exhibition at the Iziko South African Museum, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-346, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-346, 2024.

Science communication associated with natural hazards risk contains many levels of complex, interacting, uncertainties. These uncertainties arise due to variabilities between systems, lack of scientific knowledge, comprehension, incomplete information, and undifferentiated alternatives. Uncertainties also occur due to relationships, roles, responsibilities, and needs.   This is compounded by the evolving nature of response needs and changing communication networks. Further, varied understanding of what scientific uncertainty is, and where it comes from, affects people’s trust in and use of science advice. Thus, official guidelines, such as the International Panel on Climate Change and the World Meteorological Organisation, indicate that to communicate ethically, we should be open and transparent about any associated uncertainties. However, to communicate uncertainty effectively across diverse audiences, users, and decision-makers, we must understand and adapt to the different ways people perceive that uncertainty.

We thus conducted mental model interviews to understand perspectives of uncertainty associated with natural hazards science. Participants ranged from officials involved in decisions around natural hazards in Aotearoa NZ, through to scientists and the public. The interviews included three phases: an initial elicitation of free thoughts about uncertainty, a mental model mapping activity, and a semi-structured interview protocol to explore further questions about scientific processes and their personal philosophy of science. Two phases of data collection and analysis occurred. In phase 1, an initial qualitative analysis considering a cohort of 25 participants led to the construction of key themes, including: (a) understanding that, in addition to data sources, the ‘actors’ involved can also be sources of uncertainty; (b) acknowledging that factors such as governance and funding decisions partly determine uncertainty; (c) the influence of assumptions about expected human behaviours contributing to ‘known unknowns’; and (d) the difficulty of defining what uncertainty actually is.  Additional influences on perceived uncertainty were also recognised, and require further research, including: an individual’s understanding of societal factors; the role of emotions; using outcomes as a scaffold for interpretation; and the complex and noisy communications landscape.

To investigate how views on uncertainty varied with familiarity with, and experience in, science an additional 6 interviews were conducted with non-scientists. This enabled a secondary qualitative investigation in Phase 2, exploring how mental models of uncertainty varied with levels of science expertise. This considered all participants across both data collection periods (n=31). Participants were categorised across three cohorts: Scientists, Science-Literate, and Lay Public. A comparative qualitative analysis of their mental model maps identified an increase in map organisation with science experience, suggesting greater science training results in a more developed and structured mental model of uncertainty. There were also substantive differences, with Lay Public participants focused more on perceptions of control, safety, and trust, while Scientists focused more on formal models of risk and likelihood. These findings are presented to enhance hazard and risk communication, alongside the design of our interview methodology, which could be adapted for participatory and co-development research and to identify decision-relevant communication approaches.

How to cite: Hudson-Doyle, E., Thompson, J., Hill, S., Williams, M., Paton, D., Harrison, S., Bostrom, A., and Becker, J.: Using mental models as a tool to understand perspectives of scientific uncertainty and effectively communicate natural hazards science advice., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1438, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1438, 2024.

South Africa has an exceptionally rich geological heritage, including tourist attractions such as Table Mountain and the Cradle of Humankind, as well as important economic deposits, such as gold, diamonds, coal, and Platinum-Group-metals. South Africa also has a rich cultural and linguistic heritage. Our people are known for their resilience, born from our uncomfortable and ugly past – apartheid. Although apartheid came to an end in 1994, its impact remains visible today, with widespread poverty, inequality, poor education, violence and corruption. English, despite only being a first language for 8% of the population, dominates scientific discourse in South Africa. This is partly a result of apartheid, whose aim was to exclude the majority of non-white South Africans from the scientific community. Given the poor education system, many South Africans, despite holding a grade 12 qualification, still struggle with the language, particularly at varsity level. IsiXhosa is the mother tongue of over 8 million people, and is mutually intelligible with Zulu, Northern Ndebele and Southern Ndebele, meaning it is potentially accessible to 23 million people. Classroom studies have demonstrated that people engage more and understand better when the conversation is in their native tongue^1-3

Despite the fact that South Africa is an exporter of many geological resources, and the intertwined history of mining with the black community, geology remains inaccessible to most people. South Africans, and Africans in general, are big storytellers - stories about the constellations, the moon, and the universe as a whole. This project, Reclaiming the rocks: ukuthetha ngezifundo zomhlaba ngesiXhosa, is an open invitation to invite all South Africans to share in their rich geological history through storytelling. It is a statement that science, like music, knows no language. We have summarized the most compelling stories about South Africa’s geological history, translated them into isiXhosa, and host them on an open access website (chosindabazomhlaba.com), and on YouTube. Recently, we started a school drive, reading these stories to school children. This project has had an impact on the lives of many people, whether they spoke isiXhosa or not, geologists or not. Next, we plan to write a children’s book and expand the school drive. Our ultimate goal is to develop a Geological encyclopedia written in isiXhosa and the other South African languages.

How to cite: Hashibi, S. and Tostevin, R.: Reclaiming the rocks: ukuthetha ngezifundo zomhlaba ngesiXhosa, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-2760, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2760, 2024.

This presentation shares experiences of delivering educational and outreach content via YouTube. It examines the reach of videos, their longevity and the utility of the platform for sharing materials – based on a personal case-study of a relatively popular and content-rich YouTube channel.

In common with many university teachers, during the Covid pandemic I developed online educational resources, including a suite of videos. These not only covered content previously delivered through in-person lectures but also enacted worked demonstrations of practical exercises. The content supported teaching in the interpretation of geological maps, field techniques, structural geology/tectonics and the geological interpretation of seismic reflection profiles. Initially these videos were hosted through the university’s Panopto account but in April 2021 I decided to collate these and publish through YouTube. Even though teaching has returned to pre-pandemic norms, I still use the videos, largely to permit flipped learning activities and for providing debriefs on practical classes. I continue to populate the channel (a new video every c 2 weeks) – chiefly making short documentaries “on location” to share geo-sites, geological techniques and concepts (including the history and primary publications behind them), and practical exercise demonstrations. While students and professional geoscientists seeking educational materials remain key audiences, the videos also target “engaged amateurs” – especially those interested in discovering field locations. Moderated discussion and clarifications are delivered through the “comments” facility on YouTube. There is a parallel website (hosted on WordPress) that holds many of the practical exercises, creating an open-access resource for geological training.

But how effective is the channel at sharing geology with diverse audiences?

YouTube provides statistics on viewer demographics and view-times. As of January 2024, the Shear Zone Channel hosts 228 videos, with c 380k views and has attracted 5.78k subscribers. Unsurprisingly most users are based in the UK, with few based elsewhere in Europe. Significant user-communities live in North America, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Through weeks there is a drop-off of views on Fridays. Annual viewing peaks occur in early-mid December, with a rapid drop-off through the festive season that follows, as might be expected for a student-dominated viewing population. Life-time views of individual videos are remarkably variable: some show steady accumulation, others plateau after a few days of publication, a few grow exponentially. These differences reflect video content, and presumably therefore, the type of viewer. The algorithms used by YouTube to expose content to site users, and the ways users search for content, preferentially display recent video along with popular content (watched, liked, commented upon) along with that from channels to which the user has subscribed. Interrogation of activity statistics shows few users explore hosting channels or their playlists. Many find channel content through YouTube (algorithm-based) recommendations.

Content exposure on YouTube, in common with many digital resources, is prone not only to recency bias but also herding, whereby viewing populations repeatedly access the same content. Content creators can modulate this by pairing with other social media platforms or soliciting peer-recommendations.

The channel is available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUYjr1yPCZQWYl9cJCO1mA

How to cite: Butler, R.: Sharing outreach and educational materials through YouTube: a case study from the Shear Zone Channel, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3201, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3201, 2024.

What started as an idea to incorporate geoeducation in community art practices evolved into youth-led educational workshops that integrated scientific and local knowledge to understand the physical, social, and cultural aspects of a landscape. The Nomad Projects are community art initiatives in the Philippines that explore the relationship of communities with their landscape through artistic practices and dialogue.

In 2023, The Nomad Projects launched the OpenEdu workshops which invites young professionals (artists, musicians, scientists, etc.) to share their expertise and knowledge relevant to the areas where partner communities reside. These workshops aimed to bring information about the landscape that may not be easily accessible to these communities that reside in them. However, due to the grassroots and participatory nature of these projects, the workshops evolved into a “pot-luck” style knowledge sharing where all participants share knowledge through dialogue. Young professionals with diverse backgrounds, from the humanities to the sciences, shared their expertise and also introduced scientific instruments while residents shared their experiences and their own understanding of their landscape. These workshops became a unique ‘format’ of geoeducation that integrates scientific theories and local knowledge for a holistic understanding of the landscape. These workshops also served as avenues to discuss landscape-related social issues such as landscape modification (i.e. dam-building, reclamation), sea level rise, and geohazards. These discussions strengthened calls for social justice, especially for these vulnerable communities that bear the brunt of irresponsible anthropogenic landscape modifications and climate change. Here we share best practices and reflections of two OpenEdu workshops : “Landscape as Classrooms” and “Wetlands as Classrooms”. 

Landscape as Classrooms was a small group-conversation facilitated by a geoscientist attended by young professionals like artists, academics and members of the Dumagat Remontado indigenous group. It was held outdoors with the participants sitting in a circle on a gravel bar at the Tinipak River. This allowed the discussion on river processes and river morphology where participants can see the actual landforms being discussed around them. This is one of the first ‘formal’ introductions of the geodiversity concept outside the Philippine academe. Geoheritage value of the area was recognized from the rare occurrence of a bedrock channel as well as the importance of the river’s geosystem services to the indigenous population that reside there. 

“Wetlands as Classrooms” included a bigger audience of community members of Sitio Apugan, a hamlet in the Pampanga delta at the coast of Manila Bay. This hamlet has experienced landscape changes through sea-level rise that are documented in the residents’ memories of their area. Presently, this hamlet is perpetually flooded and is one of the “sinking” villages in the Philippine coasts. The workshop was also facilitated by geoscientists and included discussions on delta morphologies, watersheds, groundwater, subsidence, and sea-level rise.

We present our experiences and reflections of organising, facilitating, and participating in these workshops to show examples of youth-led initiatives outside the traditional “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches to geoeducation, where knowledge is shared by and for the participants through meaningful exchanges. 

How to cite: Irapta, P. N. and Valencia, V.: Filipino youth-led place-based geoducation through knowledge sharing between young professionals and residents : the Nomad Projects OpenEdu workshops, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3519, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3519, 2024.

The term "Science Communication" describes the scientific field of theoretical knowledge and practical skills that focuses on issues of two-way communication between the "scientific laboratory" and society, but also on communication between scientists coming from different fields of expertise. Its integration into school environments and educational institutions is an absolutely innovative action in the educational landscape. In addition, it can be safely considered as an expression of leadership of the persons and agencies involved since the role of the people who are called upon to apply the principle of leadership consists mainly in the management and coordination of systems and groups both on a synchronous and a longitudinal level: Leaders should contribute catalytically in the areas of motivating, supporting and developing colleagues, cultivating solidarity, encouraging innovative actions, establishing and defending the appropriate work culture and, ultimately, shaping strategy and vision. In short, leaders are actually charged with the task of achieving the goals set at the collective level by exerting a positive influence on the behavior of his associates, an effect that can greatly activate the feelings of passion, excitement and assimilation that characterize the scientific phenomenon. A typical case of all the above mentioned is the project Connect (https://www.connect-science.net/), a three-year project (2020-2023) in which the Regional Directorate of Education of Crete participated, included in the European Program "Horizon 2020" in framework of the "Science with and for Society" (SwafS) module. It was aimed at schools and offered a model that strengthens children's confidence in their engagement with science as a method of solving everyday problems and at the same time brings them into contact with scientists by involving parents and the local community. In other words, Connect tried to foster the belief that “science is for me”. Its evaluation has shown that the successful exercise of leadership, both at the level of the project coordinators and at the level of the principals of the participating schools, has been the critical factor for the success of the project and the achievement of the goal, i.e. Communication of Science with society.

How to cite: Kartsonakis, E. and Kokkori, A.: The role of leadership in education as a decisive factor for the Communication of Sciences: The case of the European project Connect  (Horizon2020), EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6320, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6320, 2024.

In this paper, I focus on my personal experiences as an academic, educator, and researcher serving as an expert witness in environmental litigation. I discuss the relevance of my work in these roles within the context of two legal cases: the first, centered on soil erosion and sedimentation in small reservoirs, and the second, involving property damage from catastrophic flooding during two tropical storms.  

My objective is to demonstrate the extent and impact of the geosciences overall, and the field of geomorphology specifically, in contributing to legal proceedings related to environmental disputes. Throughout the years, I have collaborated with exceptional lawyers, each of whom has been invaluable in preparing me for cases, particularly in simplifying complex concepts and conveying them effectively. The ability to articulate the scientific process and principles to non-specialist audiences, such as lawyers, judges, and juries, in a lucid and comprehensible manner, is crucial to ensuring that the expert's testimony is relatable and compelling.

How to cite: Slattery, M.: Science communication and the law: Lessons learned from being an expert witness, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6322, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6322, 2024.

#ClimateResearchNet

Climate Science is an active field of research whose findings are constantly feeding our knowledge about the changing climate, future scenarios and possible solutions. The climate-research community plays a key role in informing policy- and decision-makers, business and society. Hence, climate researchers are frequently urged to engage in climate change dialogues, as they are crucial stakeholders.

There is often a long gap before published research results reach the policy universe and an even longer time before they reach the rest of society. This network aims to give climate research communication a push so that its results are shared faster, more efficiently and more broadly.

A group of EU and nationally-funded climate research projects identified the need to collaborate and build a community of climate communicators to increase the impact of our research. Currently, there are over 20 projects represented in our network.

Objectives of the Network

• Increasing the impact of each member’s communication by:
•        Reaching a broader and more diverse audience,
•        Having a pool of valuable content to share regularly - to keep our social networks active.
• Creating a community of practice to build common knowledge on best practices and to make climate-research communication more impactful.
• Establish a strong presence of the climate research community in communication networks and on social media. 

Whilst the network is still in its infancy, there have been some initial achievements, including:

•  A science-to-policy meeting with EU officials in Brussels, which involved research from 5 EU projects,
• Submission of a Great Debate session at EGU2024 – “Unleashing your potential as an Early-Career researcher: bridging the research-policy divide”,
• Network meetings where we have shared our experiences, provided project introductions, and mapped out stakeholder engagement, communications and early career researcher activities across the projects and identified some topics of common interest eg. participation in COPs.

We would love to engage with other projects, hearing about their experiences in managing communication of their project results, types of activities that have been impactful and how communication roles in projects can be better networked to provide a community of practice.

Authors: Hazel Jeffery, Mariana Rocha, Helena Martins, Sara Octenjak, Rosa Rodriguez Gasen

How to cite: Jeffery, H. and Martins, H.: #ClimateResearchNet - a collaboration of climate communicators, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6332, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6332, 2024.

The war in Ukraine has harmed all areas of public life. Educational institutions have had to adapt to restrictions and threats to ensure the safety and accessibility of education in challenging conditions, working to restore children's inalienable right to access knowledge. The Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (JASU) is the largest Ukrainian out-of-school organisation, with over 200,000 students annually, which supports the development of science education in regions. It is also a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO and the first organisation in Ukraine to join the Copernicus Academy network. 

The All-Ukrainian Competition "Ecoview" has been organised annually since 2019 by the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory of the JASU. The Competition aims to promote science education and improve students' climate literacy and environmental awareness. Using remote sensing data is the main requirement for participation.

Between 2021 and 2023, over 1000 students of all ages from different regions of Ukraine registered to take part in the Competition. Participants commonly chose topics related to climate change, air pollution, deforestation, land cover change, and urbanisation. Since 2022, there has been an increase in the number of projects dedicated to studying the war effects on the environment in Ukraine. The study focused on various aspects including the destruction of settlement infrastructure, the impact of hostilities on nature reserves, and the pollution of the Black Sea caused by the sunken cruiser „Moskva”. The participants most commonly used open satellite monitoring data as sources of information for their research, processing them using NASA Giovanni, EO Browser, Google Earth, QGIS, etc.

Results of the entrance survey, conducted during registration, show a notable boost in participants' awareness of remote sensing, enhanced critical thinking, and improved ability to work with primary sources. Thus, when asked about their experience with satellite imagery, 9.5% of the total number of respondents answered in the affirmative in 2021, 19.7% in 2022 and 22.5% in 2023. Furthermore, the survey results show that an increasing number of participants are consistently fact-checking information published in the media or on the Internet (72.6% in 2021, 74.8% in 2022 and 85% in 2023). Knowledge of satellite imagery sources and analysis methods enables students to independently verify expert opinions and media-provided information, which contributes to the development of media literacy.

The results of the annual competition are inevitably covered in the media and on social networks. To assist potential participants in selecting their own project topic and research tools, a specialised video course titled „Ecoview: Satellite Data in Nature Research” has been developed. This course is available for public access on the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory`s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbqB1gQogHvsyFDiOO0y6EVAVdjQnveDI).

Based on the experience and results of the Competition "Ecoview" in Ukraine, it will be organised internationally in 2024. The event is aimed to establish relationships between participants from different countries and to create an international community of like-minded people interested in using remote sensing for environmental research and protection.

How to cite: Babiichuk, S., Dovgyi, S., and Davybida, L.: Remote sensing as a tool for science education and engagement: the case of the All-Ukrainian competition "Ecoview", EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6381, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6381, 2024.

 "Quake Shake" transcends its catchy name; it is a captivating and educational earthquake outreach initiative tailored specifically for the Irish community. The programme is run by DIAS and co-financed by Geological Survey Ireland. Building on the success of the Seismology in Schools programme (SiS), Quake Shake aims to facilitate the operation of affordable seismometers called Raspberry Shakes in schools, homes, and public institutions. The overarching objective is to foster the development of an integrated community of citizen seismologists throughout Ireland. This poster provides a glimpse into the programmes development: to educate people from all walks of life in Ireland when it comes to earthquake awareness about both Irish and Global earthquakes.  It illustrates how Quake Shake is actively currently building a community of citizen seismologists across Ireland.

How to cite: Reilly, L.: "Quake Shake" - A New Citizen Earthquake Outreach Programme In Ireland., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-7951, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-7951, 2024.

During the COP21 which took place in Paris, many climate researchers enhanced their interactions with different population sectors, to explain future and past climate changes.

Our group organized a seminar in one of the most prestigious journalist school (ESJ in Lille). Researchers on modelling and documenting past and future climate changes, as well as researchers from human and social sciences, provided a series of seminars. After the session devoted to questions from the audience, journalists and professors of the ESJ came down from the amphitheater. They emphasized the idea that our responsibility as researchers was also to teach journalists the different aspects / impacts of climate change. Their main point was to argue that it was in fact pivotal to get a better understanding of climate issues from the population.

This event was the onset of a big project that officially begun in 2016. We took some time to finally build an original training course. The novelty of this formation is based on 3 major ideas:

• Co-construction of the formation by experts and journalists. For each issue of this training (past and future climate changes, biodiversity, justice, social impacts, economy, energy…), the courses were delivered by two teachers; one scientific expert and one journalist.
• The structuration in different themes. Indeed, in most media, there is only one journalist that is responsible for climate and environment. Now that climate changes have modified many aspects of life in general, it is necessary to take them into account.
• The accessibility. We decided to train through online-only courses at the level of a Master’s degree. For this first step, we used the large network of ESJ Lille and a collaboration with French-speaking countries to deliver all the lessons in French. This strategy allows students and journalists from more than 20 countries to gain access to this training. For instance, we have students from Haiti, Cameroon, Senegal, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, Cambodia, Belgium…

The present evolution of this training is as followed:

• Thematic evolution. We are now building new teaching modules that are not based on large issues, but rather on regions which allow us to tackle all the associated impacts. The first one has been finished last year on the Mediterranean basin; and a new one will be developed on the polar region.
• Audience evolution. At the beginning, we only had 15 students, most of them being master degree’s students. Now, we have more than 55 students (and more than 150 applications per year), mostly journalists and continuing-education profiles.

The next step, and the main reason for this talk, is to push for similar trainings in different countries. We already have a relationship with South Korea, and would like to provide an English version of our training to share our experience with other scientists and journalists from different countries.

How to cite: Ramstein, G., Lansard, B., and Aballain, O.: Climate and Media: an efficient and original training for journalists, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9101, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9101, 2024.

Educational research shows participation issues across Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are largely due to whether students see these areas and their potential career opportunities as relevant and accessible to “people like me”. These perceptions form early and remain relatively stable with age, which has led to recommendations for increased provision and quality of careers education/engagement at both primary and secondary levels. Of STEM-related fields, the space sector is one of the most diverse and rapidly growing industries worldwide and of strategic priority to many countries. This highlights the need for space careers education in particular. We introduce a new space careers resource “I’m a Space Person”, which leverages personal attributes to help children identify with different space careers. Information about each of the 36 varied roles featured is distilled down onto a simple postcard format, with an accompanying website to enable further exploration. Resources for parents/carers and teachers are also provided to assist them in supporting children’s careers education. We present the development process of this resource and its usage thus far by the UK Space Agency in a nationwide roadshow. Finally, we discuss how the existing resources could be used and adapted for different countries and contexts.

How to cite: Archer, M., Waters, C., Foster, S., Portas, A., and Davenport, C.: Supporting Children’s Space Careers Education: “I’m a Space Person” , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9402, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9402, 2024.

The disciplines of geology and physical geography often rely on experiential learning and real-world observations, like those offered on field trips, to share knowledge and engage students. During the shift to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, those in higher education had to quickly embrace innovative technologies (e.g., handheld LiDAR scanners, 3D scanner apps, affordable drones, and 360-cameras) and online applications such as ArcGIS StoryMaps to simulate these field investigations. 

Here, we are applying what we learned in higher education teaching to share knowledge and engage the general public with the geology and geomorphology of their region. Furthermore, we are employing a user-created content approach, whereby university students create educational content aimed at other students and the general public, to enhance their learning and professional development. 

Since 2020, undergraduate and graduate university students have collected photos, synthesized literature, and created digital content of outdoor spaces that can be explored freely online. This content includes digital tours of urban and natural spaces highlighting local points of interest, with a focus on geology and geomorphology (e.g., tour of the University Campus, regional geology of Southern Ontario), presented with ArcGIS StoryMaps.

Our goal is to equip all users with fundamental scientific knowledge, along with real-world observations and examples, so that they can recognize natural landforms and processes (like weathering and erosion) while deepening their understanding of the role and impact of human activities (e.g., erosion control) on the environment. To engage users and have them reflect on their learning, we will be incorporating interactive components such as knowledge check questions and citizen science contributions (e.g., photo submissions, and observational surveys) in the StoryMaps. 

To monitor professional development and learning progress of our student creators, we will include goal-setting and self-evaluation components throughout the project. Student creators will also be asked to evaluate whether participating in these projects enhanced their connection with their environment, provided opportunities to apply knowledge from their classes, and helped develop a sense of accomplishment given the finished products, their ability to share knowledge with others, and their ability to learn new skills and technologies.

Beyond regional geology and University campus tours, we are now expanding the network of sites into popular recreational spaces like parks and walking trails alongside interesting natural and designed landscapes, like urban rivers. These projects consider regional geology alongside surface processes, natural hazards, and environmental change, as well as the connections between historical and cultural context with the landscape.

How to cite: Daxberger, H., Peirce, S., Maloney, K., Hamid, A., Esquivel Spindola, M., Sharrock, T., Marun, M. R., Liu, L., Johnston, J., Kennedy, K., Ruscica, P., Schwarz, D., and Russell, H.: Engaging with Local Spaces: Student-created digital field tours to facilitate community learning, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9830, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9830, 2024.

In the contemporary era dominated by media, communication channels significantly shape citizens’ perception and preparedness for environmental emergencies. Specifically, media narratives about floods contribute significantly to citizens’ comprehension of river conditions, warning systems, and appropriate behaviors for safety. However, if these narratives oversimplify events there is a risk of limiting citizens’ learning, potentially leading to distorted perceptions. Similarly, media descriptions that focus on assigning blame, spotlighting the negligent behavior of infrastructure managers, scientists, politicians, and others, may lead citizens to perceive the event solely because of individual mistakes or violations. This perspective has the potential to foster a sense of citizen disengagement during emergencies, instead of emphasizing the pivotal role that each individual plays in ensuring safety during floods. Moreover, when institutions errors occur, such as inaccurate predictions, public opinion may deem these institutions unreliable, nurturing mistrust. Distrust in institutions negatively affects the communication of risk to the population, risking the cultivation of a heightened sense of autonomy among citizens, which could potentially translate into risky behaviour.

In the aftermath of floods, individuals form explanations and beliefs that influence their behavior. Therefore, media narratives should consider multiple factors for a comprehensive understanding.

This research aims to investigate whether media descriptions of a flood event in the Marche Region, in Italy, on September 15-16, 2022, exhibit tendencies towards oversimplification of causal factors, individual culpability, signs of institutional distrust, or whether the narratives account for the complexity of the phenomenon through a systemic approach. The event was caused by a severe storm, resulting in injuries and fatalities eight years after a previous flood.

This research was conducted in three distinct phases. The initial phase involved the creation of a dataset through an extensive review of narratives provided by the Civil Protection Unit of Marche Region in articles published in both local and national newspapers. In the second phase, various themes were outlined based on the literature covering blame approach, systemic approach, and institutional distrust in the context of natural disasters. A framework organized into four categories was established: 1) simplistic descriptions of causes, 2) inclination to attribute blame to institutions, groups, individuals, 3) indicators of institutional distrust, and 4) systemic and multifactorial perspectives. In the third phase, independent judges were tasked with evaluating the presence of these categories of the framework within the media review. Inter-judge agreement was then calculated to validate the framework, ensuring a thorough analysis of the media narratives surrounding the flood event. We discuss the potential usefulness of the framework for the assessment of media narratives accuracy and as a guide for future accounts of complex natural disasters, for the sake of fostering in citizens a proper representation of the events, an accurate risk perception and, eventually, setting the ground for community resilience.

How to cite: Ivaldi, M., Bracco, F., Mantini, M., and Ferraris, L.: Creating safety through media narratives: A framework for investigating potential biases in describing adverse complex phenomena., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-10242, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-10242, 2024.

Scientists of all fields share a duty to communicate their findings to the public. This is especially true in a time where false claims spread like wildfire and the correct information has a hard time receiving the necessary attention. Therefore, a multitude of different science communication approaches has been developed, including the so-called "Up-Goer Five Challenge". In recent years, this particular approach, sparked by an XKCD comic blueprint of the Saturn V Rocket, has become very popular among many science communicators and has even made its way to several scientific conferences.

The aim of this challenge is to encourage scientists to describe their research or other complex scientific topics in very simple terms, by only using the thousand most commonly used words. Apart from encouraging scientists to rethink jargon-loaded presentation styles, this approach has the advantage of potentially reaching a very broad audience by making science more accessible and at the same time inspire researchers to improve their communication skills and even see their own work from a different angle. However, this communication method will, of course, also come with certain downsides, as for example, depending on the audience, a very rigid application of the rules of the game might end up being more of a hurdle than a beneficial way of presenting complex issues.

Here is an example describing an atmospheric phenomenon called "Convective Memory":

Each day, when we look up in the sky, we can see those white soft-looking flying things above our heads. Sometimes they are tiny. One piece here, and another further away. But on some days, they can get really big and dark. Even kind of angry-looking. And then we, very often, wonder "Why do you have to be above my head and not somewhere else?"

One of the reasons is that this flying sky water has a very good memory and obviously likes to stay where it is: "I very much enjoy it here. I don't care if those humans down there are annoyed with me."

This memory works a bit like the piece of paper that you take with you when you go shopping so you don’t forget what to buy. This way, you can’t easily forget what you wanted to buy and stick to the stuff you need. This will help you even if the store owner decides to move some or all of the shopping goods in the store to another place. Thanks to that store owner, it is possible that you end up with "new" stuff that was not planned but you will at least have your piece of paper (your memory) to get the stuff you really need (see Maxime Colin 2020). The white flying things in the sky are like people going shopping: with a good memory, they stick to what they are, and do not become "new" and bigger so easily.

In this talk, we present the "Up-Goer Five Challenge" as applied to Convective Memory, discuss some challenges faced in using it, and offer potential remedies.

How to cite: Aglas-Leitner, P., Colin, M., Muller, C. J., Hwong, Y.-L., and Sherwood, S.: "Up-Goer Five Challenge": A way to make science more accessible?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-10867, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-10867, 2024.

A commonly encountered hurdle to overcome in international project implementation - particularly between “Western” and developing countries - are communication standards as cultural and language barriers as well as country-specific political or hierarchical structures may differ considerably.

In this context, we present the Central Asia Mission of the Austrian NGO Hilfswerk International (HWI; www.hilfswerk.tj) and its role in general communication and decision-making at the interface between science, society, and governments. Drawing from the experience of two different project setups, we delineate its activities not only in outreach but also in feedback transfer.

First, we discuss the classic geoscientific PAMIR Project dedicated to a large-scale geohazard assessment in Central Asia. Besides the traditional expected scientific outcomes, one major aspect of the project was to improve the livelihoods of local communities. Here, Hilfswerk International gradually deepened communication links among relevant stakeholders and actively engaged in the design, implementation, and coordination of actions directly dedicated to mountain communities. Key outreach activities consisted of training and info-campaigns, involving specialized staff like social workers, publications in different languages, gathering feedback and evaluation of the perception of tasks, personal visits to residents and direct talks to local communities, adapted means of communication and science dissemination, school programs, emergency awareness building at different levels, respecting of typical hierarchies (e.g. the Kyrgyz Ayl Ykmyty or the Afghan Village Council), etc.

Second, we present the mechanism of operation of an agro-economic project series initially consisting of two different grant concepts: economic development of small farming in the framework of the EU Program “Central Asia Invest”, and food safety on academic levels within Erasmus+. Hilfswerk International individually designed communication strategies ultimately linking (initially non-complementary) project types and creating win-win situations through outreach. For example, experiences of local farming communities were incorporated into academic curricula, while agricultural standards elaborated on academic levels were brought back in adequate forms to respective units of produce, i.a., by tailored training for farmers, round-tables, or the creation of local working groups that nowadays sustain themselves.

From these – and other – projects, we conclude several essential points:

• Science often serves as a neutral base for argumentation and a ground for mutual agreement; however, it needs to be communicated in a way understandable for all involved parties respecting mentalities, traditions, cultural differences, levels of education, and the local context.
• Strategies of science communication are to be adapted for every project, requiring versatility and flexibility; here, NGOs as non-partial organizations might have a wider scope.
• Cooperation through a neutral science communicator has a positive effect on the working climate and, in the long term, makes communication channels self-sustaining.

At the example of Hilfswerk International, we point out the beneficial role of NGOs in general communication and outreach as successful international cooperation will become increasingly important in times of climate change, environmental pollution, water security, and resource consumption.

How to cite: Domej, G., Manolcheva, S., Aslanov, U., and Qodirov, S.: Hilfswerk International: An NGO in Central Asia as Science Communicator between the Society, Governments and the Private Business Sector, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11368, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11368, 2024.

In an area of widespread misinformation, it is crucial for scientists to reach out to the general public and explain their research topic to increase knowledge and, more importantly, to enhance curiosity and to stimulate people to pay more attention to their geophysical environment. The general aim of this research is testing an innovative approach to actively engage people on geosciences topics, in a funny and informal way, through short interactive food-related activities. As rainfall scientists, we carefully designed these activities to unveil part of the underlying complexity of this geophysical field. In particular, we focus on the  extreme variability of rainfall over wide ranges of scales in both space and time, of which people are usually unaware despite commonly experiencing rainfall. 

Each activity is designed with similar underlying concepts: 1) A single simple take home message on rainfall. 2) The studied feature is visible at first sight to strike people’s minds. 3) Real rainfall data is somehow mimicked with food. 4) The activity itself lasts a few minutes. 5) It is designed as a game to foster people's engagement. 

Various activities were designed with these specifications. An illustration is the rainfall drop size distribution variability which is highlighted through sweet or salty cookies (ex: macaron / “baci di dama”) representing drops variability in shape and in the actual size in their fall. Another illustration is the representation of rainfall monthly distribution and its variability, through the use of glasses with liquid (champagne, soda, water…) height corresponding to rainfall depth during a month. In each case, there is an incentive to engage in the game through the hope of getting the bigger cookie or most filled glass. Activities are implemented in informal settings (family, friends, lab meetings) during either snacks or dinner. In the former case, a single one is carried out while in the latter several ones -typically one per course- are. 

In order to evaluate if active engagement is indeed achieved, the following methodology is implemented. During the activity, a previously briefed outside observer fills a pre-defined grid to assess the level of engagement of people. After the activity, people are invited to let us know  about new ideas, observations, questions, and send us pictures on the topic of the activity. The latter step is much more qualitative. As a side product, how the “take home messages” are remembered by people is also partially assessed keeping the informal approach of the activity.  Implementation and interpretation of the activities in various contexts will be discussed in this presentation.

How to cite: Gires, A. and Dallan, E.: Actively engaging people on rainfall (or any geoscience topic) through short interactive food related activitie, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11442, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11442, 2024.

Many regions of Africa are exposed to a large variety of geo-hydrological hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, karst collapses and large urban gullies. Despite the soaring impacts on population, infrastructure and the environment associated with the occurrence of these hazard risks, most regions are under-studied. In addition to this lack of information, stakeholders, policy makers and the public at large remain relatively poorly aware of the hazard and risk problems, whether it is about their causes, their impact, and/or their mitigation. This overall lack of knowledge and awareness is associated with an aggravation of the impacts as the growing and vulnerable population of these regions, in search for new settlements and opportunities, is often moving towards areas that are more prone to natural hazards. This is in this context that UNESCO supports the preparation and dissemination of a guide booklet on geo-hydrological hazards for stakeholders, policy makers and the general public. The booklet targets ten African countries (Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe) that are covered by the UNESCO regional office of Yaoundé. The aim of this work is to raise collective awareness of the need to prevent natural hazard risks at local, regional and national levels in order to ensure the protection of populations and promote the sustainable development of territories. In this way, UNESCO aims to guide and advise the ten African countries by providing them with useful and practical information.

How to cite: Dewitte, O., Akame, J. M., Bandiougou, D., Adiyaman Lopes, Ö., Dille, A., Kervyn, F., Smets, B., Michellier, C., and François, C.: Raising awareness to geo-hydrological hazard risks in African countries: A guide booklet for stakeholders, policy markers and the public at large, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11655, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11655, 2024.

We share insights from the communication efforts surrounding the KNMI`23 climate scenarios for the Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (the BES islands). The scenarios were published by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) in October 2023. We focus on the approach used, lessons learned, and insights gained. We communicate our scenarios through various approaches, including a report aimed at the general public, active engagement with stakeholders, end-users, policy and decision makers, and local communities through presentations, workshops, and discussions. These interactions aim to increase awareness, understanding, and cooperation. We aim to provide valuable insights for policy and decision makers and scientists across disciplines. As a government institute, we are committed to conducting policy-relevant research that supports the development of climate plans tailored to each BES island. This presentation examines the challenges, successes and lessons learned from our communication initiatives.

How to cite: Keizer, I., Bloemendaal, N., Siegmund, P., and Haarsma, R.: Communicating the KNMI’23 Climate Scenarios for the Dutch Caribbean  , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11941, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11941, 2024.

Launched in 2021, the Geoscience for Leaving Certificate Geography Continuing Professional Development Course, run by iCRAG, the Science Foundation Ireland research centre in Applied Geosciences, and Geological Survey Ireland, a division of the Government of Ireland, has entered its third iteration. Addressing the absence of geoscience as a standalone subject in Irish schools, this course introduces post-primary teachers, and therefore their students, to geoscience through the non-compulsory subject of geography. 

In this course, teachers work in collaboration with geoscience researchers to produce an array of free, readily accessible geoscience resources via the iCRAG and Geological Survey Ireland websites. This addresses the shortage of specialised geoscience material available to Irish geography educators, thus ensuring that students have access to contemporary and accurate geoscience information. Furthermore, the involvement of teachers from a variety of educational contexts guarantees that the resulting lesson plans are versatile and suitable for a broad spectrum of educational settings.

In the 2023 iteration of the course, a diverse range of educational resources were developed, including field guides, a 6-week module and lesson plans. These materials integrated seven of the eight recognised active learning intelligences: Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Visual-spatial, Bodily-kinaesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Naturalistic. With the support of researchers, teachers were able to incorporate essential geoscience skills such as field work, data collection, mapping/GIS, critical thinking and other scientific skills into the curriculum. The lessons were differentiated to meet the varied needs of students, whilst ensuring there was a focus on the Leaving Certificate exam (the final exam of the Irish secondary school system and main gateway to third level). Teachers reported significant benefits from their interactions with geoscientists, appreciating the opportunity to consult with specialists for in-depth inquiries and clarifications. Likewise, it is hoped that students reap the rewards of this educational approach, deepening their understanding of geoscience.

Researchers, from iCRAG and Geological Survey Ireland, participating in the program also derived significant benefits, particularly in gaining an understanding of how to distil complex scientific topics for a varied student audience, something that teachers are expert at. The preparation phase for their presentations underscored the importance of balancing technical accuracy with the existing curriculum constraints, an important consideration given the occasional misalignment between current geoscience knowledge and the content of the Leaving Certificate geography syllabus. This exposure to curriculum limitations gives researchers an insight into the public’s perception of science. Additionally, teachers exposed the researchers to a range of student perspectives, such as the diverse reactions to geothermal energy. Also, the observation of differentiated teaching methods, which are not often found in the traditional university lecturing styles, provided invaluable insights into the diversity of educational approaches.

The CPD course exemplifies a successful model of collaboration between teachers and geoscientists, enhancing geoscience education while providing mutual benefits. It not only enriches the teaching methodology but also offers researchers a unique perspective on the dissemination of scientific knowledge, thereby bridging the gap between academic research and practical classroom application.

How to cite: Selby-Smith, R., Power, S., McAuliffe, F., Binner, H., and Sinclair, E.: Connecting worlds: Mutual benefits of teacher–researcher interaction., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11952, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11952, 2024.

When it comes to communicating climate change, both our understanding of what we don’t know and the uncertainties in the science are themselves core elements of our knowledge. That’s to say, what we know about uncertainty is part of what we know. Failing to communicate uncertainty and the limits of our understanding is failing to communicate the full picture of climate change.

In 2023, after many years of writing, my book, “Predicting Our Climate Future: What we know, what we don’t know, and what we can’t know”, came out. The book is targeted at a public audience and addresses the many exciting, deep, conceptual and practical challenges that we face in climate change science and climate change social science. It aims to show that there are fundamental questions here that are simply fascinating in themselves: intrinsically interesting irrespective of the social relevance of the research.

In doing this it has to shine a spotlight on the many things that we don’t know - particularly our limited ability to describe the climate of the future at local scales, and the consequences of climate change for the societies in which we live. Some might be concerned that doing this could undermine trust in climate science and work against our ability to tackle climate change. In practice the opposite is true. Acknowledging and presenting the limits of our knowledge upfront, increases the credibility of climate change information. It also provides a handle for people and diverse disciplines to actively engage with climate science and to bring their values and attitudes to risk into the debate.

Of course it is also important to be clear about what we do know: what really isn’t open to debate and why. Here I will discuss how I approach this balancing act between communicating the exciting aspects of what we don’t know while being clear about what we do. I will also discuss my experience of presenting these issues to public, academic and business audiences.

Further materials:

Stainforth, D., “Predicting Our Climate Future: What we know, what we don’t know and what we can’t know”, Oxford University Press, 2023.
(https://global.oup.com/academic/product/predicting-our-climate-future-9780198812937)

Stainforth, D.A. The big idea: can we predict the climate of the future?, The Guardian, 30^th Sept 2023
(https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/02/the-big-idea-can-we-predict-the-climate-of-the-future)

Podcast: Instant Genius - Can we predict the climate of the future?

Podcast: Challenging Climate - Models and uncertainty

Podcast: Empty Space Inbetween - In conversation with David Stainforth

How to cite: Stainforth, D.: Climate Change: Communicating What We Don’t Know, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12003, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12003, 2024.

How to cite: Booth, A., Holt, R., and Thomas, B.: Enriching the inclusivity of geophysical data communication using tactile resources , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12836, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12836, 2024.

When on PhD fieldwork on the Pembrokeshire coast in SW Wales in 2021, in my breaks I would paint the view of the rocks and sea with watercolours. I noticed that when painting I was making useful geological recordings and interpretations, which I included in my research. I bought a sketchbook and started to paint whenever I was outside, both on fieldwork and adventurers into the hills hiking and climbing. By allowing me to take the time to properly look at the changing landscape, painting became a process that increased my understanding of geology, the world, and my place within both.

Through finding my creative voice as an artist, I also found my voice both as a scientist and a person. It became easier to communicate my research, helping with writing, discussions with colleagues and drawing figures. My research moved to explore the creative side of geology, the uncertainty in how we observe and interpret faults in mountain building areas, and the way geologists communicate their findings through drawings and illustrations. I am interested in connection and perspective of landscapes across time. As a qualified Mountain Leader I love sharing the outdoors with others, to share skills and stories.

Sharing my work with others on social media has led to lots of opportunities including exhibitions and events with the Scottish Mountaineering Press, the Scottish Geology Trust, North East Open Studies, Fort William Mountain Festival and Artist-in-Residence for the Dundee Mountain Film Festival. I find people are interested in my connection to the landscape, my painting process and how they can connect better with the landscapes they love and want to protect.

How to cite: Sleath, P.: Phoebe Paints Rocks: Creative geologist and adventurer, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12980, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12980, 2024.

Sand is one of the most used resources in the world (50 billion tonnes per year). It plays a strategic key role in delivering geosystems services, maintaining biodiversity, supporting economic development, and securing livelihoods within communities (UNEP, 2022). Sand is everywhere in our societies: buildings, roads, dams and other infrastructures. Despite this “endless” use, sand is a finite resource, and its use occurs at a faster rate than its generation by geological processes. However, the importance of sand and the need of a sustainable management of this raw material are unknow to students at basic and secondary levels and to the public in general.

The EDUCOAST project (funded by EEAGrants) aims to promote nature-based education in coastal and marine geosciences through experimental learning. A series of initiatives to increase awareness on sand conservation were carried out as part of the EDUCOAST project. They included field and lab activities for basic and secondary school students at sandy environments (such as barrier islands and dunes) and observation of various types of sand from around the world under binocular microscope.  These “hands-on” activities focused on topics such as “what is the sand made of?” and “Let’s get to know sand better”. In total, about 500 students participated in these “hands-on” activities and the conducted surveys showed very positive feedback, where the students learnt more about these sandy environments (origin and their processes), the sand characteristics (grain-size, composition, carbonates contents) and the need for more sustainable management practices for the environmental conservation of the coastal systems.

Communication and outreach play an important role in achieving the proposed objectives. In this context, the project also participated in various initiatives such as the “European Research Night”, "Science in Summer" (promoted by the Portuguese Programme "Ciência Viva") and the "Week of Science and Technology" among others, making it possible to increase awareness in addressing issues like sand importance and conservation for approximately 700 people.

These initiatives contributed to highlight the importance of public awareness and the potential for positive change through informed and engaged students and general public.

This is a contribution of the EDUCOAST (EEAGrants, PT-INNOVATION-0067) and EMSO-PT (PINFRA/22157/2016) projects.

This work was funded by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) I.P./MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) – UIDB/50019/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/ UIDB/50019/2020), UIDP/50019/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/50019/2020) and LA/P/0068/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0068/2020)

Reference: UNEP 2022. Sand and sustainability: 10 strategic recommendations to avert a crisis. GRID-Geneva, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland

How to cite: Drago, T., Santos, J., Surducan, E., Alberto, A., Afonso, J., Ramos, A., and Fernandes, A.: Raising Sand's Value Awareness: Science and Communication Initiatives., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-13276, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-13276, 2024.

Universities have a critical role to play in the response and recovery from the climate crisis. As institutions, universities have been resilient to changes. This resilience supplies the human, intellectual, and financial capital to understand and address the major challenge of climate change. Singapore and Norway have education exchange programmes through various scholarship programs, research collaborations, and Erasmus+. In 2023, the third expedition of Advancing Knowledge of Methane in the Arctic (AKMA3) by the Arctic University of Norway (UiT) provided students from Singapore a platform to experience how offshore expeditions in the Arctic are conducted.

On board the Norwegian Research Vessel Kronprins Haakon, Singapore students used state-of-the-art research facilities to help collect samples and data from extreme environments (cold seeps) from high-latitudes seafloor. Daily interactions with international experts of different backgrounds help us to better understand the various aspects of the scientific work related to the expedition and outreach efforts undertaken to promote Arctic science to the public.

Here, we demonstrate how our learned experience in Norway can be applied to our research projects in Singapore. Despite the differences in geological location and polar and tropical climates, we strive to show how student collaboration can help build strength between the two countries. By highlighting the adaptability and transferability of acquired knowledge, this collaborative effort aims to transcend geographical boundaries and contribute to the global advancement of scientific understanding of climate change.

How to cite: Yan, Y. T., Toh, Y. F., Paneiri, G., and Horton, B.: Strengthening the Bridge between Singapore and Norway: How Education Exchanges and Public Outreach are Applied in Climate Science, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-14964, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14964, 2024.

Anthropogenic climate change is a daunting issue facing today’s society. In recent years, youth have shown a growing interest in preserving the planet by becoming involved in political demonstrations and school strikes. It is thus of paramount importance that youth are well-informed on the topic and equipped with the necessary skills to share information with their communities. We seek to educate youth, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented genders in the sciences, about geosciences, art, and mountaineering, especially in the context of ongoing climate change. 

At Girls on Ice Switzerland, we believe that first-hand experience is the key to both learning and motivating scientific concepts. We offer tuition-free glacier expeditions for teenage girls*, where the selection process is independent of academic performance, giving equal opportunities to all interested youth, and ensuring socio-cultural diversity within the team. During the week-long expedition, participants conduct artistic and scientific modules with professionals, learn new techniques and carry out an experiment in small groups, and finally present their work to the public. Following the expedition, school workshops led by participant-scientist tandems build upon the scientific content of the expedition, allowing participants to share their knowledge with peers and distribute scientific information to a broader audience. This fosters self-confidence in the participants, helping them to become scientific ambassadors for their peers, and also provides them with invaluable networking and mentoring opportunities through their interaction with female scientists. 

Through these steps, participants are exposed to the scientific process: experimental design and performance, resiliency in the face of unforeseen challenges, and analyzing and communicating findings. The expedition experience has been shown to be empowering for participants: it boosts their confidence, motivates them at a critical stage in their lives, and provides them the opportunity to learn from female role models. School workshops and expeditions allow former expedition participants to be leaders amongst their peers and further deepen their understanding of the topics. In this way, we prepare future generations of scientists and members of society to think critically, and this experience gives them the knowledge and power to dispense information within their communities as scientific ambassadors.

*cisgender girls and transgender, agender, nonbinary, intersex, and genderqueer youth

How to cite: Walden, J., Rodari, L., and Naegeli, K. and the Girls on Ice Switzerland Team: Youth education and empowerment through outdoor experiential learning and peer-to-peer communication, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15324, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15324, 2024.

Imagine that you  a (semi-governmental) scientific institute, conducting important and state-of-the-art research that you want to share with society. In addition to the science enthusiast that follows your every move and reads the news outlets that regularly cover your stories, you want to include groups of people that do not automatically come in contact with your communication efforts. How do you improve the accessibility of your science communication, specifically towards groups of people that are not automatically included? I will share valuable insights from my empirical social study on climate communication accessibility at the KNMI, the Dutch research and information center for meteorology, climate, air quality, and seismology.

In my presentation at EGU 2024, I will describe several factors that play a role on the perceived accessibility of climate change communication. These insights are based on interviews and focus groups held with respondents living in low socio-economic status neighborhoods and rural areas. In addition,  focus groups and interviews with KNMI-employees involved in climate communication took place.

[J(8] blog-like articles written by KNMI-employees were presented to respondents to read and evaluate. These articles aim to create understanding and awareness of climate phenomena and concepts and have been a vital part of KNMI's communication efforts for 10 years. I have analyzed this data through the lens of a conceptual model containing theories on accessibility and equity, models of communication, and framing and narratives.

My research confirms well-known factors which influence accessibility to broader audiences. For example, the excessive use of scientific jargon has a negative impact on the understanding and accessibility of communication. In addition, my research probes deeper to identify aspects that explain why these well-known factors cannot easily be overcome and to uncover which other, less obvious factors, play a role. Aspects like cultural identity, social acceptance and peer pressure, literacies and capital, recognition, and equity all play a part in the machine of social inclusion and accessibility of climate communication. Challenges and opportunities arise both within the institution and in relation to the social groups included in this research.

Based on the results and conclusions of this study, I will provide recommendations on how to improve the accessibility of climate communication to communities  that are typically reached to a lesser extent. While they are based on communication practices of the KNMI, they are generally applicable to other scientific institutions and/or governmental institutions. On the EGU 2024, I will present my recommendations to improve climate communication accessibility, as well as the results that these recommendations are based on.

How to cite: Johannes, B.: How to make climate communication more accessible to more  communities? Results from a case study featuring KNMI, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15622, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15622, 2024.

Geologists, Geoscientists, or Earth Scientists – however we identify or whatever we do in our daily work, we are needed for stable human habitation on our planet in the future. Although people who know and understand the Earth are needed, there has been a decline in the number of people considering the possibility of entering our professions. What are we doing about it in Ireland? 

Ireland has a relatively good education system and a population with an interest in natural science, and yet the Earth-related sciences do not feature strongly in the national curriculum at primary nor secondary level, there is no national science museum, and with teachers lacking the tools to inspire students, very few students are doing degrees in the Earth sciences and continuing in careers in those areas. 

Various professional, cultural, and educational organisations have been working separately and together to address this issue in the last few years, and while the feedback is encouraging, and progress is being made, there is a lot more to be done. Some of the activities include a temporary exhibition at the national museum, a primetime television series, professional scientists input to national curriculum development, sponsoring of national young scientist prize, co-creation of teaching resources, teacher workshops, and an increase in publicly funded outreach projects.

As we look towards the next phase of activities and plans in a crowded and busy field of science communications and messaging, we need to learn from international best practice, place ourselves in the global context, and work together in a co-ordinated way to inspire the next generations to enable humans to question, understand, and live sustainably on the Earth.  

How to cite: Power, S.: We need new generations of people who know about the Earth – what are we doing about It … in Ireland?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-16522, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-16522, 2024.

The BASE project, short for Basement Fracturing and Weathering on- and offshore Norway, is a research project funded by the Norwegian Research Council. While the project`s primary focus has been on disseminating its findings through scientific channels, there is growing interest emerging from local communities and schools. After several seasons of extensive fieldwork and a comprehensive core drilling campaign, we have observed an increased local curiosity and interest, particularly regarding the "why" and "what" behind our efforts. In our quest to synthesize the wealth of collected data, our goal is to contribute to a local geological exhibition showcasing updated bedrock information and delivering a compelling geological narrative of the Smøla island. This exhibition will illuminate the age of the rocks, the processes that formed them, and unravel the intricate story they convey. Our fieldwork has uncovered remarkable geological outcrops, which we believe should be shared with the broader community. In collaboration with the local “Friluftsliv” (outdoor life) community, we plan to create stops along their popular “Stikk UT!” routes. These routes and paths are clearly marked on maps and equipped with informative signs. We plan to incorporate geological insights about selected outcrops to enrich the experience for those who visit this remarkable area. Furthermore, in addition to our outreach efforts, we are dedicated to making our research relevant for primary and secondary school, with specific focus on 5th and 8th -grade pupils studying geology as part of their curriculum. To achieve this, we will employ a comprehensive approach that includes interactive storytelling on the Geological Surveys website, Geologisk arv (ngu.no) (Geoheritage), and we will provide ample information to teachers. By combining these strategies, our aim is not only to make geology accessible, but also to make it attractive and fascinating for the 5thand 8th -grade pupils. We hope to inspire the next generation of geologists and curious minds based on the captivating geological history of Smøla.  References (format style Heading)Geologisk arv (ngu.no)Stikk UT!

How to cite: Venvik, G., Nordgulen, Ø., Hodge, M., Barkaas Garseth, E., and Osmundsen, P. T.: From research to outreach – an example from the Smøla island, Mid-Norway, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17240, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17240, 2024.

Nowadays everybody agrees that increasing preparedness for natural and not-natural hazards and fostering best practices is of paramount importance for a resilient society. Therefore, in the last years many scientific projects included a task, a work package - or were themselves - fully devoted to transferring the results of the studies carried on within the project to the society. This included intensive education activities to train people about a specific hazard.

However, educative and dissemination packages are often too generic or too specific, especially in cases where the natural hazard is not well known by the public or affects a limited area or population. In these cases, it may be helpful to carry out preparatory research to finely tune the educational aims/objectives.

We present the results of an online survey carried out in 2020–2021 to understand citizens’ level of knowledge about the phenomenon of sea level rise, including causes, effects and exacerbation, in order to finalize educational tools.

Since the last century, global warming has triggered sea level rise at an unprecedented rate. In the worst-case climate scenario, sea level could rise by up to 1.1 m above the current level, causing coastal flooding and cascading effects, thus affecting around one billion people worldwide and potentially becoming one of the most important climate issues in the future.

Our survey revealed that, although widespread and threatening, the phenomenon is not well known to citizens as it is often overshadowed by other effects of global warming. The results of our study were peculiar to prepare an educational campaign and set up initiatives for students and the public.

How to cite: Solarino, S., Musacchio, G., De Lucia, M., Eva, E., and Anzidei, M.: Know before you act. Effective risk education (should) starts from knowing gaps and preconceptions. A case study on sea level rise., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17948, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17948, 2024.

Research concerning the general public and influencing decision-making necessitates timely dissemination of easily accessible results and data, with a focus on directly verifiable hands-on exploration rather than authoritative assessments in order to raise awareness and engage the public. This applies, for instance, to the high spatial and temporal resolution street-level weather and thermal comfort monitoring network operated in the City of Freiburg. Germany, by the University of Freiburg, to raise awareness for the significant spatial and temporal differences in, e.g., outdoor heat stress patterns in urban areas, which are crucial for informed urban planning and climate resilience. 

Addressing this gap, the uniWeather™ app and platform were developed to provide end-users, stakeholder and the general public with free, easily accessible near-real-time data and interpretation. With regard to the FAIR principles, the platform is being developed to support data form other research organisations such as universities, government agencies or companies that operate environmental sensor networks to be provided free of charge. uniWeather™ aims to encourage the sharing and access to data in near real-time by providing an easy-to-integrate service for tailored visualisation and interpretation.

In June 2023, the uniWeather™ app and monitoring network were announced in a press release from the University of Freiburg and in a newspaper article providing access to maps and real-time data from 42 street-level weather stations in the Freiburg region within 60 seconds of measurement. The app was readily welcomed by the public, researchers and the city of Freiburg. The project was also well received at public outreach events such as the Eucor-MobiLab Roadshow 2023 in Freiburg (26-30 June 2023) and the exhibition DATEN:RAUM:FREIBURG (4-31 August 2023) of the city of Freiburg. With more than 1.5k users in the first few weeks and continued interest in further functionalities, the platform will be continued and further developed to address the needs of the general public and different scientific communities.

How to cite: Feigel, G., Zeeman, M., Plein, M., Schindler, D., Matzarakis, A., Christen, A., and Metzger, S.: uniWeather™: Advancing real-time outreach in urban environmental sciences through app and platform, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19052, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19052, 2024.

Due to climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is expected to increase. Compound events, when several extreme events occur simultaneously or amplify each other, may also become more frequent in the future. To provide a realistic picture of the extremity of everyday weather events to citizens, it is important to show which phenomena are considered extreme in a given location and season. For this purpose, we developed an interactive visualisation system for the compound weather and climate extremes in Hungary. The system uses the daily measured data of 70 synoptic and climatological stations in Hungary from 2002 to the present, which are available in the database of the Hungarian Meteorological Service. The following extreme events and their intensities are calculated from the stations’ data series: days with extreme cold and warm mean temperatures, days with extreme warm maximum temperatures, days with extreme cold minimum temperatures, days with extreme daily temperature range, stormy days, days with extreme high precipitation, extreme rainy periods, extreme dry periods.The visualisation system allows users to view the extremity of weather events for a single station, regionally or nationally, with customised settings. This tool can be used as a communication platform from scientists towards non-professional users to raise climate change awareness with a special focus on extremes with high potential impacts.

Acknowledgements: Research leading to this study has been supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Fund (under grant K-129162) and the National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change (RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00014).

How to cite: Dezső, Z., Mikes, M. Z., and Pongrácz, R.: Interactive visualisation system for compound weather and climate extremes in Hungary based on station data series, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19582, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19582, 2024.

Improving understanding and awareness of risks associated with natural hazards among the population at risk and DRR managers is essential for achieving the objectives of the Sendai Framework. This is particularly crucial in contexts where natural hazard risk knowledge is scarce and poorly disseminated, while the frequency of disasters and the severity of their impacts are high.

Highly interactive, educational games are an engaging method for exposing players to disaster risk situation by allowing them to observe and acquire knowledge, train their problem-solving and decision-making skills, and test different disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies, while experiencing the consequences of disasters in a safe and entertaining environment.

Such an approach based on educational games is experimented in eastern DRC, with the Hazagora and Chukuwa games. Hazagora is a board game originally designed for secondary school children. It is used not only as a knowledge-building tool, but also to raise awareness regarding the potential impacts of disasters and how to reduce them, through active engagement of participants in discussion on DRR strategies. As such, this approach sits at the science-policy-practice interface, involving not only children, but also teachers, scientists, civil society organisations and civil protection representatives. Building on this experience, the Chukuwa card game was developed as a disaster risk awareness tool for primary school children, whose ability to take their new understanding back to their families is recognized as a vector for disseminating knowledge.

After several years of experimentation, some practical limitations linked to the contextualisation and institutionalisation of these games have however been identified. Based on the lessons learned, adaptations of the Hazagora game are being considered, as is the translation of the Chukuwa card game into local languages, alongside the strengthening of the involvement of secondary and primary education authorities and the integration of these tools into school (extra-)curricula.

Educational games are therefore an effective learning tool for introducing participants to the concepts of natural hazards, risks and disasters, as well as for actively and sustainably engaging them in discussions and reflections on DRR strategies conducive to strengthening the risk culture within the community.

How to cite: Michellier, C., Bahati Mutazihara, I., Bakulikira, S., Ngunzi Kahashi, Y., Mafuko Nyandwi, B., Ulimwengu Biregeya, B., Kervyn, M., and Kervyn, F.: Educational games to foster schoolchildren's understanding of natural hazards and raise their disaster risk awareness - Lessons learned from Central Africa, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19634, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19634, 2024.

Inspired by the constructive experiences acquired during the past years with high school students (e.g. Peresan et al, 2023 and references therein) the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), in collaboration with the Civil Protection of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (PCFVG) developed a new educational project on seismic risk awareness, prevention and mitigation. The students from a high school in Northeastern Italy, were mainly involved in communication activities, training and the development of a culture of civil protection and risk awareness, as well as self-protection measures to be taken in the event of a crisis.

The project was coordinated by OGS staff and an official from Regional Civil Protection. The involvement of these two bodies was essential in the event of an earthquake occurring in the Region: the OGS provides real-time earthquake parameters (epicentre, magnitude and ground shaking), while the Civil Protection has the task of coordinating the emergency management (including services and bodies responsible for maintaining roads and buildings).

The exercise in the operations room was especially  useful for students  to understand the most important aspects to consider in an emergency, how priorities are handled and how the decisions made by the decision makers are communicated. This type of exercise showed that actively involving students is the right way to teach them about complex issues (earthquakes) and turn them into active citizens. In fact, after this experience, two students signed up for their community's disaster response team.

Peresan A. et al, 2023. Earth Sci. Syst. Soc., 22 August 2023, https://doi.org/10.3389/esss.2023.10088

How to cite: Peresan, A., Peressi, G., Zar, B., and Barnaba, C.: An exercise in the Civil Protection Operations Room to explain to high school students how an earthquake emergency is handled, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20046, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20046, 2024.

Today, our world of 8 billion people and countless other species faces planetary crises that are interconnected, complex, and existential in scale and comprehension, including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, nitrogen, and poverty. Scientists are at the heart of designing the studies to understand these threats, producing the data that calibrates them, and interpreting the those data. They are among the first members of society to recognise these threats and often the most committed to preventing their worst outcomes. For action on these crises, the general public, and policymakers representing them, need to understand the risks and also care about the outcomes: a job for the media, authors, artists and filmmakers. However, science and the media have very different communication styles and approaches, something that scientists often find uncomfortable. How can scientists best manage their public outreach, and work with the media to ensure their expertise and knowledge helps society navigate a better future?

How to cite: Vince, G.: Existential Threat: How Scientists Can Work With The Media To Communicate Complex Systemic Crises, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-21986, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-21986, 2024.

Interdisciplinary is one of the most efficient approaches when it comes to disseminating topics related to natural hazards; furthermore, when the leading actor is Mt. Vesuvius, due to its 2000-year history and to the exceptional quantity and quality of information available, the following approach becomes mandatory.

In the presence of natural phenomena responsible for human losses, it is natural to wonder about the causes and whether they can be foreseen. The objective is therefore to move from an awareness of emergency to a culture of prevention and risk mitigation; the key tool is to implement risk education at any social level to overcome the cultural barriers that consider the volcano only as a burden because of the problems it creates, and not as a resource in the name of security and prosperity. In this context, we created the theatrical representation “Dottò, ma quando scoppia il Vesuvio – il Nuovo Grand Tour” (i.e.: “Doc, when does Vesuvius erupt? – The New Grand Tour”) to stage all the aspects that the Vesuvius machine has been able to produce and preserve over time until today.

For the first time, a theatrical performance will allow the audience to learn the eruptive history of Mt. Vesuvius and to fully understand its functioning by means of a journey through time. This itinerant story is drawn up by the interplay between the two protagonists of the show, stuffed with spots of humour to keep high the audience’s attention. Meanwhile, several videos showing appealing images are projected in the background, accompanied by live performances of touching musical pieces.

The show is not limited to the description of the eruptive activity occurred over the centuries, but it is also focused on the cultural growth of the Vesuvian area, from the traditional Grand Tour of the XVIII century up to modern times, highlighting the numerous technological discoveries that were exhibited in Neapolitan lounges over time. The journey not only includes the last eruptive event of 1944 in the city of Naples overwhelmed by barbarities of the II World War, but also the period following the economic boom when, through the implementation of a new regulatory plan, the foundations to complete the wicked urban expansion in the Phlegrean Fields and Vesuvian areas were posed.  This choice has determined the uncontrolled expansion of the urban area of Naples and surroundings, bringing the volcanic risk threshold to today's unacceptable, yet growing, level.

In the final part of the show, an idea for the mitigation of the volcanic risk at Mt. Vesuvius is proposed, highlighting how the volcano itself can become a powerful economic resource for the territorial growth. In fact, while the need for a program to decongest areas at risk is clear, a fundamental and proposed paradigm is to update the tourist offer, connecting Mt. Vesuvius to all the areas of Campania region through low environmental impact transportation. This would trigger a “New Grand Tour” that, in turn, could improve tourist programs with a renewed cultural power.

How to cite: De Novellis, V. and Somma, R.: Vesuvius, from risk to resource? A theatrical representation for the old and new Grand Tour, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-2541, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2541, 2024.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects have historically struggled to be inclusive and accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, STEM subjects have often been rigid in their teaching structure, creating barriers to education for students with more complex learning needs. Recently, there has been an increased need for compassionate pedagogy and adaptive education practices to provide multi-modal learning experiences. 

Our STEM outreach course, Think Like A Scientist, has been running in a number of English prisons since 2019, and started in Canada in 2023. Our students in prison often have diverse learning needs and the classroom presents numerous barriers (sensory, communication, processing, and regulation). This particularly impacts those considered with forms of neurodivergence (e.g., autism, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, etc). In our teaching in prison, we have been conscious of creating different educational access points that is not focussed on rote learning and reading text (which some students struggle with). In particular, we have been using creative practices, including art, poetry and music, as a teaching aid for geoscience subjects such as climate change.

In this submission, we outline how we have created a collaborative space between artist and student to co-create unique art and music that stimulates learning and engagement. Although our outreach programme is tailored to the restrictive prison environment, the application of its core principles to education are fundamental EDI practices that could be beneficial to a wide audience. Our work aims to increase educational engagement for students under the neurodivergent umbrella, fostering a classroom environment that is inclusive and accessible to all. 

How to cite: Heron, P., Crameri, F., Williams, J., Lewis-Nimako, J., Narayan, S., Hashemi, S., Canaletti, E., Osowski, K., Harrison, D., and Rantanen, R.: Art and music as a teaching aid for STEM subjects, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3691, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3691, 2024.

People who live by and off the sea have a collective memory of it and how it has changed over the generations. This memory is a vital part of the connection between them and their environment, and can provide important scientific insights on how the sea has changed over time (e.g. species and habitat abundances, pollution, etc.). It can help guide the community as it searches for ways to responsibly harness the sea while conserving it for future generations. In this project, we explored means of recording the memory of the sea in collaboration with teenagers living near the coast of Israel from the two Arab villages of Jisr-az-Zarqa and Fureidis. The project included several field trips to the coast, each focusing on a different geological and ecological aspect, after which the teenagers interviewed and recorded their elders (parents, grandparents and/or fishermen) describing their memories of the coastal environment. These included songs about the sea, the role of women and their connection to the sea, descriptions of fish and plants, and more. The interviews were accompanied by photographic portraits, and initial scientific measurements were carried out by the students to assess current pollution in a nearby river. More advanced measurements are planned for the near future. A major challenge in the project was overcoming the language barrier and cultural differences between the academic researchers and the teenagers. This was facilitated by having the project led by educators from the villages themselves and/or other Arab communities. Efforts to finalize the interviews and translate the recordings into English and Hebrew are ongoing, and the more advanced scientific data has not yet been collected, with the project running into complications due to the current war between Israel and Gaza. The final aim is to have the project stay in the local communities as a cultural archive by housing the Memory of the Sea at a local museum in Jisr-az-Zarqa and in other venues around Israel.

How to cite: Lazar, M., Sher, D., Tenenbaum, T., Mawasi, J., Ammash, K., Soussan, Y., and Fawaz, N.: Memory of the Sea: an art-science collaboration across generations in two Arab villages in Israel, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-5473, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5473, 2024.

We propose a multimedia work structured with the scientific and artistic consultancy of a volcanology expert (who also plays the role of interpreter as an actor and narrator) and the creation of high-resolution visual content generated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our goal is to describe science through art and simultaneously create art using the language of science. This multimedia project aims to narrate the fear of humans in the face of the dangers of a volcanic eruption, and we have chosen the location of the Phlegraean Fields with the continuously evolving phenomenon of bradyseism. The Phlegraean Fields are a land with a millennia-old history, rich in culture and mythology, and among these myths is that of the Cumaean Sibyl, to whom people turned to know their future and find answers to their problems. In this modern era, with its fears, humanity seeks answers from a new sibyl, an AI created by humans, which in our show is indeed the "NewSibyl." Scientific data on bradyseismic activity in the Phlegraean Fields have also been used for the generation of scores, sounds, and images through both traditional and non-traditional compositional processes. Furthermore, the musical component involves the fusion of sounds generated by traditional acoustic instruments, electronic instruments, and synthetic sounds generated by algorithms for sound synthesis.

Finally, this multimedia work that combines past and present, mythology and technology, science, and art through an interdisciplinary approach and the creative use of technology promises to offer the audience a memorable and stimulating experience. We want to emphasize that our performance is not just a regular report of a past event but represents an authentic artistic event to which we invite participation. Moreover, the proposed event serves as an example of how it is possible to unite art and scientific dissemination simultaneously. In fact, among the objectives of our participation in the conference, we intend to seek new scientific collaborations, dissemination opportunities, and the possibility of developing new projects within the realm of this artistic-scientific form, regardless of the theme.

How to cite: Zoccola, M., Ascione, V., and De Novellis, V.: Phlegraean Fields: Mankind, Fear and New Sibyl, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6531, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6531, 2024.

How to cite: Nanni, U., Tisserand, C., Lau, P. Y., Didomenico, G., and Nanni, A.: Noise Variations: A Journey in Search of the Whispers of Glaciers, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-7920, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-7920, 2024.

In the dialogue that the scientific community is called upon to have with society, art becomes an extraordinarily powerful tool for conveying information and knowledge. Through empathy and emotions, it can indeed help introduce and raise awareness among viewers about current challenges, the issues confronting the scientific world, the means it employs, and the results it achieves. It is no coincidence that numerous initiatives are flourishing everywhere, in various research fields, where the scientific message is, at least in part, conveyed through art. Environmental themes lend themselves well to this synergy. Throughout history, humanity has explored nature through its representation, among other methods. Natural phenomena have thus been well represented over time (think of the works of William Turner, Monet's winter landscapes, the Great Wave off Kanagawa, and so on). However, it is more challenging to find examples related to the study of risk management and mitigation.
 This is an incredibly topical field of research, exacerbated by the climate crisis, where floods, wildfires, and droughts are becoming more intense and frequent in various parts of the world, making it more urgent than ever to respond effectively, protecting communities and assets from these challenges.
 As part of its information and awareness-raising activities, CIMA Research Foundation has been addressing these themes through artistic means for several years, turning art into a vehicle for conveying messages and engaging society. Paintings and installations, photographs, and theatrical pieces have become a way to narrate drought, floods, loss of biodiversity, and the climate crisis to a broad audience of both young and adult individuals, transforming science into art and art into science. All initiatives and materials are collected on a website, making them as accessible and user-friendly as possible. Following this approach, we also contributed to the drafting of the guidelines for the development of the Museum of Science and Technology of Addis Ababa, where artistic language and participatory activities do not replace scientific knowledge but become a fundamental support.
 Can art help us engage society on these pressing and complex issues? Can we translate knowledge into awareness and, subsequently, action? Through the activities carried out by our "Art and Science" project, we aim to address these questions.

How to cite: Visigalli, R., Alessandri, B., Mantini, M., Palermo, A., Polo, L., and Romano, A.: Wildfires, floods, droughts, and the climate crisis: can art narrate the risk?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8045, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8045, 2024.

Exposed to westerly and south-westerly Atlantic weather systems, the Outer Hebrides (off the west coast of Scotland) are a series of islands where the inhabitants are already well versed in coping with severe weather.  Headed by the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership (OHCCP) Climate Change Working Group (CCWG), a range of adaptation planning documents are in production. Driven by a desire to engage with local communities, the CCWG alongside the Làn Thìde Climate Beacon, Adaptation Scotland and the Met Office created a project to explore the development of a storyline to communicate climate change information to the Outer Hebrides community.  Collaborating with a local artist, Tuil is Geil (Gaelic for “Flood and Wind”) was created through a combination of sonified climate data, local voices and field recordings of local weather.  Three themed pieces were created and these pieces (alongside a science presentation on projections of climate change for the Outer Hebrides) formed the centre of public engagement sessions when members of the public were able to share their thoughts about vulnerabilities and adaptation needs on the islands. As a project team we learned a number of important lessons around the process for creating a bespoke storyline for a community which included: i) The need to set appropriate boundaries and manage expectations, ii) The importance of local partner organisations and networks, iii) The need to bridge between science and art, and iv) The need to collaborate with the local community. We strongly believe that this approach has major community impact and it is the intention to support similar storyline projects in other regions of Scotland.

How to cite: Pope, J., Logan, M., Kennedy, S., MacDonald, K., Matthews, A., Milne, K., and Pratt, E.: Musical messages – Creating a Bespoke Climate Story for the Outer Hebrides, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8550, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8550, 2024.

The art of clowning, an ancient practice, reveals remarkable potential to be explored in scientific outreach. In 2020, França et al. shared their experience integrating clowning into a show about scientific denial, which led to the creation of an innovative scientific workshop spanning two weeks. The aim is to reach high school teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, intending to disseminate geosciences unconventionally. In this context, we will present the experience in detail, highlighting the adopted approach, observed impacts, and the target audience we aim to reach. Additionally, we will explore strategies to expand this project and make it accessible to various locations. It is worth mentioning that during the pandemic, we ventured into our first foray into scientific outreach training through the scientific theater workshop. Despite being virtual, this hands-on approach proved surprisingly effective (link to the video: https://youtu.be/q0dkz8wtlxw?si=K63xn8XvzeVux3ri). Now, we will share the practical results obtained in the in-person and clown-focused format. We hope this initiative inspires new forms of scientific communication and contributes to the innovative and engaging promotion of geosciences.  França et al., 2020, Geoscience Communication - https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-4-297-2021

How to cite: França, G. S., Barreto, P. S. C. D. S., Uieda, L., Chaves, C. A. M., Myjnyk, J. D. F., and Lanza, T.: Scientific Clowns - What are they? , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9652, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9652, 2024.

Artists, sometimes within activism, have produced work engaging with the timescales of glaciers, the environmental records stored inside them, their apparent remoteness, melting and its connection to human activities, as well as using the medium of ice in symbolic ways. By considering examples of how artists have worked with the theme of the ongoing deglaciation of Earth and its consequences, I showcase some ways in which artistic interventions have the power to raise awareness and translate scientific knowledge into graspable reality.

Thereafter, I provide a personal reflection of working at the interface of science and art in my own work as a glaciologist and as a practicing artist exploring properties of natural ice: I show a selection of my projects from recent years, in which I attempted to tackle the topics of human responsibility and choices; potential misplacement of ecological grief; and irreversibility through the lens of natural ice on Earth. Using these works as examples I discuss the extent to which integrating artistic and scientific research influences my practice of both. 

How to cite: Nicholson, L.: Artistic engagement with a deglaciating world, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-10215, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-10215, 2024.

Humans often struggle to intuitively grasp probabilities, which challenges the effective communication of climate risk. Here, I want to explore the potential of (video) art to intuitively translate probability and other abstract mathematical concepts in the context of climate change.

Created as part of an interdisciplinary university course on Ecological Aesthetics, ‘Almost Surely’ is a video art piece bridging the probabilistic nature of scientific climate projections with their factual manifestation in the real world. The piece contrasts the technical language of statistics-based knowledge generation used by reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with scenes of nature and everyday life, where probabilities are translated into reality. In line with my Ph.D. research and the local context of making this piece in California, I focused on the impact of wildfire on familiar terrestrial landscapes such as Joshua Tree or Big Basin National Park.

I aim to reflect on my experience creating this film, navigating the intersection of art, art discourse, and science as a climate scientist, and discuss some of the challenges and questions I came across when translating precise scientific concepts into intuitively felt visuals and storylines.

How to cite: Layritz, L. S.: ‘Almost Surely’ – Exploring the potential of (video) art to communicate probabilities and climate risk, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-10516, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-10516, 2024.

Fostering the next generation of global citizens and scientists is crucial to confront the global challenges humanity faces and continue scientific development. We aim to promote Earth, planetary, and space sciences to children ranging from 3 to 8 years old through an activity booklet. It contains games, drawings, colouring and simple logical tasks. The material is intended to support children in learning about the world around them and engage their curiosity and observational skills. Children will gain knowledge about geosciences, including the fundamental principles of the Earth system and associated processes. We cover as many different topics as possible, such as geodesy, mineralogy, volcanology, paleontology, geomagnetism, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, natural hazards, seismology, stratigraphy, planetary and solar systems sciences, etc. The activities are provided with short and simple explanations for children at reading age. For younger children, adults are encouraged to read and explain. Solutions will be presented in small boxes at the end, allowing children to evaluate their performance. The booklet will be publicly available in several languages to ensure accessibility and inclusivity on a global scale. We hope that it will serve as an amusing tool for outreach at different educational institutions and events in order to promote geosciences.

How to cite: Panovska, S. and Sanchez, S.: Geo Educational Games for Kids, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11064, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11064, 2024.

HavObservatoriet is an artist-led research collaboration with the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). In 2023 the project constructed a circular open-air ‘wave observatory’ in Vejle Klima Park, Denmark, in a newly landscaped harbour-facing area, designed to protect the city of Vejle against flooding. The observatory creates a public space within the park, sheltered from the wind and connected to the power of the ocean.

HavObservatoriet is designed to simulate the latest forecasts for the ocean surrounding Denmark as one single circular animated digital visualisation that envelops the viewer in a combined statistical model of the behaviour of the sea surface. The system is connected to the latest ECMWF near-term ocean wave spectrum forecasts. It converts the spectral data from these forecasts into an animated simulation of the ocean surface which is rendered using a non-photorealistic particle-based rendering system. The panoramic image of the sea that surrounds the viewer is displayed at 1:1 scale - so a 1meter high wave appears 1 meter high on the screen. Because the screen wraps around the viewer, you can see a wave approaching from one direction, feel it wash over the building, and then disappear in the opposite direction.

The screen shows the “view” from a single geographic location at a time, changing the location every few minutes to a new semi-random location around the coast of Denmark. Each selected geographic position of spectral data simulates the amplitude of waves at every wavelength and in every direction they travel. Sometimes the screen will be showing 10m high storm surges from the North Sea, or sometimes the tranquil waves from the east coast of Jutland.

This presentation will explore the visual and performative nature of this installation and its possible role in the urban landscape. It will discuss future possibilities of this collaboration, and the ways in which such artistic interpretations of environmental data might impact on public engagement.

(Note on environmental impact: To reduce power requirements for this project, a rendering technique was developed that only requires a small proportion of the LED screen to be illuminated at any one time. As most of the image is black and responds to ambient light conditions the observatory therefore requires very little power).

How to cite: Autogena, L., Portway, J., and Bidlot, J.:  Ocean wave forecasting as an immersive public space, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11314, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11314, 2024.

Illustrations of field outcrops are a fundamental tool for scientists in both research and learning as an important method of documenting interpretations. Whether field sketches, photos, concept diagrams or virtual outcrops, researchers through time have used a variety of different ways to visualise outcrops. What do the views and annotations a researcher chooses to represent a field outcrop tell us about the evolution of understanding and uncertainty in geology?

Here we investigate a variety of illustrations of a well-studied outcrop in the Helvetic Alps of Switzerland, at the Col de Sanetsch. The Urgonian limestone is folded into a 500m high NW-facing fold pair, exposed in the South face of Spitzhorn (2807m). The fold has a complicated structural history, as it contains an array of SE-dipping normal faults which have been onlapped by Cenozoic turbidites before folding. Views of the outcrop are very accessible, by cable car or road, but the entire outcrop is a cliff and almost completely inaccessible.

During field mapping in 2022, watercolour sketches of the outcrop were completed from different viewpoints, along with photos and GPS points. We compare these with historical illustrations of the outcrop by other researchers, from sketches in field notebooks to photographs and figures in published papers. By analysing how the outcrop has been drawn and therefore how the researcher has percieved the geology, we can better understand how they have worked and where they fit in the evolution of ideas. This has implications for our own work, finding the right tools and the best perspective to clearly illustrate our work, understand the science and communicate interpretations.

How to cite: Sleath, P., Butler, R., and Bond, C.: Linking geology and art: observations to interpretations of the Sanetsch Fold, Helvetic Alps, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11416, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11416, 2024.

Connecting science and art, presenting climate change from an unusual perspective, initiating dialogue, and offering alternative viewpoints were the main goals of the art exhibition “Of Each Absence” organized by ETH Zurich in collaboration with the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ETH outreach event “Klimarunde”. ETH-Klimarunde is a flagship public event organized annually by the Center for Climate Systems Modeling (C2SM) of ETH Zurich. It serves as a vital platform that fosters direct dialogue between scientific experts and the Swiss public on critical climate change issues. The artworks were created especially for this occasion by eight students of the Master of Fine Arts program at ZHdK. The artists were given creative autonomy while receiving guidance from ETH climate scientists, facilitating a symbiotic relationship that enhanced the connection between the artworks and climate change concepts.

The presentation addresses the successes and challenges of navigating the uncharted territory of this interdisciplinary collaboration between C2SM and ZHdK. It underscores the importance of open communication, mutual respect, and the harnessing of diverse perspectives to create – besides the artwork itself - a  joint language of science and art to address the topic of climate change in a truly extraordinary way.

How to cite: Bandikova, T., Schnadt Poberaj, C., Welter, J., and Genovese, N.: Navigating the Art-Science Interface: Lessons from the "Of Each Absence" Art Exhibition, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12172, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12172, 2024.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB) is the longest-standing environmental non-profit in New Brunswick Canada, whose mission is to create awareness of environmental problems and advocate solutions through research, education, and interventions in collaboration with others. CCNB has developed an innovative program "From Harm to Harmony," which harnesses the potent capabilities of community-engaged climate art. This program has emerged as a transformative force, effectively bridging the gap between the scientific intricacies of climate change and the broader public through artistic expression. By translating complex data into emotionally compelling narratives, this approach taps into the core of human emotions, inspiring awareness, empathy, and actionable responses.

This program represents a collaborative effort, bringing together artists, social institutions, environmental organizations, and community members to actively participate in the creative process. Through these collective endeavors, the program seeks to engage diverse audiences across various communities within New Brunswick, Canada aiming to create accessible and meaningful opportunities for learning and understanding the complexities of climate change.

The program's insights from our pilot initiatives highlight the potency of unconventional engagement methods in climate action. Unlike conventional strategies, which rely on factual arguments, this program harnesses the emotional resonance of creative processes, crucial for inspiring and sustaining personal changes, particularly in the realm of climate action. Recognizing the mounting eco-anxiety, especially among younger demographics, and the associated feelings of inefficacy, the program responds by exploring innovative avenues like community-engaged art. By prioritizing emotions as an entry point, this approach addresses eco-anxiety and establishes a robust foundation for deeper involvement in climate action, leveraging art's transformative potential across multiple fronts: simplifying complexities, fostering emotional connections, amplifying messages, inspiring action, engaging the public, and instigating cultural shifts.

Throughout my presentation, I will speak to the various avenues of engagement and education that we have employed, the indicators of the success of the program,  learning lessons, and plans for the future growth of the program. In conclusion, the pathway of community-engaged art for climate action resonates with individuals, offering a positive, love-based, collaborative, and community-building approach. It emerges as a promising and impactful avenue for engaging diverse communities in meaningful climate change dialogue and action.

How to cite: Smith, D.: The Power of Art to Engage People in Climate Action , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12225, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12225, 2024.

Water is life. Water-related challenges, such as droughts, floods, water quality degradation, permafrost thaw and glacier melt, exacerbated by climate change, affect everyone. Yet, it is challenging to communicate science on complex and highly volatile topics such as water and climate change. Conceptualizing water-related environmental and social issues in novel ways, for example using art, with engagement between diverse audiences may lead to comprehensive solutions to these complex challenges.

The Virtual Water Gallery (VWG) project, launched as part of the Global Water Futures (GWF) program in 2020 as a collaborative space merging science and art to address water challenges. Thirteen artists, representing diverse voices, teamed up with GWF scientists to explore specific challenges across Canada. The resulting artworks were exhibited on the VWG website (www.virtualwatergallery.ca) in 2021, with a first in-person exhibition in Canmore in 2022. Surveys were concurrently conducted to capture perspectives on climate change and water challenges, as well as on the role of art as a tool for engagement, from project participants, online and in-person gallery visitors.

Join us as we share key findings and lessons learned on the SciArt collaborations and exhibition. Participant survey results highlight the participating artists and scientists’ experiences during the co-creation process. Visitor survey results help clarify the impact of art on people's understanding of climate change and its effects on water resources, alongside insights into behaviour changes (e.g., energy conservation, recycling, dietary choices) as a result of visiting the exhibition.

How to cite: Arnal, L. and Schuster-Wallace, C.: The Virtual Water Gallery: Measuring attitude changes towards climate and water through art, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-13963, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-13963, 2024.

Over 18.5M ha of forests have burnt in Canada in 2023 far surpassing the previous record of 7.6 M ha set in 1989. How do we engage the public with the enormity of this natural disturbance on our landscapes and it possible causes? As a scientist and an artist, I was in a unique position to explore the possibilities of creating new ways of doing research in these landscapes. Almost 15 years ago a wildfire burnt my research plot and destroyed my monitoring equipment in northern Canada. As I examined the damaged equipment, charcoal imprints were made on my clothing which led to exploring how to capture charcoal markings in burnt forests. That fire changed my perceptions of research and art and began the journey of how I might use science and art to address environmental issues. On a sabbatical to Berlin, I was challenged to think about how science might inform art and how my art might inform my science.  My charcoal artwork the past 14 years has been a unique opportunity to look at wildfires and understanding the movement of charcoal in these burnt forests and how my artwork has revealed some of these transfers. This presentation will discuss how my charcoal artworks in burnt forests has driven my ideas about science and art with regards to natural disturbances and the communication of these disturbance events to the public.

How to cite: Van Rees, K.: Wildfire Art: Lessons in Science and Art, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-14001, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14001, 2024.

Over the last few decades, there has been a remarkable surge in both the quantity and diversity of Earth observation data. Strides in data-format standardization and cloud-processing environments have significantly enhanced the accessibility of specialized analyses. However, the current accessibility to access, process, and analyze Earth observation data is primarily confined to researchers, students in the fields of Earth science, related disciplines, and a limited number of science/geography educators. Given the existing circumstances, there is no fundamental anticipation of a substantial increase in the user base in the future. The stagnation in user engagement can be viewed as a bottleneck in the effective utilization of data.

To expand the societal impact of Earth observation data across a broader spectrum of fields, innovative proposals for utilization and exploration of user domains are imperative. This study aims to assess the potential for new data utilization in the field of arts. As a tangible example, a web tool has been developed that generates music data directly from Earth observation data, providing a comprehensive solution. This tool facilitates the prototyping of musical compositions, enabling the evaluation and discussion of potential applications of Earth science data in the realm of music through listening experiences.

Initially, the author utilized Google Earth Engine's Python API to access well-known Earth observational data sets such as ERA5, MODIS, and ArcticDEM. Imagining polar stereographic coordinates as two vinyl records, the author sampled physical quantities from latitude 60° followed to higher latitudes as if a record needle tracing the disc. The sampled values in the longitude direction are compiled into a table, and the author converts the table to a MIDI file using the Python module "Mido". Throughout this process, the author implements normalization and specify parameters, including the lowest note, range, and scale, for the musical representation. Playing the obtained MIDI file in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), Logic Pro, the author selected tones suitable for expression and conducted detailed arrangement and mixing during playback.

The result is a music piece named "Polar Stereographony", following the EDM style and employing a natural scale, which denotes a generally accessible finish. As the latitude gradually increases, tracing terrains and similar factors, a unique variation reminiscent of minimal music occurs, where musical patterns subtly change. The automatic generation of such fluctuating musical patterns allows for the creation of almost infinite new phrases by altering physical quantities and pitch ranges.

In music creation using the tool developed in this study, unintended sonic forms, yet those with a scientific foundation, can be obtained almost infinitely. As a method to achieve novel sounds, it introduces musicians to a new form of music creation. This signifies a transition from an era where only Earth scientists could utilize data to an era where artists can also freely leverage data. As an exemplary illustration of the societal contribution of Earth observation results inaccessible to scientists, this web tool is named "Polar Geosonif-i" and will be publicly available on the web for universal use.

How to cite: Nagai, H.: Polar Geosonif-i: a python-based comprehensive web tool for geo-data sonification in polar regions, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-14238, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14238, 2024.

The study of the geological processes associated with the formation of the ocean floor is fundamental to understand hydrothermal systems in terms of genesis, evolution, duration, cyclicity and spatial distribution as well as the colonization of these systems by living beings. In this project, we will use music to communicate about these processes to the public.

The ocean floor is constructed by the interaction in time and space of three major processes: volcanism, tectonics and hydrothermalism. This last process is fundamental in the cooling and transformation, through the alteration of rocks, of the oceanic floor. Finally, sedimentation gradually covers the floor constructed by these three processes. Instabilities and landslides will affect the sedimentary cover and volcanoes and thus modify the underwater landscape. Time is fundamental when studying these processes. The ocean floor is constantly changing. Eruptions occur suddenly, last a few hours or extend over several days. A fault can rupture, producing earthquakes which may cause major landslides. All of these processes have a direct impact on the distribution and dynamics of hydrothermal circulations. An earthquake can open new fractures allowing seawater to penetrate into the crust, creating new vents. Another earthquake or volcanic eruption can seal these circulation paths, leading to the cessation of the outflow of fluids and the death of the associated ecosystem. The lifespan of a hydrothermal site is therefore strongly dependent on this dynamic. In this dynamic landscape, organisms evolve, move, colonize chimneys, multiply and eventually disappear when the fluid output stops. It is this constant mutation, on variable time scales, ranging from a few years to a few tens of thousands of years, that we wish to transcribe into music.

Over the years, our team built an immense collection of images of the ocean floor and hydrothermal vents. These documents are rarely released to the general public. When exposed, they often speak little because even if the images are beautiful and impressive, the processes and time scales behind them are difficult to grasp. The idea of this project is to create a musical piece telling the stories of the formation of the ocean floor and of hydrothermal fields, on different time scales. We will tell a story of a changing landscape, of the creation of oases of life, from their beginning until the death of the colonies. We will interact with the composer through videos and images, accompanied by explanations of the processes. The exchanges allow the composer to explain his musical choices which will be his way of perceiving these complex developments. The production of this piece will be entrusted to the orchestra of the University of Brest. Here too, the interaction between researchers and the musicians is at the heart of the project. Discussions and scientific explanations of the images will accompany the musical work. The work will therefore be the result of group construction. It will be presented during the university Art & Science festival and during scientific events or maritime festivals.

How to cite: Maia, M., Pignot, Y., Peleter, E., Rospabe, M., Bickert, M., Cambon, M.-A., Raumer, P.-Y., Lalonde, S., Hamelin, C., Rouxel, O., Cathalot, C., Cannat, M., and Perbandt, S.: The Harmony of the Abyss – Revealing the aesthetics and tempo of the mutation of deep ocean geological processes and their links to hydrothermal vents and associated life, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-16393, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-16393, 2024.

Numerical models and satellite images are used to simulate the ground surface temperature (GST), the temperature measured at around 5 cm into the ground. GST is important for understanding the climate change impacts on various environments and has utility for multiple geosciences and economic applications. To better explain this approach to youth a cartoon booklet was created. Therefore, the marmot Marv is telling the “Story of Ground Surface Temperature” through an animated story with captivating comic strips. Marv is explaining why GST is important, why GST is highly variable in time and space, and how can better tackle the impacts of climate change on soil temperature. The comic strips are available online on Academia: https://www.academia.bz.it/strips/the-story-of-the-ground-surface-temperature. In addition, a 3D fiber-art object was also created to promote science through art. The fiber art object represents a miniature 3D model of a glaciated alpine valley with different rope colors and textures for each land cover type. The model is accompanied by a hanging satellite also built from rope and by a flyer that explains this mingle of science and art. This object can be exposed in art galleries, tourist info centers, or during conferences, workshops, and science fairs. These communication materials, help to promote the scientific work to a broader audience.

How to cite: Șerban, R.-D. and Șerban, M.: Promoting science through art via cartoons and fiber art , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-16510, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-16510, 2024.

1. Climate Service and Art_portfolio

GERICS is a kind of living lab where natural, social and art scientists work confluently.

With Climate Service and Art at GERICS we dispose of:

• Practical experience

in close collaboration with scientists and artists.

Pilot case: Artist fellows from HIDA’s (Helmholtz Information & Data Science Academy) Art meets Science program, see https://www.helmholtz-hida.de/en/new-horizons/art-meets-science/, worked for 3 months closely together with GERICS’s scientists to carry out their artistic research on a climate-related project.

• A tailor-made network

Collaboration between scientists and artists is only meaningful and effective if both sides are willing to open up to each other and ideally have a common intersection (e.g. data affinity). On both sides, we have extensive contacts that meet this requirement. To make these contacts available to a wider audience and, not least, to promote cooperation between the arts and sciences, we are considering setting up a customized database.

• Our research interest

is in measuring the impact of arts and culture towards the sustainable climate transition (“behavioural change for systemic transformations towards climate resilience”).

2. Project-based art-science collaborations

With this portfolio of experience and research interest, we embark on projects such as The Human-Tech Nexus (The HuT), funded by the European Union, https://thehut-nexus.eu

Pilot cases

2.1 ECCA

Together with Full Circle Playback Theatre Dublin (PT) and partners from the project (UNISA, CMCC, GWP-CEE) we developed "Staging EWS Stories" at ECCA 2023, see https://thehut-nexus.eu/the-hut-is-going-to-take-part-to-ecca-conference/.

Using the interactive and improvisational format of PT, participants of the session told their personal stories about extreme weather events and Early Warning Systems (EWS) they had experienced, which were then mirrored by the PT performers on stage.

The objective has been to build a community of "climate scientists, artists and activists" and using personal stories to change behavioural patterns in the long run.

A publication under the provisional working title "Pinning the butterfly" by the scientists and artists involved (Smetanova, Van Laake, Rianna, Pietruszka, Calvello, Schluensen-Rico) is in planning.

2.2 The HuT’s General Assembly in Valencia

For the last consortium meeting, we linked this year's organiser and The HuT partner UPV (University of Valencia) with its department of Industrial Design and co-curated an art-science project. One of the results, a greenhouse art installation by local artist Salva Mascarell decorated with scientific warnings and filled with heat is open to the public in the Botanical Garden of Valencia until January 2024, see https://thehut-nexus.eu/find-out-interesting-insights-after-the-last-general-assembly-of-the-hut/.

Ultimately, the aim was to raise awareness among the citizens of Valencia: droughts and heatwaves will shape the future of this city if the right measures are not taken.

Further art-science collaborations within this European project are foreseen on a regional level. The objective is always to involve the local community, where the fusion of art and science is a prerequisite from the very beginning.

How to cite: Schlünsen-Rico, A.: Art-science cross-fertilisation. The Human-Tech Nexus: good practice of project-based collaboration, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17110, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17110, 2024.

Somewhere in the vast landscape of the Sahara desert, a man stumbles upon an unusual kind of rock. After being passed around from dealers to collectors, the rock finds itself in a research laboratory. The rock is confused and does not remember where it comes from. The researcher invites the rock to a space journey, leading it back to its origins, the planet Mars. This is the story of an unusual friendship between a scientist and a meteorite, brought alive in the pages of a comic book. The book itself was born through the friendship between two planetary scientists who share a passion for planetary magnetic fields and a desire to communicate their passion to the public and inspire the next generation of planetary scientists.

Meteors and meteorites have always fascinated people, but a particular aspect of these space rocks remains enigmatic to the general public: their magnetic records. This comic book aims at communicating complex scientific concepts and laboratory protocols through illustrations infused with a touch of humor. Intended for teenagers and adults, the comic explores how planetary magnetic fields are generated, how rocks record them and how the magnetic record of rocks helps scientists decipher how planets form and evolve over time. Importantly, the comic also aims at spreading the following message: meteorites should not be exposed to magnets. Doing so comes at the risk of erasing billion years old of geological history. 

Though initially conceived for the web, the next stage of this project is to have the comic book printed and distributed at scientific outreach events, schools, and comics festivals. Ultimately, we hope that this comic book will find its place at the bookshelves of public libraries and teenage bedrooms.

How to cite: Sanchez, S. and Vervelidou, F.: A tale of a meteorite who was too magnetic - using comics to simplify complex ideas, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17685, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17685, 2024.

The word «art» can be interpreted in very different ways. Institutions such as museums, galleries and art schools, and art critics are the pinnacle of contemporary art and set certain «trends», which are easily spotted in contemporary galleries. Conceptual artworks presented in these exhibitions often go on to generate thousands-to-millions of pounds at art auctions therefore creating an elitist art world.

How can contemporary visual arts (and can they) offer different ways of imag(in)ing the problem of climate change, which would create an experience beyond visual (i.e. emotive and behavioral)? Here, I review «historical» climate art and propose that climate art can be split into three categories: representations (emphasizing visualization and communication of climate change); performance and conceptual art (engagement through immersion and experience); and interventions such as public engagement and activism (invoking motivation to take action). What are the challenges associated with these categories?

According to the art world, the good art, i.e. the conceptual art, or “art for art’s sake” as originally described by Clement Greenberg in 1940, appeals and creates a desired experience for a limited amount of people with an attained cultural capital, and thus, I argue that it ultimately fails to communicate climate change to the wider public; yet it’s the preferred category of the art institutions. In the meantime, the bad art, which is more illustrative and communicates the climate message clearly, disinterests artistic institutions and critics. This slowed the development, and led to a decline of climate art produced, or displayed in galleries in the late 2000s and early 2010s; however an explosion of climate art popularity has since occurred in the last five years, likely because the issue of climate change has been brought to the forefront of political debate and contemporary culture. Therefore, it remains an open question how to best portray, communicate and create an “ultimate” experience of climate change through art and how to assess the success of these pieces (eg. art critics opinions, public opinions/ interpretations, amount of income generated); but it is clear that collaboration between scientists and artists is desperately needed to develop climate art.

How to cite: Radionovskaya, S.: Exploring the capacity of climate art to communicate climate change from a cultural perspective , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19426, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19426, 2024.

The ocean is at the heart of our climate system and understanding its role as a driver and modulator is critical in times of a changing climate, posing serious threats to our ecosystem and societies. This increases the need to communicate science in novel ways. Here we present outcomes, lessons-learned and future plans of artist-scientist collaborations as part of the Synergy II project – a collaboration between the Art League Rhode Island and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Self-selected pairs of scientists and artists collaborate with the goal to create a ‘common language’ using the arts to illustrate and communicate science. Through extensive conversations we examined the scientific and artistic process, and were surprised and delighted at the similarity of so many aspects of our work. We spoke in-depth about the challenges of communicating big ideas and numbers in meaningful ways and how we all had to be compelling storytellers. Produced artwork comprises a set of 3D kinetic sculptures created out of printed canvas, introducing the audience to a warming ocean and impacts of extreme temperatures on ecosystems and society more broadly. While the form captures the constantly moving and swirling motions of the ocean, the printed layers on the canvas also aim to convey the thrill of discovery and the complexity of our research, from data acquisition (now and in the past), coding to visualization and ultimately conveying a message. Other artwork highlights the role of ocean salinity in digitally layered 2D prints, capturing the central, yet underappreciated, role of the oceans for the global water cycle and ocean dynamics: the artwork conveys salinity as a critical metric tracking moisture export at the ocean’s surface, as well as different water masses being defined by different temperature and salinity compositions – and how new salinity sensing capabilities from space provide new insights into ocean dynamics and predictive capabilities for rainfall on land. As new collaborations begin, we strive to learn from our past experiences and venture into new exciting art projects that come together with existing artwork under the umbrella of Synergy II and expand on community engagement and outreach to involve K-12 education. These collaborations have added a new enriching dimension to all our work, both scientifically and artistically.

How to cite: Ryan, S., Ummenhofer, C. C., Ehrens, D., Xu, H., Megathlin, L., and Getsinger, M.: Synergy in art-science collaborations: Finding a common language to convey ocean research through art, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20592, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20592, 2024.

Starting in 2005, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), initiated a project involving the creation of calendars designed for schools, featuring drawings from a contest for primary school children. Each year, schools eagerly participate by submitting pupils' drawings on specific themes, which vary annually and align with Earth science subjects. Engaging primary school children in this project serves a dual purpose: it brings them closer to science and provides an opportunity to explore their perspectives on the Earth, science, the environment, and sustainable behavior. In fact, children's artwork can offer valuable insights into their feelings and thoughts about the world and its workings. Drawing plays a crucial role in children's development, as it fosters imagination and serves as an effective means of expressing emotions.

Over the years, we have collected more than 35,000 drawings. We have decided to analyze this extensive and unique dataset by comparing drawings related to competitions with similar and comparable main topics, such as children's perceptions of science, scientists, and their views on the Planet Earth, its sustainability, and its future. The methodology involves a qualitative and statistical analysis of the drawings, representing the first comprehensive comparison of drawings created by primary school children across the entire Italian territory. This spans a decade or more, providing insights into how children's visions of Earth science subjects have evolved over time.

Furthermore, the results contribute to evaluating how science is portrayed, assessing whether it has fostered a shared understanding and a less stereotyped image. Additionally, we aim to examine how environmental science and sustainable behavior are conveyed to the future leaders of the world.

How to cite: D'Addezio, G.: Perspectives Through the Eyes of Primary School Students: A Visual Journey, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20608, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20608, 2024.

Recycling metals such as iron and lead appears crucial for sustainable development, but metal recycling often results in poor quality of life for people living near recycling sites. Transdisciplinary approaches, involving researchers from the physical, natural, and social sciences and humanities working with non-academic partners, are now recognized as essential for tackling such a challenging Anthropocene issue. However, collaboration and understanding between partners are often hampered by the specific modes of communication and concepts used by each community.

We present here the beneficial role of the arts in a community-based participatory research project addressing the impacts of metal recycling activities in West Africa, particularly in terms of air pollution. In Senegal (Africa), the town of Sébikotane has become a rapidly growing urban center with three recycling plants (steel and lead batteries). The project aims to produce, jointly evaluate, and share knowledge on air quality in this urban area in transition, far from official measurements. The team includes researchers from geosciences, aerology, anthropology, literature, and botany. Artists, the city council, an NGO, and citizens are officially and actively involved in the project as non-academic partners.

We will show how the different artistic productions helped to implement and share knowledge along the project, especially the participatory part, and promoted efficient communication between all partners. Forum theater, live sketching, literature, and design provided effective artistic means to translate concepts and share knowledge. The collaboration between artists and scientists facilitated the elaboration of ethical rules governing the project's stance.

How to cite: Macouin, M., Tastevin, Y.-P., and Dutrait, C.: The role of the arts in a community-based participatory research project, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20694, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20694, 2024.

Art and artists, alongside the science and good leadership, are essential to the process of helping society find its way towards solutions to our greatest challenges. In past periods of crisis, from the Renaissance to the wars of the 20^th century, art has been crucial to shifting public engagement and the views of decision makers. Yet the scale of artistic response to climate change, the greatest crisis of all, has been limited by the barriers faced by many artists to accessing data, imagery and evidence to inspire and be directly used in their artistic responses. New tools and services are needed to bring artists and environmental data closer together. A new not-for-profit initiative, ArtEO, has been established, by Imperative Space in conjunction with ESA and other partners in environmental science and the arts, to facilitate easier access to satellite Earth observation imagery and data, and to enable dialogue and expert support from climate scientists. Our presentation will outline the techniques and tools deployed by ArtEO showcase emerging artworks from the first phase of the initiative, and share research insights from the pilot-phase which can be scaled to support future art-science collaborations in the environmental sphere. 

How to cite: Kapur, R. and Tan, F.: ArtEO – connecting artists with data and experts to tell Earth’s story, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-21540, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-21540, 2024.

Geological field work remains an essential part of geoscience education. The close-up, in-situ experience of geological excursions, allow the observation of our study object in 3D as well as in different scales – an immersion unattainable with classical classroom teaching. Despite the undeniable advantages of field-based teaching, it remains mentally, financially and physically challenging for everyone and inaccessible to some of us. In recent years, more and more “virtual field trips” were developed in the hope to transmit as much of the field experience as possible. The development of interactive virtual field trips is very similar to video game design, and yet the outcome is often far away from exciting, interactive, 3D video game worlds. We therefore attempted to stick to classical tools of video game design, such as the 3D modelling software ‘Blender’ and the ‘Unreal Engine 5’, one of the world's leading engines for video games. In this case study, we created a digital twin of an outcrop of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks using photogrammetry, to achieve a photorealistic 3D environment. Movement and interaction in this world are identical to classical, first-person perspective video games, a familiar setup for most students. The user can move around freely, discover hidden fossils and is guided towards the highlights of the outcrop.

This gamification approach was developed for university students, but with small modifications it could also be employed in outreach situations, such as in teaching in schools or as part of museum exhibitions where an interactive system can be more engaging than a static or linear system and can target an audience group that is not primary interested in the exhibition but attracted by the gamification aspect.

How to cite: Thomann, J. A., Toy, V., Hawemann, F., and Martínez-Pérez, C.: Unreal field trips? Gamification as key for unlocking the potential of virtual geological fields trips., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-534, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-534, 2024.

Increased urbanisation and inadequate awareness have affected the availability and subsequent use of freshwater resources in Uganda. Education can play a crucial role in providing support to and training for students on sustainable water use, both at home and at school. Thus, this research assesses the current state of Ugandan education on this subject, by identifying the water-related topics currently featured in the curriculum at different class levels, using questionnaires distributed in four schools. An initial trip to Uganda was made in June-July 2022 (see. Figure 1) to visit schools, deliver questionnaires and gain a deeper understanding of the Uganda National Curriculum on water resources. Two of the schools are located in urban areas, and the other two in rural areas. The locations were specifically selected in an effort to ascertain how students in urban and rural areas behave towards and manage water usage and resources due to the differing context in location.

Three separate questionnaires were designed for collecting responses from primary school pupils, secondary school students and teachers. Descriptive and thematic analysis were adopted to analyse the results. The results revealed that water sustainability topics are delivered in the science curriculum at primary level, as opposed to geography at secondary level, suggesting that there is discontinuity of water-related topics within different taught subjects. Furthermore a lack of integrated practical teaching was discovered within the courses currently taught in Ugandan schools. Therefore, in order to contribute to this knowledge-gap, three games, namely i) Water Conservation Snakes and Ladders (WCSL), ii) Water Awareness Quartet Cards (WAQC) and iii) Water Pollution Puzzle (WPP) were designed with the aim to create new material that can be utilised by schools to increase awareness of students on water resource management. A second trip was made to Uganda in July-August 2023 to four additional schools where students were introduced to and able to test the appropriateness of the games as and engaging tool for learning (Figure 2).

The impact of the games on student learning was measured by analysing pre-test and post-test questionnaire responses. The average score between a pre-test and a post-test of WAQC increased by 25% and it was the highest average score compared to 18% in WCSL and 14% in WPP. This indicates that the games significantly improved student learning on topics linked with the management and use of water resources. Furthermore, the results revealed that more water-related topics should be included in lower primary level Social studies lessons. An academic year in Uganda for example, runs from January to December and is divided into three (I, II and III) academic terms and it was found that in the academic term II, water-related topics are missing in primary three, four, five and six in the Science lessons. Finally, this study recommends that the Ugandan government integrate game-based learning as a teaching approach in Ugandan schools to increase student awareness of water resource management. Evidence shows that this teaching technique can positively shape knowledge and practice for school students. 

How to cite: Nalumenya, B., Rubinato, M., Kennedy, M., and Catterson, J.: Game-based learning: addressing curriculum gaps in water management education in Ugandan schools , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1593, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1593, 2024.

In this age of fast-paced digital media, it is easy for scientific misinformation to propagate. The understanding of how scientific knowledge is created and evolves, a skill called civic science literacy, is critically important for the public. It gives people the tools to better understand how scientific knowledge changes over time and be better able to critically assess what is presented in the media (media literacy). This is especially important in the context of climate change science. However, many of the critical concepts of science literacy (i.e. peer review process, dynamic nature of scientific knowledge) are difficult to communicate. So many learning objectives need to be accomplished by traditional schooling that complex, interdisciplinary topics like scientific literacy have fallen to the wayside. Recognizing the need for innovative approaches, our SCIBORG project aims to develop science literacy skills through a fun and educational board game. Games are becoming a popular way to tackle complex topics as they can put the user in a first-person scenario, allowing them to engage fully in a situation. Additionally, games are fun and interactive and are an excellent way to engage youth and adults for informal educational purposes.

As part of the SCIBORG project, we will create a youth-oriented board game to convey selected concepts of scientific work and foster some of the skills required for science literacy in a fun, interactive, and inclusive way. The board game will specifically address these topics from the perspective of environmental science; however the science literacy skills gained can be used in any field. The board game will be co-created with youth and youth educators in several partner countries in Europe through a variety of workshops and play-testing events. It will be disseminated as a print and play board game and an online application.

How to cite: Coulson, L. E., Lekkas, K., Morar, C., Matei, L., and Feldbacher, E.: The science literacy board game: a new tool for improving science literacy with informal youth education (SCIBORG), EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1742, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1742, 2024.

Landslides of variable type and magnitude manifest in different forms ranging from gradual, small-scale processes to abrupt, monumental events. These scenarios pose challenges for direct observation in educational contexts. Consequently, the common practice in the realm of science and hazard communication involves the presentation of numerical process simulations. Elevating interest in landslide processes – potentially supporting geoeducation in general and risk awareness building in particular –  strongly relies on expressive visualizations of these simulation outputs. Game Engines (GE) are versatile, modular software frameworks specifically dedicated to the creation of captivating audio-visual experiences. We seek to develop a user-friendly workflow for the creation of virtual reality (VR) landslide experiences. This approach is facilitated by the interoperability functionalities of the simulation tool r.avaflow with 3D software and the Game Engine Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). We present a custom software template for the implementation of gameplay features with UE5.

Our conception of an immersive, interactive VR experience comprises the representation of the environment and dynamic geomorphological process, intuitive player movement, and object interactions conveying an educative storyline. Customized gameplay elements are implemented via the Blueprint Visual Scripting system, a proprietary node-based algorithm editor specific to Unreal Engine. The following gameplay elements are incorporated:

• Level design: The introduction of static landscapes into VR experiences, relies on elevation maps and surface textures derived from geospatial datasets. Landslide representations are imported based on presimulated process scenarios using the open-source mass flow tool, r.avaflow. Simulation results are seamlessly integrated as animated static meshes through automatically generated Python scripts. Spatialized soundscapes, orchestrated through Blueprints, enhance the immersive experience.
• Player Movement: A realistic feeling is achieved by allowing the character to navigate the environment via Smooth Locomotion. The movement types walking, flying, sprinting, and jumping are supported.
• Object Interactions: A grab system designed for arbitrary object models (meshes), incorporating hand animations and collision settings, enables users to pick up items strategically placed in the scene. Tailored Blueprints facilitate the definition and triggering of custom events, represented by animations (e.g. the release of a landslide).
• Menu: A graphical user interface offers options for restarting or exiting the VR experience, along with language selection.

The developed template enhances the UE5 VR Template and is specifically tailored for geoscientists without prior game development experience. It addresses the requirements of applications in geoeducation and serious games. The incorporated functionalities are designed as generic gameplay elements, making them adaptable to diverse contexts beyond landslide education. Built on the OpenXR framework, the template supports platforms such as Oculus Touch, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, and Valve Index. The final version will be accessible for free through the EPIC Games Launcher, accompanied by a concise workflow guideline.

Acknowledgement: This work is part of the project "Moving mountains - landslides as geosystemservices in Austrian geoparks" (ESS22-24 - MOVEMONT) funded through the Earth System Sciences programme of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

How to cite: Pfeffer, H. and Mergili, M.: Level Up Learning: A User-Friendly Game Engine Template for Virtual Reality Landslide Experiences, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1785, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1785, 2024.

In the face of climate change and rising sea levels, "Submersion" is a strategic collaborative board game designed by H2020-PROTECT to deepen understanding and foster proactive decision-making regarding the risk of coastal submersion. Tailored for a high-school audience and above, the game prompts players to manage a coastal city, grappling with the challenges posed by the risk of marine submersion. The objective is clear: safeguard the city's future by minimizing the impact of this risk.

The game unfolds in Mer-Ville, a picturesque coastal town threatened by climate-induced changes. Players, acting as members of the City Council, navigate the delicate balance between preserving the city's historical treasures, sustaining its economic activities, and implementing effective adaptation measures. As climate scenarios unfold, players must grapple with varying degrees of sea-level rise, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and resource allocation.

Key Objectives:

• Understanding Risk: Explore the concept of risk and its reduction strategies.
• Adaptation Responses: Learn about diverse responses to the risk of marine submersion
• Climate Scenarios: Grasp the impact of different climate scenarios on sea level rise and adaptation difficulty.
• Limits of Adaptation: Understand the constraints and limitations associated with adaptation measures.
• Temporal Aspect: Recognize that adaptation requires time and advance planning.

How to cite: Chapuis, A., Foucher, C., Burgard, C., Ducasse, E., Mathiot, P., Mondy, G., and Durand, G.: "Submersion": A board game for coastal risk exploration and adaptation planning, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-2087, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2087, 2024.

Geogames have huge potential to enhance learning, but a crucial aspect often overlooked is the debriefing process. Debriefing, a reflective discussion during and/or following the game, allows players to consolidate their understanding of the concepts explored, reflect on their strategies and decisions, and identify areas for improvement. This reflective process plays a pivotal role in maximizing the learning outcomes of geogames, helping players acquire knowledge and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, debriefing encourages a collaborative learning environment, where players can deepen relationships while they share insights and build a stronger understanding of geoscience concepts. By incorporating a structured debriefing session into the geogame experience, educators and researchers can significantly enhance the learning outcomes.  (Shortened and modified version of a paragraph generated by Bard.)

That is the (rather bland) theory, but the practice is not easy, either to design or to facilitate.  My poster will present some of the practical aspects of debriefing.  We can also chat about the intricacies, about any challenges that you have faced or about ideas for debriefing your geogame or geosimulation.  We can also debrief a difficult debriefing that you experienced.  I will also give you the link to a downloadable 100-page chapter on the topic.

How to cite: Crookall, D.: How to debrief geo-simulation/games: Some ideas and actions to make your debriefing more effective, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-2605, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2605, 2024.

QUARTETnary is an educational card game about the geological time scale. Consisting of 60 beautifully illustrated and colourful cards, QUARTETnary has players explore all the important events in the Earth’s history: from dinosaurs to humans and from the formation of the Alps to the formation of the Himalayas. 

Suitable for ages 8 and up, gameplay follows that of the classic card game ‘quartets’, where players aim to collect sets of four cards belonging to a specific group (in this case, a certain geological time unit). At the end of the game, the player with the most complete geological time line (i.e., the most quartets) wins the game! 

Here, we present the design of the fully finished card game (including prototypes to play at the Geoscience Game Night at EGU!) and our journey to get the game manufactured. Specifically, we will touch upon the following:

• setting up our own company ‘The Silly Scientist’ to publish the game 
• finding and selecting a printer 
• playtesting the game (how to make a prototype?) and the design changes to the cards as a result of playtesting 
• the preparation of and results from our crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter 
• distribution and shipping of QUARTETnary to Kickstarter backers and going towards retail

To assess the educational benefits of QUARTETnary, we also present preliminary results from surveys filled in by people before and after playing QUARTETnary. The surveys assess players’ knowledge of the geological time scale and the history of the Earth through both self-assessment (“How much do you know about Earth’s history?”) and objective questions testing knowledge of specific events (“Which geological time period(s) ended with a major mass extinction?”) and the order of events (“What happened in the same time period during which the Sahara was formed?”). Hence, through the surveys we are able to assess if and how a player’s knowledge on the history of the Earth improves through playing QUARTETnary. In addition, we gather subjective feedback through the surveys on what players think of QUARTETnary both in terms of being fun to play and as an educational tool. The subset of results shown here stem from playtesting QUARTETnary with colleagues and friends with a university and Earth science / astronomy background who generally played the game once between filling in the before and after surveys. Future data from the Kickstarter backers should give a more complete overview of the educational value of QUARTETnary with more diversity in (scholarly) backgrounds and the amounts of times QUARTETnary was played between surveys. 

How to cite: van Zelst, I., Peskens, R., and Perez-Diaz, L.: QUARTETnary - the card game about the geological time scale: crowdfunding, manufacturing, and educational value , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-2938, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2938, 2024.

Italy, with its complex geological profile, faces significant seismic and volcanic hazards, particularly in the Campania region (Southern Italy). Here, the Campi Flegrei caldera, one of the most hazardous active volcanoes in the world, is located in a highly densely populated area close to the city of Naples. The caldera, thus, poses unique challenges with its submerged volcanic features, hydrothermal activity, and bradyseismic phenomena, including recent reports of inflation around Pozzuoli and increased seismic activity.

Recognizing the importance of public awareness, especially among the younger generation, serious games that blend serious and playful elements emerge as innovative tools for science communication. These games actively involve participants, making learning more engaging. Parallelly, incorporating downward counterfactual analysis in risk assessment enhances disaster preparedness by considering how situations could have been worse. This approach finds application in addressing extreme natural risks like volcanic eruptions.

To raise awareness, a democratic and egalitarian role-playing game was designed, providing an interactive and instructive experience. Participants engage in a roundtable of Counterfactuals in the Negative, imagining historical volcanic eruptions with worse outcomes, enhancing individual risk intelligence.

An evaluation protocol has been developed to assess the impact of this experience on risk perception, with this presentation focusing on the outcomes of the 2023 edition of "Futuro Remoto," where almost 200 participants joined the game.

This work has been supported by CORE ("sCience and human factor for Resilient sociEty") project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 - research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101021746.

How to cite: Gargiulo, M. V., Woo, G., Russo, R., Napolitano, F., Amoroso, O., Massa, B., and Capuano, P.: Exploring Risk Perception through a game of Downward Counterfactuals , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-4047, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-4047, 2024.

Scientific methodological guides are usually rather boring. However, numerous methodological challenges and pitfalls can be encountered in carrying out a climate change impact study on hydrology, and there is an urgent need to transfer data and related expertise from scientists to practitioners. This communication presents a hopefully less boring white paper written in the style of an adventure gamebook (see Jackson & Livingstone, 1982). This book is tailored for French water managers and consultants in hydrology, taking into account their specific language, datasets, and institutional context. It gathers good practice and up-to-date knowledge from scientists, and real-life experience of studies designed by local water managers and conducted by consultants within the EU LIFE Eau&Climat project (2021-2024).

The book starts with the traditional warnings to the reader which is then invited to define her quest given the evolving context of the catchment of interest, and to prepare her equipment, gathering existing reports/adventurers’ accounts, collecting data/parchment maps, and listing available models/forest pathways. The core of the book is organized around two missions, the first of which consists in recovering the past evolution of water resources, through analyzing trends and potentially implement hydrological models. The second mission aims at composing the future of water resources in the catchment, through understanding and making use of possible climate and hydrology futures, through exploring the latest national climate and hydrology services and associated web portals to future worlds (see Kirk and Sangster, 2023, notably Part 4: “Portals and Worlds”). This book should serve as a basis for the reader to then develop robust adaptation strategies, in order for her to neither drown in a future flooding nor seeing her vital harvest compromised by recurring severe droughts.

This book is designed in R markdown with the bookdown package (Xie, 2023). This work is funded by the EU LIFE Eau&Climat project (LIFE19 GIC/FR/001259).

Jackson S. & Livingstone, I. (1982) The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. Puffin, Harmondsworth. 170 p. ISBN 978-978-0-14-031538-7

Kirk T. & Sangster M. (2023) Realms of Imagination. Essays from the Wide Worlds of Fantasy. British Library, London. 271 p. ISBN 978-978-0-7123-5449-3

Xie Y. (2023) bookdown: Authoring Books and Technical Documents with R Markdown. R package version 0.37, https://github.com/rstudio/bookdown

How to cite: Vidal, J.-P. and Héraut, L.: From a white paper to an adventure gamebook: engaging practitioners in climate change impact studies on hydrology, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-5877, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5877, 2024.

This study presents the development of three analogue games as engagement tools for citizen participation in climate action. Our serious games (purpose beyond entertainment) were designed to communicate the intricate parts of climate adaptation and society, where negotiation and mechanisms play a role. We applied modern board game mechanisms (e.g., set collection, action points, etc.) that synthesised the Minecraft-like mechanics of moving and transforming resources over an orthogonal/voxel grid system. Our design approach connected analogue to digital games, preparing for hybrid approaches and delivering flexible game-based solutions like print & play versions that are easy to produce and adapt for different uses. The games require printing coloured A4 sheets of paper, 1cmx1cm coloured cubes, dice (D6), and one timer (e.g., smartphone).  The three games work as steps of a collaborative planning process. The first game (G1) delivers an ice-breaking exercise based on frenetic negotiations (Happy Village), the second game (G2) challenges the players to establish collaborative decision-making (Flooding game), the third game (G3) introduces the concept of semi-cooperation since each player as a hidden goal (Craft my Agenda). The games’ sequence optimises the learning process of the rules since each game departs from the previous one.  Happy Village (G1) is a competitive card game where negotiation is the core mechanic. Players must exchange cards among themselves to have options that allow them to deal with the flooding risk in their villages. The Flooding game (G2) is a fully cooperative board game where players collaborate to manage and allocate actions to change the coastal occupation and build flooding defences. Craft-my-Agenda (G3) is a semi-cooperative board game where each player has a secret agenda/role. Players can only achieve their goals by negotiating and collaborating with other players to design a climate action plan for a coastal area. We tested the game prototypes with different audiences (children and adults of different backgrounds, including teachers) and observed the results. Participants grasped G1 almost immediately, requiring 5 minutes to learn the rules. After playing the G1, players came up with several strategies that were possible despite the first perspective that water was a negative resource. G1 gameplay promoted bursts of excitement during the negotiation dynamics. In G2 and G3, excitement was noticed in specific moments of uncertainty. G2 was more complex and strategic because it requires a plan to deal with the increasing impact of flood. The collaboration was transversal to all playtesting groups. Players discussed their decisions, considering overall strategies before making any moves. Other groups discussed decisions while playing. Although the game was more complex, the repetition of turns and the challenge progression reduced the playability difficulty. In G2 and G3, the role of the game facilitator was crucial to support the gameplay. The flooding and uncertainty stress engaged the players. G3 was the game that confused the players more because of the hidden information and the competition. Players could not help each other directly and clearly. Despite this difficulty, participants considered G3 as that better simulated the political dimensions.

How to cite: Sousa de Sena, Í., da Silva e Sousa, M., and Cocco, C.: Serious Games for Climate Action: Designing Analog Engagement Tools for Citizen Participation, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6418, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6418, 2024.

Daybreak is a cooperative board game about stopping climate change, co-designed by Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace, and published by CMYK.

In this talk, Menapace will discuss how he and Leacock set out to design a game that balances a foundation in climate science with a radical optimism, in which players cooperate to build an equitably decarbonized future, where all of us can not just survive, but thrive.

Menapace will share key lessons learned in effectively communicating complex scientific concepts related to climate change, and weave in prompts for scientists to incorporate games (in particular cooperative games) and playfulness in their work.

How to cite: Menapace, M.: Daybreak: Communicating the climate crisis with a board game, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8162, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8162, 2024.

How to cite: Covaci, A., Kooli, M. F., Dehghanipour, H., El Bakkali, C., Top, S., and De Cruz, L.: Interactive instant urban climate modelling with AI and LEGO-cities, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9597, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9597, 2024.

ALTIUS (Atmospheric Limb Tracker for the Investigation of the Upcoming Stratosphere) is an atmospheric limb mission being implemented in ESA's Earth Watch programme and planned for launch in 2026. The primary objective of the mission is to measure high-resolution stratospheric ozone concentration profiles. The Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BISA) is responsible for the development of retrieval algorithms for ALTIUS.

In remote sensing, retrieval algorithms use the spectroscopic measurement data to determine atmospheric species concentrations. While being a crucial aspect of remote sensing, they are most often unknown to the public.

On top of its scientific activities, BISA is also regularly involved in scientific outreach activities, including its own open doors days. In this framework, a video game in the form of an interactive ozone retrieval application was developed by the scientists. The user replaces the retrieval algorithm and tries to figure out the shape of the stratospheric ozone density profile using measured data. It is used to explain to the public the principle of atmospheric ozone density retrievals and in particular the concept of stellar occultation.

Components typical of video games were added to make it more entertaining: a score is calculated based on the accuracy of the retrieved profile and the score is added to a wall of fame.

So far, the game was used during BISA’s and ESA’s open doors days as well as during a scientific conference (Limb Workshop) held in Brussels. Several scientists involved in teaching to university-level students also showed their interest for such tools.

A demonstration of the game will be performed and feedback from the various events where it was used will be given.

How to cite: Berthelot, A., Baker, N., Demoulin, P., Franssens, G., Fussen, D., Gramme, P., Mateshvili, N., Pieroux, D., Sotiriadis, S., and Dekemper, E.: Remote Sensing: a stellar occultation video game based on ALTIUS, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11214, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11214, 2024.

Feeling the need for an interactive tool to make the human-induced climate change more tangible to the broad public, climate scientists from LSCE proposed to develop an educative game to raise middle and high school student awareness. A serious and educational, cooperative board game for up to 5 players, named ClimaTicTac (https://climatictac.ipsl.fr), has been created at IPSL with the help of ASTS, a scientific outreach association. This presentation describes the game mechanics and diffusion strategy.

The game is adapted to all players with good reading and abstraction capabilities (≈10⁺ years). It simulates essential processes related to climate change and associated impacts, mitigation, and adaptation. It is based on a world map including 30 cities vulnerable to climate change, which may become uninhabitable following damage accumulation, a timescale showing the rounds of play throughout the century, and a CO₂ atmospheric concentration scale. Randomly drawn cards describe initial scenarios, and hazards and possible positive actions affecting CO₂ emissions and three categories of damages to cities (on health, food, or infrastructures). To win the game, players must reach a double objective, with thresholds depending on the game difficulty level, on atmospheric CO₂ concentration to limit global warming and on the number of cities rendered unliveable. Optional fun challenges (drawing, mime, word-of-mouth) are randomly proposed to counteract eco-anxiety. Rules have been designed to help players feel the climate change impact at both global and local levels, and realize the importance of early reduction of CO₂ emissions, of collaboration for optimizing action strategies, and of inequalities in exposure to impacts. The game fully relies on current knowledge and realistic events, and the project team has been awarded the CNRS medal for scientific outreach.

The game has first been distributed by local authorities for open-licence use in middle schools. Science animators can carry game sessions for teenagers and adults, followed by discussions on climate change. Middle and high school teachers may also be trained. The game content has been translated into Catalan, English, Portuguese and Spanish (new translations welcome), and is available for self-printing and non-commercial use.

Following success towards a variety of public, the board game has been slightly adapted as a family game by Bioviva Editions for distribution in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada under the name Climat Tic-Tac (https://www.bioviva.com/fr/bioviva-famille/169-362-climat-tic-tac.html), including a semi-cooperative game option with lobbies. In addition, Climat Tic-Tac has been adapted by the association Games for Citizens as an electronic game available online on the Ikigai video game platform (https://ikigai.games/games/gameDetails/105). Challenges consist in quiz, gap-fill or timeline questions. Several connected players can share a game but a single player can simulate several players. Additional university-level educational content will be linked and an English video version named Climate-Tick-Tock is planned.

Finally, a multidisciplinary research project (EVABIO) is underway involving high school teenagers to investigate the impacts of play sessions. Integrating social psychology and experimental economics, it aims to analyze changes in explicit and implicit attitudes, transformations in social representations, enhancements in knowledge, and the extent to which the game influences pro-environmental behaviors.

How to cite: Dulac, F. and the Climate Tick-Tock Team: Climate Tick-Tock: sparking climate action through a cooperative and educational game on climate change in the 21st century, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12424, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12424, 2024.

The teaching course ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ is included in the master’s degree (2nd cycle degree) programs of ‘Human and Natural sciences’ and ‘Geological sciences and technologies’ of the University of Firenze (Italy). The course covers a multisciplinary program, including the following topics: EIA regulations, characterization of environmental components, identification of the possible sources of interference from human activities, resulting impacts, definition of possible measures of mitigation and compensation. Given the master's degree topics, the course doeas not cover sociological, political and psichological aspects (which may be relevant during EIA procedures). As a consequence, for several years now, the course has been complemented by a role playing game session (Segoni, 2022), in which the students play the roles of different characters involveved in a public debate concerning a geothermal plant project and learn how contrasting objectives, political reasons and communication strategies (sadly) may be more important than technical analysises when taking a decision about public works. During the years, this activity has always been very successful, therefore other elements of gamification have been progressively added to the lessons of the teaching course. The gamification elements include some playful collaborative activities concieved by the teacher and some games presented at the "Games for Geosciences" session during past EGU General Assemblies, such as "Cranky Uncle" (Winkler and Cook, 2022) (used for the lesson about climate change and related impacts) and "Dirty Matters" (Burak and Van Midden, 2023) (used in place of a frontal lesson to explain soil properties, impacts and mitigation measures). Last year, almost 50% of the lessons were interested by gamification elements and two lessons were actually turned into game sessions.  

This work summarizes the gamification process, reports on the feedback received from the students, gives credit to the colleagues whose games were introduced in the course, and seeks advices from the audience to further advance the gamification process of the course.     

References

Burak, E. and Van Midden, C.: Dirty Matters: The Soil Game, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17593, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17593, 2023. 

Segoni, S.: A role-playing game to complement teaching activities in an ‘environmental impact assessment’teaching course, Environmental Research Communications, 4(5), 051003, 2022.

Winkler, B., and Cook, J. : Cranky Uncle-a multi-lingual critical thinking game to build resilience against climate misinformation, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 2022.

How to cite: Segoni, S.: Towards the complete gamification of an "Environmental Impact Assessment" MSc teaching course, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-13031, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-13031, 2024.

Welcome to Hydro-E-scape, a digital hydrology escape room game that combines the thrill of escape room puzzles with the challenge of unraveling the mysteries of water. In Hydro-E-scape, your knowledge of hydrological processes becomes the key to unlocking a series of puzzles, and your ability to navigate through the aquatic realm determines your success in helping Dr. Sandy Loam and her friends through various challenges. From calibrating a conceptual hydrological model to understanding the dynamics of groundwater movement, each challenge is carefully crafted to test your hydrological knowledge in a fun and captivating way.

But Hydro-E-scape is more than just a game—it's also an engaging tool for assessing and reinforcing learning. Participants not only have to rely on their problem-solving skills, but also on the knowledge they've gained about hydrological processes. The escape room style game provides a unique way for individuals to apply theoretical concepts in a practical context, solidifying their understanding while enjoying the excitement of the adventure.

We will discuss how this game-based approach for teaching and assessment has been used and what we have learned so far. Come dive into Hydro-E-scape and put your hydrological knowledge to the test!

How to cite: Gallagher, L., Leonarduzzi, E., and Maxwell, R.: Hydro-E-scape: A digital adventure in Hydrology for learning and assessment, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-14061, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14061, 2024.

Beneath the surface, concealed in the darkness beneath our feet, a complex and captivating ecosystem exists, largely unbeknown to the majority of people. In an environment devoid of light, characterized by cold temperatures, limited food supply, low oxygen concentrations, and limited space, the challenge of survival is profound. The authors seek to embark players on an enthralling journey through the life of a groundwater organism (Stygobiont), exploring this fascinating and hidden ecosystem and demonstrating its dependence on decisions made above ground.

The game design follows a round-based structure where players navigate along the board, comprised of different layers representing various underground settings. Their objective is to fulfill tasks (action cards) to earn points. Aquifer organisms move within different layers, reflecting diverse aquifer structures, land use settings, and the needs of these organisms. Players assume the roles of cooperative companions, assisting stygobionts in navigating their lives. When encountering a groundwater ally, players face critical decisions addressing the stygobionts' questions: Where can they find food? How much oxygen is crucial for survival? How should they spend their day—resting, swimming, or digging? How to deal with environmental disturbances? Through the use of action cards, various environmental events impact groundwater life, including temperature shifts due to climate change, contaminant pollution from agricultural practices or urbanization, and groundwater depletion resulting from human overuse. The players' task is to make decisions that will not only benefit the organisms but also contribute to their collective mission: maintaining water purity.

The overarching goal of the project is to create an easy-to-understand board game suitable for both children and adults, playable in workshops, teaching units, or at home. The game's design not only seeks to educate players about the diversity and complexity of groundwater ecosystems but also emphasizes how human decisions and events above ground profoundly impact the underground environment. Simultaneously, players gain insights into the vital functions of groundwater ecosystems, such as water purification.

This game presentation marks the initial phase of development. Embedded in the project "Stygos-Grundwasserleben," funded by iDiv (Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung Halle-Jena-Leipzig), which incorporates outreach activities to engage people interactively with groundwater ecosystems, the authors aspire to raise awareness about groundwater ecology and fostering a greater understanding among players of their role in preserving this vital natural resource.

How to cite: Becher, J., Galle, M., and Haenel, M.: Stygos - A Board Game Depicting the Challenging Life of Underground Organisms, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-16700, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-16700, 2024.

Introducing 'WellPlaced,' an interactive and collaborative game designed as a unique tool for illustrating the intricate dynamics of land and water management, with a specific focus on the context of Malawi. Played on a hexagonal board, 'WellPlaced' revolves around the vital task of meeting the requirements of population centres, depicted as ‘villages’. Each village demands access to sanitation and water for health maintenance, requiring players to manage their finances, generated through agricultural activities on ’farm tiles’. The spatial component of the game reflects the spatial dynamics of land and water management, particularly regarding availability of water resources and risk of contamination. For example, all villages must be within an appropriate distance of water and sanitation facilities, but latrines cannot be placed adjacent to water-points. As the game progresses and the population grows, increasingly quicker, navigating the growing pressures on land and water use becomes even more challenging.

As players convert tiles to meet these requirements, they confront random environmental hazards including floods, droughts, waterborne disease, and contamination, with player decision making influencing the likelihood of encountering such challenges. For example, removing forest tiles, freeing up their valuable, riverside hexes as well as returning a small amount of money for ‘selling the lumber’, adds more flood risk cards to the pack, increasing the chance of players encountering more flooding. The probabilistic nature of such events helps to communicate risk in an engaging format. The ‘out of sight, out of mind’ nature of groundwater necessitates innovative and creative methods to explore and communicate groundwater challenges and management options effectively. Alongside random environmental hazards, overuse of groundwater can deplete the aquifer represented in the game, drawing attention to considerations of sustainable groundwater use.

Players must work together to navigate the needs of the growing population, keeping their population healthy throughout multiple rounds. Each player adopts a role, representing a stakeholder within the nexus and prompting conversations about different agendas and skillsets within land and water management decision making. Each game involves an engineer, sanitation officer, teacher, and farmer, each having specific capacities and skills. For example, water and sanitation management education programmes can be facilitated by the teacher, providing innovative solutions to problems experienced in the game.  

'WellPlaced' not only provides an engaging platform for understanding the complexities of land and water management in Malawi but also fosters collaborative conversations among players, representing various stakeholders, and serves as an innovative tool for exploring sustainable solutions and challenging decision-making scenarios.

How to cite: Hinton, R. and Loades, K.: WellPlaced: Cooperatively navigating challenges to land and water management to reach SDG6, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17108, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17108, 2024.

Started as a project at a geoscientific hackathon in 2018 and released to the public in 2020, GST[AR] is an app-based attempt of utilizing Augmented Reality (AR) to bring 3D geological data to almost everyone with a smartphone or tablet. In this way, multiple european-based geological surveys already offer some of their models to experts and interested users alike today. 3D subsurface models especially are great for public engagement and education as they are easier to grasp and fun to interact with. GST[AR] joined the growing list of tools that allow users to visualize geological data without the need for expensive and proprietary software, but chose to do it with the rather novel technology of AR.

AR holds great potential since it is a fun and intuitive way to interact with 3D data and is readily available on most portable devices. Enabling users to directly manipulate a 3D scene is essential for user engagement, but also for gaining a deeper understanding of the spatial relations and dimensions. Simpler methods like creating an animation, or still image, of a 3D model fall short in that regard because they lack the interactive component. Compared to AR, Virtual Reality is allowing for a much higher level of immersion, but it also comes at the cost of a more convoluted and expensive setup and user isolation.

GST[AR] offers the user a list of multiple data sources, providing additional background information for some of them. After a model and a set of features have been selected, the downloaded 3D model can be placed in AR. The app then gives the user the means to scale or rotate the model, and even to look "below the surface" by highlighting individual parts. It is also possible to share a session with multiple peer devices to view the same model in the same physical space and spark a conversation. In these sessions every user is able to manipulate the model or place down markers to make sure that all peers know what specific part is being discussed at the moment.

While a connection to a running instance of GST Web to download subsurface models was required in the past, a tool has been developed that allows everyone to convert input data into an app friendly state and host it on their own machine. At the point of writing this abstract, this is limited to GoCad and Wavefront (OBJ) input files, but the plan is to expand that list in the future. A new way of opening models within the app by means of simply scanning a QR code aims to make it easier and faster to engage with potential users. In this presentation we will look into the capabilities of the app, ways for everyone to utilize their own models, and the potential this holds for conferences and education.

How to cite: Wieczoreck, B.: Putting geomodels in everyone's hands - An app for visualizing 3D subsurface geomodels in Augmented Reality, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-18689, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-18689, 2024.

Over the last few years, the development of games for the engagement of communities in planning and the understanding of geological processes has increased in scope and ambition. Working from the perspective of planning and landscape design, Landscape Urbanism at the Architectural Association proposes a combination of physical and virtual environments to explore how games can help engage communities learn about complex legislative processes. Through game testing and site development, the course proves how settings offer an enriched virtual and digital experience and drive audiences of several ages into the same playing space, hence serving the purposes of informing as well as binding across age groups. The presentation shows two project cases which combine highly crafted board games with projective mapping and 3D simulation of real-world environments to bring people in contact with neighbourhood planning as well as food policy. The projects are developed through extensive research on the current planning framework, mapping techniques, game testing, bespoke crafting of board game tables and techniques to enhance the digital game experience through Godot or Unreal Engine. Testing these games in two real-life environments showcased both the limitations of the approach as well as the unexpected potential of this type of approach as part of a process of participatory planning.  

How to cite: Rico Carranza, E.: THE WORK OF LANDSCAPE URBANISM: Using digitally enriched board games to engage communities in UK planning , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-21654, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-21654, 2024.

Seismic risk describes the potential consequences of future earthquakes in terms of human and financial losses. As such, seismic risk models provide information that is crucial for earthquake mitigation and emergency response. For these models to be effective, their results must be accessible and comprehensible to a wide range of stakeholders including the general public. To achieve this, we applied a transdisciplinary approach to design and evaluate key outreach materials including seismic risk maps, scenario and rapid impact information. We conducted two representative online surveys with the general public (N₁=580; N₂=593), an online survey with students of European universities (N₃=83), seven interviews with experts developing rapid impact assessments, and three workshops with about 150 representatives from cantonal authorities, first responders, and civil protection.

Although the initial product designs were well received by the target groups, which we attribute to the close interdisciplinary collaboration during the design process, they have been significantly improved based on user feedback. This enhanced stakeholders’ understanding and the usability of the products. For example, the insights from the user testing led to a new preferred colour scheme and legend for the seismic risk map and in a new standard for displaying loss distributions in rapid impact assessments. In this talk, we will present the strategy elaborated for designing useful seismic risk information and provide insights to key findings from our accompanying research using the examples of the Swiss and European seismic risk model releases in 2022 and 2023.

How to cite: Marti, M., Valenzuela, N., Philippe, R., Irina, D., Helen, C., Laurentiu, D., and Stefan, W.: Communicating seismic risk: experiences from launching the Swiss and the European seismic risk models, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1854, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1854, 2024.

Enhancing societies’ resilience is crucial for saving lives and mitigating losses caused by significant earthquakes. Earthquake forecasting offers an opportunity to inform societies – professionals and the general public – about the probability of earthquakes of certain magnitudes to occur. Particularly following a severe earthquake, earthquake forecasts (in this special case sometimes called aftershock forecasts) play a pivotal role in addressing the common question "What comes next?" posed by various stakeholders, including the media, the public, regional and national authorities. Earthquake forecasts allow to respond quantitatively to this question. Nevertheless, understanding how stakeholders utilize the often very low probabilities of future large earthquakes needs further research to ensure accurate interpretation and effective implementation of the provided forecasts.

At the conference, we will present the procedure applied by the Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zurich in developing and validating the forecasting model, as well as the co-creation and testing of communication materials. In essence, our approach involved conducting an expert elicitation to understand common practices, fostering an international network for continuous knowledge exchange. In parallel, we began formulating and testing the earthquake forecast model tailored to Switzerland and started assessing the needs of Swiss end users. Our ongoing efforts involve designing forecast products intended for duty seismologists, enabling them to respond promptly to media inquiries and to public requests. We also test these products and more simplified prototypes with authorities and the public, providing for instance insights into the likely evolution of an earthquake sequence.

Some first insights from the international expert elicitation are that (i) societal stakeholders need support in interpreting the forecasts; (ii) scenarios are a common way to communicate earthquake forecasts; (iii) ideally, earthquake forecasts would be permanently communicated to society; (iv) information needs do not vary significantly between the different stakeholders; and (v) the way earthquake forecasts are communicated to society should be tested and co-designed with the intended users. Regarding the latter, stay tuned for the conference where we present the techniques and methods we have been using for the stakeholder testing in Switzerland.

This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement Number 101021746, sCience and human factOr for Resilient sociEty (CORE), and the Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zurich.

How to cite: Dallo, I., Marti, M., Mizrahi, L., and Wiemer, S.: From model development to co-designing user-centered earthquake forecasts, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1894, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1894, 2024.

Merapi volcano in Central Java, Indonesia, is one of the most hazardous volcanoes in Southeast Asia, yet humans have inhabited the area around Merapi since ancient times. Responses to official hazard warnings are not always taken up by all community members, and some groups actively resist  engaging in protection measures initiated by official authorities. A relatively new strategy to raise hazard awareness and to improve communication with interest groups involves cultural communication tools, such as the use of local wisdom and ancient oral traditions. The local legends around Merapi volcano describe the interaction of the spirit kings that reside within Merapi volcano and the Queen of the South Sea, who resides in the Indian Ocean near Parangtritis, some 50 km SSE of the volcano. The royal palace in Yogyakarta is located half-way between Merapi volcano and Parangtritis beach and is believed to balance these opposing forces. In 2006 and 2010, Merapi erupted explosively and on both occasions, earthquakes shook the region and caused the eruptions to grow more intense. Notably, the 2006 earthquakes clustered along the Opak River fault system to the south of the volcano that reaches the sea at Parangtritis beach, the fabled residence of the Queen of the South Sea. We argue that local legends developed to rationalise the dynamic interaction between the volcano and the frequent regional earthquakes through the rich oral traditions and ceremonies in the districts around Merapi. These legends can thus be thought of as comprising an ancient hazard catalogue with respect to local eruptive behaviour and seismic phenomena. This realisation is now finding increasing use in communicating volcanic hazard knowledge to diverse local resident and interest groups, including local primary schools, showing considerable (and measurable) effects on hazard awareness and hazard preparedness (1). The use of cultural communication tools can thus help to further reduce casualties in times of future volcanic crisis.

How to cite: Troll, V., Deegan, F. M., and Seraphine, N.: Employing ancient oral traditions in Central Java to warn of volcano–earthquake interaction, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-5663, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5663, 2024.

A proper evaluation and an effective communication of flood risk are important aspects to reinforce flood preparedness and to reduce the impacts of future flooding events. In particular, communicating the expected flood risk to different categories of people (i.e., non-technician, of different age and formation) is recognized as a real challenge.

Flood maps typically present flood scenarios using spatially distributed flow depth and velocity, which are unable to convey intelligible information on the associated hazard to the general public. Similarly, hazard indexes meant to express flood hazard by combining flow depth and velocity have important intrinsic limitations. These indexes were developed to identify the critical thresholds for human instability in floodwaters, based on experimental data or conceptual models. Accordingly, they can be used to detect flood-prone areas where pedestrians cannot cope with floodwaters, but they are unable to rate intermediate hazard degrees correctly. This is because a linear relationship between flow velocity and hazard is assumed, which is an oversimplification given that human stability in floodwaters is a matter of forces, which depends on the square of the velocity.

We propose using the concept of loss probability of people in floodwaters, LP, to pursue an intelligible and effective communication of flood risk. Defined as the probability of a pedestrian to be swept away by floodwaters, LP accounts for both hazard and vulnerability in a physics-based and data-consistent fashion. Its spatial distribution can be easily computed as a function of water depth and velocity.

A real case study application highlights that, in slow shallow waters, hazard indexes overestimate the risk perception, whereas LP correctly predicts low risk levels. On the other hand, LP identifies high risk conditions in slow and deep waters, for which hazard indexes generally provide a severe underestimation of the real danger.

How to cite: Lazzarin, T., Chen, A. S., and Viero, D.: Improving flood risk evaluation and communication by mapping the loss probability of pedestrians, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8051, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8051, 2024.

How to cite: Mantini, M., Rebora, N., Polo, L., Andreaggi, M., Gioia, A., Franciosi, C., Ferraris, L., and Morando, M.: Risk Communication as part of European civil protection mechanism. Roadmap basis from a national to a European Union Civil Protection communication and awareness.  , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8414, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8414, 2024.

The Kit Salt Gardens is an educational project on coastal geosciences composed of a box containing bricks and miniatures that exemplify the natural elements of the tidal wetlands (such as sediment, water, animal species, and typical vegetation). It allows hands-on activities related to wetlands ecogeomorphology and climate change. The Kit was developed for primary school students, assisted by a teacher/monitor, and the progression in the Kit is made in two levels. In the first level, for children aged 6 to 8 years old, concepts such as habitat composition, sediment, plants, and the effect of the tide on the environment, are explored. The Ria Formosa wetland's diversity inspired the natural elements that compose the Kit. Through storytelling, a narrative is created with various characters (animals) that inhabit the salt marshes (Alex the crab, Sam the seahorse, Cris the flamingo, and Manu the lost turtle) and the iconic plants (Zostera noltei, Spartina maritima, and Limoniastrum monopetalum). The first level guides the children through various games (e.g., building games, matching games) to the construction of the habitat, thus explaining how the marshes are formed. In the second level, for children aged 9 to 10, participants learn about climate change, sea-level rise, and climate scenarios (using climate cards). Students are invited to understand the physical (geomorphological) and ecological processes that regulate the formation of these environments, by constructing wetlands zones, while understanding the main threats (e.g., sediment supply, sea-level rise).

The aim is to promote children's literacy on coastal dynamics as they “build their marsh”, answer quizzes, and play with images and dices. The teacher/monitor can use the kit for other classroom activities. They can use it, for example, to explore the setting and characters for a new story, to serve as an introduction to a field trip to the coastal zone, or as an orientation exercise for group work. The handling of the Kit by the students is intended to generate critical thinking and creativity while empowering them with knowledge about the world around them.

Acknowledgments

The project was funded in 2022 by the British Society of Geomorphology and Wiley. A.R. Carrasco by the contract CEECINST/00052/2021/CP2792/CT0007 funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). The authors also recognize the support of national funds through FCT, under project LA/P/0069/2020, granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET, and project UID/00350/2020 granted to CIMA (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/00350/2020).

How to cite: Carrasco, A. R. and Matias, A.: Exploring the wonders of wetlands with the Kit ‘Salt Gardens’, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9507, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9507, 2024.

Scientists working on natural hazards and associated risks play a key role in population information with respect to disaster risk reduction. But they are not always familiar with the socio-cultural and informational contexts of at-risk communities, and identifying the right local partners and intermediaries can be a tricky and time consuming process. Sendai Framework and recent studies target school teachers as relevant mediators for disaster risk education and scientific information. Here, we document and analyze the experience of school teachers’ during the 2018 seismo-volcanic crisis in Mayotte, France and discuss the benefits and challenges of taking them as partners to better inform at-risk communities during and prior to a crisis. Mayotte case study is interesting because it corresponds to a multi-cultural context. It is an oversea French department characterized by important socio-cultural differences from mainland France, multilingualism, low levels of literacy and precarious living conditions (see Roinsard, 2014). Following the start of an unexpected seismic crisis in May 2018, submarine volcanism was discovered between 5 and 50 km off the east coast of this island where, in living memory, there had never been any volcanic activity. However, this discovery occurred in May 2019, a year after the first earthquakes worried the communities. The first months of the crisis were marked by major scientific uncertainties and a perceived lack of information from the inhabitants’ perspective (Fallou et al., 2020; Devès et al., 2022). Our study is built on 14 semi-directive interviews with school teachers and 18 focus groups with schoolers. This comprehensive set of qualitative data allows us to discuss the role of school teachers as intermediaries to spread information between scientists and at-risk communities, prior and following natural events.

How to cite: Le Vagueresse, L. and Devès, M.: School teachers as partners in a disaster risk reduction context: challenges and benefits highlighted by Mayotte case study in France, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11197, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11197, 2024.

New Zealand is the second most hazardous country in the world according to the UN, and has had recent experiences of destructive earthquakes that have catalysed efforts to improve societal resilience. The Alpine Fault presents the most significant seismic hazard for the South Island, with a 75% probability of generating a magnitude 8 earthquake in the next 50 years (Howarth et al. 2021). An event of this scale will cause widespread damage, and lead to nationally significant economic and social disruption.  The AF8 [Alpine Fault magnitude 8] programme was established in 2016, as a partnership between science and emergency management to build societal awareness and preparedness for a future Alpine Fault earthquake disaster. The programme has used a scenario-based planning approach to improve readiness across local, regional and national contexts. The compelling ‘science story’ of the Alpine Fault is used as a platform to draw people into improving their individual, community and business preparedness. Since its inception, AF8 has had demonstrable impact on improving resilience, from the grassroots to the highest levels of government, and has been awarded for its collaborative governance by Local Government New Zealand. The programme is considered a leader in risk communication, using human-centred design principles to develop engaging digital education resources and social media campaigns. This paper will explore the key elements of the programme; scenario-based planning and effective risk communication to reveal insights that may support other collaborative, science-based risk reduction efforts globally.

How to cite: Orchiston, C.: Collaboration at the science-policy interface for effective earthquake risk communication in New Zealand  , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12557, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12557, 2024.

A key problem in flood early warnings for small catchments is the increasing forecast uncertainty associated with decreasing catchment size. Forecasts for small catchments often are based on rainfall-runoff models and quantitative precipitation estimation, both of which are subject to considerable uncertainties. In the case of a flood event, these uncertainties must be communicated to the responsible authorities along with the actual flood alert, in order for them to respond appropriately.

This requires a reliable warning system that can easily adapt to the different needs of its users. Within the HoWa-PRO project (howa-pro.sachsen.de) an information platform (howapro.de) was developed meeting exactly these requirements. The platform is an interactive web-based application providing flood early warnings for small catchments (for now only in Saxony) along with forecast uncertainties. It uses a hydrological ensemble forecast system to calculate hourly predictions and presents these as coloured symbols and plots with uncertainty bands or data layers with various information on probabilities and daily sums.

The users of the HoWa information platform are flood risk managers at municipal and district level, who often have no scientific background and certainly, no knowledge of the uncertainties in hydrological forecasts. For this reason, we developed a modular training concept that takes into account the heterogeneous level of knowledge of various user groups, such as employees of water authorities or members of the water brigade and enables a flexible and user-adapted implementation of the training courses. Additionally, a serious game on flood forecasting was designed aiming to convey important key-massages in a playful way. The game can be played during the trainings or just for fun when browsing through the HoWa information platform.

Both, the information platform and the training concept were developed in collaboration with the target groups through workshops with intensive discussions and iterative improvements. Consequently, the products on the HoWa platform are visualized and explained in a user-oriented manner. Users' preferences and suggestions were considered in the presentation of warnings (What is presented? How is it presented?) and in communicating uncertainties (Which formulations are also understood by laypersons?). Subsequent to the user workshops, the training concept and information platform were gradually adapted.

This contribution provides an overview of the visualization of uncertainties on the HoWa information platform, the training modules on the topic of uncertainties, and the iterative adaptation process by means of a continuous user dialogue.

How to cite: Stefanova, A., Sallwey, J., Philipp, A., and Mueller, U.: Communicating uncertainties in flood early warnings, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-13243, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-13243, 2024.

The communication of coastal issues and other scientific themes relies on the efforts of scientists and other professional groups such as science communicators working in universities, research centres, media outlets, and museums. Coastal Geoscience and Engineering (CGE) is a scientific field that addresses crucial issues of risk related to natural hazardous processes such as beach erosion and coastal flooding. These concerns have become increasingly relevant in the current global scenario marked by socio-demographic development along coastal areas facing the effects of climate change. Furthermore, communication by scientists and engineers in this field can contribute to informed participatory decision-making. In this study, the objective was to quantify and characterize science communication activities by experts on CGE. Using emails from experts pooled from three international conferences on coastal dynamics, data was collected using an online questionnaire, between September 2022 and March 2023. Socio-demographic data and insights were obtained into experts’ practices and perspectives on communication, including frequency, formats, topics, motivations, and barriers.

The number of valid responses was 133, primarily researchers from Europe, North America, and Oceania, mostly male (n = 71, 53.4%), with a mean age of 45.4 (SD = 11.2). Results revealed that nearly all participants (≈ 95%) actively engage in public communication, which is a high number compared with other studied groups, where rates of scientists that did not engage in public communication range between 11% and 27%. For most of the analysed aspects of science communication in the current study, differences in opinion according to gender, age, and professional category were not significant. Notably, a preference was observed for direct interaction with audiences at local and regional scales, such as through lectures, talks, and seminars (74%), over indirect ways of communicating, like media and social media. This preference is likely related to the heightened familiarity many audiences hold on the communicated themes, with a focus on coastal risk (75%) and climate change impacts (69%), and the preferred audiences that include the public sector (55%) and school students (43%). These findings align with the prevalent altruistic motives for communication pointed out by respondents: to engage with society (76%) and to help citizens take informed decisions (68%). While the current study provides valuable insights into CGE communication, further research is necessary to delve deeper into the analysis and further enhance our understanding of this important interconnection between coastal experts and society.

How to cite: Matias, A., Pinto, B., Areia, N. P., and Carrasco, A. R.: How do coastal experts communicate science? Insights from an international survey, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17037, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17037, 2024.

Following the recent unrest phase occurred at Campi Flegrei Caldera in the last years, the population’s demand for information on the “bradyseism” phenomenon has significantly increased. The bradyseism consists in a slow subsidence or uplift ground movement that always has characterized the dynamics of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area. Generally, seismic activity accompanied ground uplifts whereas no seismic activity occurred during ground subsidence. In order to contribute towards the understanding of this particular phenomenon for the population residing in the Campi Flegrei area, we created an exhibition panel, which shows the general trend of the bradyseism since the year 34 A.D. up to modern times. The central panel shows a graph created by merging information from historical sources, geodetic levelling and GNSS data published in recent papers. The altimetric reference “0” of this panel is that of the average see level referred to the year 1900. To make the exhibition panel more incisive, we insert in the graph copies of vintage prints and postcards of the ruins of a monument located in proximity of the city of Pozzuoli’s harbor: The Macellum, best known as Serapeum. The peculiarity of this ancient Roman market is the presence, at various heights on the three still erected columns, of lithodome holes that are an indication of the sea level in the past. The images of the vintage prints (since about 1730) and of the postcards (since about 1850), well show the Serapeum in the phase of subsidence or ground uplift being its floor flooded with water (below sea level) or dry (above sea level). The vintage prints and postcards, inserted in correspondence of the date when realized, well support the trend in the graph. The exhibition panel was presented at “Notte dei Ricercatori” event (Napoli 29 September 2023) and in occasion of the “Futuro Remoto” event (Napoli 22-27 November 2023), receiving notable public success for the accompanying images that well helped in understanding the bradyseism phenomena.

How to cite: Milano, G. and Bellucci Sessa, E.: A contribution towards the understanding of the “bradyseism” phenomenon at the Campi Flegrei volcanic area (Southern Italy), EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17942, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17942, 2024.

Risk mitigation for natural and human-made hazards hinges on effective two-way communication between Civil Protection Authorities (CPAs) and the at-risk population. This work focuses on identifying the timing and methods of this communication. Effective communication is shaped by the information that is available, like forecast lead times and hazard observations, and the technical and conceptual tools that support it. It also requires that CPAs communicate with citizens at all stages of the disaster management cycle: before a hazard event (prevention and preparedness), during a hazard event (response), and after a hazard event (recovery and learning from the event). This is applicable to all hazard types. For efficient risk communication, the best approach is an integrated one, combining cutting-edge technology with targeted conceptual tools. Both were developed and tested in the RiskPACC project (www.riskpacc.eu). A notable innovation in RiskPACC is the active involvement of both CPAs and citizens in tool development, through co-creation and co-development activities that aid in tool design and finalization (Papathanasiou et al., 2023b). RiskPACC's conceptual framework focuses on facilitating effective two-way communication between CPAs and citizens. It provides guidance on building relationships for risk reduction and co-developing communication strategies, based on a shared understanding of local risks. This is supported by a resource repository and good practices, like participatory mapping. An example of a co-developed technology within RiskPACC is the Aeolian AR mobile app (Papathanasiou et al., 2023a), covering all disaster risk management phases and enabling bidirectional communication between citizens and CPAs.

Acknowledgments:

This research has been financed by European Unions’ Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101019707, project RiskPACC (Integrating Risk Perception and Action to enhance Civil protection-Citizen interaction).

References:

Papathanasiou, Chrysoula; Sampson, Orestis; Douklias, Thanasis; Karagiannidis, Lazaros; Michalis, Panagiotis and Amditis, Angelos (2023).  Evolution of an ICT tool through co-creation for effective disaster risk management. SafeGreece 2023, Athens Greece, 25-27 September 2023. Retrievable at https://safegreece.org/safeattica2023/images/docs/safeattica2023_proceedings.pdf.

Papathanasiou, Chrysoula; Michalis, Panagiotis; Stavrou, Konstantinos; Tsougiannis, Evangelos; Anniés, Jeannette; Papageorgiou, Sofia; Ouzounoglou, Eleftherios; Amditis, Angelos (2023). Enhancement of local community resilience to natural and man-made disasters through the application of co-created novel technological tools. EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1381. Retrievable at https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1381.

How to cite: Papathanasiou, C., Mulder, F., Fordham, M., Karagiannidis, L., and Amditis, A.: Technological and conceptual tools for risk communication during the different phases of disaster risk management of natural and human-made hazards, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-18191, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-18191, 2024.

Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) practitioners are increasingly encouraged to strengthen communication and engagement with multiple organisations and citizens to support inclusive and multi-level risk governance (Renn and Schweizer, 2009; Newig and Fritsch, 2009). Knowledge co-production processes and tools can support engagement across a wide range of stakeholders across the science-society interface, representing a diversity of disciplines, sectors, skills and knowledge types (Norstrom et al. 2020; Daniels et al. 2020). Such processes, encourage experimentation, creativity and learning in novel ways to help break down disciplinary barriers, encourage open dialogue, build trust and guide processes towards transdisciplinary solutions.

Creating spaces for play has been recognised to encourage, stimulate and facilitate creativity in organisational settings by creating a diversion and temporarily suspending obligations and pressures (Mainemelis and Ronson, 2006). Here we present the use of a Creative Play approach within knowledge co-production workshops for Real World Labs Risk-Tandem training as part of the Directed project (EU Horizon) and a workshop exploring risk communication strategies in Cork city as part of the Promoting Resilient Cities through Community Participation and Communication of Climate and Disaster Risks (PROCOMMS) UNIC seed-funded project. Creative play in this context involves the use of tactile materials, such as lollypop sticks, play doh, pipe cleaners and coloured card, to support the participants in their discussions and idea generation, to enable unstructured exploration of issues at hand. The Real World Lab training application helped identify target groups, knowledge capacities and needs and communication solutions. The PROCOMMS workshop also generated information on target groups and co-explored risk communication strategies to meet the needs of specific target groups including elderly, members of the Traveller community, businesses, and local residents. The results included 3D creations of risk communication solutions, such as awareness raising fridge magnets for the elderly. In both cases, the creative play approach enabled a fun and dynamic atmosphere, helping to encourage participation, break down disciplinary barriers, overcome formalities, communicate similarities and differences, and help frame and focus emerging ideas.

The session will also highlight plans for Directed Real World Labs to implement knowledge co-production processes and the ‘living’ good practices guide on risk communication and community engagement being developed by the PROCOMMS project.

References:

Daniels, E., et al. (2020). Refocusing the climate services lens: Introducing a framework for co-designing “transdisciplinary knowledge integration processes” to build climate resilience. Climate Services, 19. 100181. DOI: 10.1016/j.cliser.2020.100181

Directed Project (EU Horizon, 2022- 2026). Real World Labs. Available at: https://directedproject.eu/about/#real-world-labs

Mainemelis, C., & Ronson, S. (2006). Ideas are born in fields of play: Towards a theory of play and creativity in organizational settings. Research in organizational behavior, 27, 81-131.

Newig, J., and O. Fritsch. (2009). ‘Environmental Governance: Participatory, multi-level – and effective?’ Environmental Policy and Governance 19(3):197–214

Norström, A. V., Cvitanovic, C., Löf, M. F., West, S., Wyborn, C., et al. (2020). Principles for knowledge co-production in sustainability research. Nature Sustainability, 3(3). 182–90. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0448-2

Renn, O., & Schweizer, P.-J. (2009). Inclusive risk governance: concepts and application to environmental policy making. Environmental Policy and Governance, 19(3), 174–185.

How to cite: Cumiskey, L., Cubie, D., Parviainen, J., Bharwani, S., Schweizer, P.-J., Hofbauer, B., and Steinhausen, M.: Exploring creative play to enhance multi-stakeholder climate and disaster risk communication and knowledge co-production, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19048, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19048, 2024.

Comprehensively addressing adaptation requires raising the awareness on climate change, recognising the factors influencing engagement and adoption of adaptation options, and understanding perceptions of climate change. However, while there is an extensive literature on public (individual and social) awareness and perspectives on hazards, risk, and impacts, as well as the broader concern for climate change, there are limited insights on organisational perceptions. Nevertheless, there is an inherent importance of focusing on organisational preparedness, adaptation and resilience given the differential impacts of climate change on organisational structure and operations and noting that organisational adaptive capacity is poorly understood.

This research offers unique organisational insights through an analysis of a national survey of UK-based organisations’ perceptions about adapting to a changing climate. Administered in spring 2021, the survey examines the responses of 2,400 persons with organisational planning roles on awareness of climate change and its physical risks, as well as ongoing action and perceived challenges to adaptation by organisations in the UK. In this research phase, we focus on the specific awareness of climate information by organisations, including the private sector, local authorities, public health and education sectors, as well as the volunteer sector, and note the indicated frequency, ease of use, and reliability of specified climate information sources across the different sectors. This research offers a platform for dialogue on the need to increase and improve risk communication to interest groups including a variety of organisations, as well as balancing organisational concerns relating to uncertainty and financial bottom-line.

How to cite: Dookie, D. S., Conway, D., and Dessai, S.: Informing adaptation: how do UK organisations view and use climate information?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19082, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19082, 2024.

Climate change constitute one of the main challenges mankind has to come up against, where of crucial importance is the undertaking of initiatives collaboratively by the countries in order to counter the consequences of climate crisis. The deterioration of the environmental conditions due to the alteration of climatic conditions has increased the likelihood of occurrence of various natural hazards (e.g. floods, storms, landslides, drought events, wildfires) from 2000 to 2019 as specified by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), which reinforced the multi-hazard profile of the hazard-prone areas. Greece has been affected by several disastrous events as stated in multiple data sources of natural hazards, where wildfires, floods and earthquakes have induced detrimental effects. However, there is a plethora both of hazard interrelations and types of hazards interactions that can exacerbate the implications caused by natural hazards. On the other hand, education and communication of hazard cascades will contribute substantially to the reduction of disasters, therefore it is indispensable dissemination activities of multi-hazard approaches to be implemented. The purpose of this research is to propose a service that leverages historical geospatial data or spatially referenced data, based on the literature of domino/triggering effect, in order to promote and assist preparedness actions for disaster chains in the context of education.

Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the Research Committee of the National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.), which awarded Michail-Christos Tsoutsos with a Doctoral Scholarship and, thus, enabled him to carry out the research required for this kind of study. Grant number: 65/219100.

How to cite: Tsoutsos, M.-C. and Vescoukis, V.: Cascade effects of Greece using historical data of natural hazards: An operational tool in education, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20521, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20521, 2024.

Understanding what are the main characteristics of seismic risk communication
practice and research is essential to depict best practices and gaps that can provide
insights for future improvements. Towards this task, and focussing on the European
framework, a scoping review based on the analysis of scholarly literature databases,
was conducted. It reveals that, over the last 20 years, seismic risk communication has
been a research topic of increasing interest, trying to keep up with current risk
communication trends and yet mostly under-researched. Recommendations from
international disaster risk reduction frameworks show up also through the increasing
interest on the communication of seismic risk in Europe. However, it appears to be
practiced in an uneven way in the different European countries and not necessarily
linked to the level of hazard.
It mostly occurs in the pre-crisis phase of the disaster lifecycle when risk awareness
and capacity to cope with hazards can be effectively built.
An increasingly proactive, with an emphasis on a bottom-up strategy that relies on
youths to build the resilience of future generations is another key issue of the
communication of seismic risk in the last 2 decades.
Social media have had an increasing impact to provide timely and actionable
information in times of crisis and to engage citizens, in the pre-crisis and post-disaster
phase.
Our data highlights that the future agenda for the communication of seismic risk
should be set on building trust with the public, tailoring communication to its needs.
Actions are even more necessary to curb the spread of fake news and its negative
impact on disaster management and build the communication practices on a
theoretical background

How to cite: Musacchio, G., Saraò, A., Falsaperla, S., and Scolobig, A.: Two decades of seismic risk communication in Europe: where did we head to?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-21551, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-21551, 2024.

India finds itself in the throes of an unprecedented water crisis, posing a severe threat to millions of lives and livelihoods. Currently, a staggering 600 million Indians grapple with high to extreme water stress, leading to approximately two lakh deaths annually attributed to insufficient access to safe water. The gravity of the situation is exacerbated by projections indicating that, by 2030, the country’s water demand will surpass twice the available supply. This foretells a dire scenario of acute water scarcity affecting hundreds of millions of people and culminating in an estimated ~6% decline in the nation’s GDP. In light of these alarming statistics, the need for a localised, culturally infused, and literary approach to communicate scientific data on water scarcity to the general populace has become more crucial than ever. Contemporary Indian graphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee’s graphic narrative All Quiet in Vikaspuri (2015) has been read for this study to analyse the embodied experiences of water scarcity faced by the thirsty population in India’s one of the most polluted megacities who are in the quest, both mythical and physical, of finding and retaining water supply in Delhi. Through an experimental amalgamation of scientific data and graphic media, Banerjee explores how stories play crucial roles both in unveiling the historical consciousness of the postcolonial hydro-modernity marked by the resource extraction and hydrological exhaustion and in framing scarcity, not as natural but as socio-political production in twentieth and twenty-first-century India. This study does not merely engage with the data, research, and discussions around climate change and water crisis, which often remain abstract, full of jargon, and far removed from everyday lived realities. Rather, it underscores the urgency of visual communication in conferring long-lasting co-benefits upon the people and socio-ecological systems of which they are part.

How to cite: Rakshit, N. and Gaur, R.: Climate Disasters and Postcolonial Narratives: Mapping India’s Water Crisis in the Contemporary Indian Graphic Novels, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-773, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-773, 2024.

Skeptical Science is a volunteer-run website publishing refutations of climate misinformation. Some members of the Skeptical Science team actively research best-practices refutation techniques while other team members use the provided materials to share debunking techniques effectively either in writing or through presentations. In this submission, we highlight several of our publications and projects, designed to help to give facts a fighting chance against misinformation. While some of the resources are directly related to climate change such as the rebuttals to common climate myths, the employed techniques apply across different topics. They include the “FLICC-framework” which features a taxonomy of science denial rhetorical techniques (FLICC standing for fake experts, logical fallacies, impossible expectations, cherry picking, and conspiracy theories), the Debunking Handbook 2020 which summarizes research findings and expert advice about debunking misinformation, and the Conspiracy Theory Handbook distilling research findings and expert advice on dealing with conspiracy theories. We will also introduce the Cranky Uncle smartphone game,  which uses critical thinking, gamification, and cartoons to interactively explain science denial techniques and build resilience against misinformation.

How to cite: Winkler, B. and Cook, J.: Resources to give facts a fighting chance against misinformation, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1575, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1575, 2024.

Recent years have seen record-shattering extreme heat all over the world. Outliers have even surprised climate scientists. In the Netherlands too, it could get extremely hot in the near future. What could the impacts be if intense temperatures hit the Netherlands? For such a scenario, we developed the climate story ‘Unseen heat’ (unseenheat.com). With this story, about a young family in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, we want to depict what could happen if we face an unprecedented heat crisis.

The target audience of the story are professionals. With storytelling, matching pictures and sound, we want to make professionals aware of the possible risks of extreme heat. The aim is to start the conversation about how to prepare for a heat crisis.

In this presentation we would like to share our experiences regarding the developement of the storyline. The story is based on the latest scientific insights on exceptional weather events and impacts in the Netherlands, and numerous interviews. We will also explain how the story is currently being used by professionals, and we will present our lessons learned  on how the climate story can help to prepare for a heat crisis.

How to cite: Klok, L., Anker, J.-W., van der Horst, S., Kelder, T., and Staal, D.: Unseen heat, a story about the potential heat extremes in the Netherlands, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-2157, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2157, 2024.

When addressing the intricacies of climate change and its profound impact on humanity and nature, we encounter extraordinary complexity. Whether the goal is to present scientific information to support decision-making processes, create seamless digital stories that capture the imagination of an audience, or produce data visualisations that help us discern, distinguish, learn and understand, Design can offer a systematic tool to tackle this complexity. Design provides the solid foundation of human-centered methodologies that equip us with the tools needed to meet our audience where they are, ensuring the participation of multiple stakeholders and the inclusion of diverse perspectives. This is key to building solutions that resonate with an audience, upholding principles of justice, equality, fairness, and transparency.

How to cite: Angela, M. and Tom, G. J.: Design as a participatory foundation for impactful climate communications, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3116, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3116, 2024.

The main objective of this research is to establish the possible strategies that can be used in order to increase the number of people especially in K-12 education who are involved in climatology. The purpose is to analyze the creative utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and academic entrepreneurship for teachers’ creation and sale of AI-based customized narrations on climate change issues. This is done by two means namely, application of AI tools through live streaming classes and e-training on content in teaching as well as mentoring them on business skills of disseminating and selling out such materials. There are three major areas where teachers require assistance such as producing better resource materials, generating income through them, and promoting students’ environmentally-related learning outcomes.

The research design involves both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Questionnaires given to 150 respondents who undertook online training will enable the collection of quantitative data indicating how effective the program is and whether AI tools are user-friendly. Thus, more than eighty percent of educators admitted that they could facilitate personalized climate stories using these programs; moreover, 85 percent said they were able to create personalized stories with their assistance. Furthermore, more than seventy percent anticipate an increase in interest among students about studying climate change. Interviews were conducted among various stakeholders including ten teacher entrepreneurs, ten students, and ten parents so as to collect qualitative data. These interviews aim at illustrating trust building through AI-infused materials which improve how we talk about climate change as well as encouraging sustainable behaviors among young people who learn. For instance eight out ten respondents confessed that they “knew nothing about global warming” but today they have knowledge concerning power plants discharging greenhouse gasses into the environment.. Thus this indicates a decline in numbers of children who perceive environmental conservation as a normal thing thus demonstrating that AI based instruction is efficient towards changing students attitudes for sustainability actions caused by it.

This study emphasizes that AI supports presentation of scientific knowledge to young people in an exciting way. Therefore, it is concerned with equipping teachers with competences in content development and entrepreneurship. Thus, climate education’s pedagogical efficiency, which improves its economic viability by presenting a way of imparting scientific truths on the subject matter, is thus also developed through this model.

How to cite: Chen, X. and Ryoo, J.: AI-Enhanced Academic Entrepreneurship in K-12 Climate Education in China, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3182, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3182, 2024.

Our investigation presents a comprehensive fact-checking analysis of the standing of homeopathy in Greece, juxtaposing the support it receives from some official institutions with the prevailing scientific consensus. This work was prompted by a recent controversy surrounding the sponsorship of a homeopathic conference by the Ministry of Health and the Athens Medical Association. Notably, the official website of the organization hosting the event published articles making bold assertions about the effectiveness of homeopathy in treating COVID-19 and casting doubts on the safety of mRNA vaccines. Furthermore, the event highlighted a presentation claiming to treat a supposed case of vaccine-induced autism with homeopathy.

To address these claims, we conducted a detailed inquiry involving requests for official statements from relevant Greek authorities and professional associations. Our approach included a thorough review of national regulations, an extensive examination of medical literature, and an analysis of international medical recommendations regarding homeopathy. The findings revealed a stark contrast between institutional endorsements and the lack of empirical evidence supporting homeopathy’s efficacy in treating diseases.

Our work discusses the consequences of such a disparity between institutional support and scientific validation. The findings highlight the necessity of aligning health policies and endorsements with scientifically validated practices to maintain public trust and ensure the credibility of medical recommendations.

How to cite: Archontis, S. and Koutroumpelis, A.: Homeopathy in Greece: A critical evaluation of institutional support versus scientific evidence, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3634, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3634, 2024.

How to cite: Avanzi, F., Mantini, M., Marighella, A., Porcu, S., Romano, A., Salvioli Mariani, L., Caporlingua, M., Finizio, M., Galimberti, L., Cotugno, F., Grazzini, F., Lozito, N., Breeze, N., Cremonese, E., Galvagno, M., Favre, S., Pogliotti, P., Morra di Cella, U., Rossi, L., and Ferraris, L.: How to make droughts newsworthy: lessons from the 2022/2023 snow deficit in the Italian Alps, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-5397, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5397, 2024.

Facilitating meaningful cross-sectoral conversations is essential for the successful integration of various disciplines in climate change communication. To address the key challenges of our times, the exchange of ideas and best practices can be highly beneficial in a collaborative effort to enhance public engagement around climate science and solutions. By creating networks that bring together scientists, experts, and communication professionals, research institutions can collaboratively shape future climate narratives based on information trustworthiness. 

The CMCC Foundation’s approach to disseminating frontier science and showcasing exemplary climate change communication initiatives serves as a cutting-edge case study. With the biennial CMCC Climate Change Communication Award “Rebecca Ballestra”, CMCC aims to highlight innovative science-based communication projects worldwide, raising awareness about the changing climate and its societal impacts, through art, journalism, education and integrated campaigns. An ever-growing digital platform (www.cmccaward.eu) collects the best grassroots and upscaled initiatives that communicate threats and opportunities of current and future climate scenarios, empowering new voices and promoting interdisciplinary dialogue to trigger action. The first two editions of the Award have assembled over 300 initiatives from all around the globe, thus allowing to build a wide network of communication professionals and providing them with the opportunity to engage in dialogue and collaboration.

Building upon these connections, the Foresight Dialogues (https://www.cmccaward.eu/foresight-dialogues/), a series of online and in-person conversations with international experts, scientists and communication professionals, create a space for more in-depth discussions on the multifaceted role of communication in accelerating the climate transition. The topics covered include sociology in dialogue with Rebecca Huntley of the Australian agency 89 Degrees East; journalism, with Sarah Kaplan, climate reporter at Washington Post, and representatives from the American Climate Central network; disinformation, with Australian John Cook, founder of Skeptical Science, and the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO); arts, with the Serbian Center for the Promotion of Science (CPN) and Carolina Aragon, past CMCC Award Winner and professor at UMass Amherst; photography, with authors of the projects “The Cooling Solutions” and “On the Trails of the Glaciers”; solutions, with the Futerra change agency and Ione Anderson, from Brasil; public engagement, with the European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA) and the Barcelona SuperComputing Center (BSC); architecture with the Stefano Boeri Architetti firm; and podcasts and films with the Italian authors of Bello Mondo, and the second edition Award winner from India, Faces of Climate Resilience. 

The Foresight Dialogues are an integral part of the CMCC’s editorial project, Foresight (https://www.climateforesight.eu/), an online multimedia magazine that combines in-house climate change expertise with external knowledge. Foresight gathers ideas from international climate experts, offering insights into the potential future of our society, economy, and planet by bridging science, policy, and public narratives.

Together, these initiatives contribute to framing the discourse on the communication of climate research, linking interdisciplinary knowledge to actionable outcomes. As the CMCC Foundation continues to enlarge its network and spotlight impactful climate communication projects, it cultivates a shared understanding of climate challenges, promoting a collective response for a sustainable future.

How to cite: Carlon, O., Mazzai, A., Glauda, A., Michielin, D., Bassetti, F., Santin, S., and Acierno, A.: Bridging disciplines, shaping futures: the power of networking for climate change communication, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8129, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8129, 2024.

How to cite: Boqué-Ciurana, A., López Madrid, J. M., Carbonell, E., Aguilar, E., and Lozano, C.: Surfing the Climate Wave: Laura and Joan's Expedition in the Delta , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8799, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8799, 2024.

The presentation intends to reflect about the relevance of narrating the climate crisis, by taking into account an ongoing initiative promoted by the Department of Environmental, Land and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI) of Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo) called, indeed, “Narrare la crisi climatica”.

“Narrare la crisi climatica” is this year edition of an 8-year long initiative called “Conversazioni in Biblioteca” (Conversations in the Library). The Conversations aim to stimulate dialogue between hard sciences and social and human sciences, on topics related to environmental issues in the broader sense. The Conversations are open to the public, but they are also addressed to the wide PoliTo student community, to enhance their transdisciplinary skills.

With this year edition (the title can be translated into “Narrating the climate crisis”), we, as curator of the initiative, decided to invite, besides hard and social-human scientists, also people coming from what is usually called the “creative” domain (art, design, storytelling and writing, music, filmmaking, theater, etc.).

The presentation will analyze and discuss the way in which these three different forms of knowledge come together to dialogue around climate crisis and the way to narrate it.

We, as curators, have chosen the words “narrating” and “storytelling” knowing that human beings think, reason, understand and plan by telling stories to each other, and also knowing that the stories they tell themselves are not necessarily lies, quite the contrary. Even a scientific article, when it has to give an account of a transformation, a process, and the actions that have led to circumscribe it, highlight it, describe it, compare it, define it and perhaps explain it, will inevitably rely on a narrative.

We know that one of the strengths of narration is precisely its capacity to involve, to affabulate, to engage in a world, shared between the storyteller and those who participate in the narration and enjoy it, in order to come out, in the end, somewhat transformed - a transformation, therefore, that does not only concern the characters, events and facts narrated, but, on another level, also those who narrate and are narrated by them.

We know that these properties of narration do not only take place through words, which is why we decided to include in the conversation other expressive languages capable of creating a point of contact between scholars and the public.

Our interest in narration started also by considering Amitav Ghosh’s reflection about the inability of literature and art in general to deal with climate change and to narrate it, as a real imaginative failure (see Ghosh, The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable (2017)). We somehow wanted to probe if from 2017, when Ghosh published his reflection, up to now something was changed and if further change could be initiated by putting together three people for two hours discussing their experiences with the issue.

The presentation will analyze and reflect upon the interaction between the three forms of knowledge generated through the conversations.

How to cite: Vanin, E. and Mattozzi, A.: “Narrating the climate crisis” – an experiment in the form of a series of conversations, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11888, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11888, 2024.

Climate change adaptation in urban spaces will only be successful if societal actors from science, politics and public find common ground, and join forces on a local level. One of the sectors that is notoriously difficult to transform in a sustainable way is transportation, and linked to it the way we design our cities. Bike infrastructure is almost universally under-developed (apart from notable exceptions such as Utrecht, NL, or Copenhagen, DK), putting marginalised people at a massive disadvantage in that they cannot freely choose which mode of transport to use. The structural privilege for motorists in virtually all post-war western societies is so prevalent, that even mentioning of the shear existence of those privileges is considered offensive and met with huge outcry and media frenzy in support of the status quo.

So how to address the issue, given the fact that a host of transformative steps are undoubtedly required to make urban spaces future proof? How are we raising awareness to the fact that the externalised costs of excessive car use in cities are vastly underappreciated - be it health related costs due to noise and air pollution, accidents, lack of exercise; environmental costs due to carbon emissions; infrastructural investments; or the lack of greenery due to parked cars, and so on? In short, how can we change the conversation such that justice and visionary thinking (rather than fear) become front and center of the discourse?

We show how tailored science communication can help to expose preconceived notions and thus reduce conflict between various actors. The strategy is based on solid evidence, which highlights the hidden costs of currently privileged modes of transport. Also, it demonstrates why certain arguments in support of the status quo are deeply flawed. Using expertise from colleagues in the social sciences (organizational psychology), we aim at understanding why decision makers act so hesitantly. Ultimately, a list of guiding principles when it comes to constructive dialogue - and identifying bad faith actors - will be developed (with the help of experienced societal actors) and disseminated amongst decision makers but also colleagues in disciplines with similar levels of public controversy. First results are presented at EGU’24.

How to cite: Haustein, K., Zacher, H., Liebal, K., Eichholz, M., and Mühlhaus, U.: Justice and urban transformation in light of accelerating climate change , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12511, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12511, 2024.

The University of Graz Wegener Center has recently opened a new data portal termed Graz Climate Change Indicators (GCCI). It is accessible via https://gcci.earth (present version v2) and is currently receiving a substantial further upgrade (to GCCI v3) that will be released later in 2024. The data portal helps to bridge climate science, narratives and action and provides, in an easy-to-use way with focus on informative time series, reliable recent-past monitoring information jointly with current-state nowcasting and Paris-compliant future projection information, over the critical climate change timeframe from 1960 via the present to 2050.

In doing so, the GCCI portal focuses on three indicator classes that span the climate change problem, and projected solution pathways, from causes to impacts: greenhouse gas emissions (GEM-GHG Emissions Monitoring), global warming (CWM-Climate Warming Monitoring), and climate change impacts in terms of weather and climate extremes (EWM-Extreme Weather Monitoring, released spring 2024). The geographic domains included (GeoDomains) range from Global (GLO) via Europe (EUR) to Austria (AT), with the countries and regions within a domain (GeoRegions) covered by relevant indicator time series (GCCI v2 including GLO-EUR-AT domains for GEM and GLO for CWM).

We briefly introduce the overall GCCI design, including its open data and open science approach, which is made to enable broad uptake and to support climate solution narratives on “pathways to Paris”, also linking to the co-developed climate solutions framework “Carbon Management – carbsmart2Paris” (website https://carbmanage.earth). We then discuss climate action and policy relevant example use cases, from backing emission reduction policymaking to creating awareness for and understanding the links from emissions via greenhouse gas concentrations and radiative forcing to global warming in terms of global surface temperature increase and other changes. These exemplary uses and related narratives intend to highlight how the easy-to-use availability, and simple-to-add expandability, of scientifically reliable recent, current, and projected climate change key data may encourage and empower actors to exercise more climate-change-aware and climate-solutions-oriented decision making.

Overall, the GCCI data portal wants to bring, besides its value also for research and teaching, a clear added-value to policy makers, other stakeholders and the broader public, by helping science-back their climate narratives and action efforts towards reaching the Paris climate goals.

How to cite: Kirchengast, G. and Pichler, M.: Graz Climate Change Indicators: A data portal backing climate narratives towards reaching the Paris climate goals, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12998, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12998, 2024.

Scientific news in Bulgaria is not a high priority as there are not many specialised media to systematically cover the information flow, and scientific discoveries in the daily news are mostly covered by editors of international news and often appear in the sections titled Curiosity. The present study does not go into an analysis of the causes and consequences of these biases, although the problem of misinformation in science is largely rooted in the lack of professionalism in the field, as science news is not directly related to political misinformation, but could influence the societal reception. Still, mis/disinformation often permeates science news as well. Till now, the misinformation in scientific news in the Bulgarian linguistic field has not been research topic, exceptions are the analyses related to the provocations around the Green Deal (CSD, 2023) and indirectly to climate change.

This study tries to identify and compare the main narratives related to misinformation and science in the online space and analyzes some interesting cases of fake news in the media space in Bulgaria. Lewandowsky defines several disinformation strategies in science news: undermine and question the scientific consensus, highlight scientific uncertainty and demand certainty as a condition for climate action, attack individual scientists to undermine their credibility, undermine institutions in general, such as peer review, pseudoscientific alternatives through a network of blogs (Lewandowsky, 2021). These strategies are also visible in the Bulgarian space, and identifying the main narratives can serve as a possible inoculation against future misinformation.

The methodology involves, on the one hand, the manual monitoring and identification of controversial news related to science from Bulgarian online media. Specific cases are analyzed in an attempt to typify the narratives. On the other hand, technology has also been used to extract the topics by keywords related to science and climate change from very large online media platforms. The results of both approaches provide a picture of possible narratives and issues related to the representation of scientific news in the Bulgarian linguistic field.

Among the most shared news stories emerged not those that were scientific, but pseudoscientific ones related to dubious health advice, astrology and conspiracy theories. In this sense, the strategy of questioning the scientific consensus, undermining institutions and usining pseudoscientific alternatives is obvious. Scientific hoaxes related to Bulgarian history, as well as to everything Bulgarian, have emerged as a characteristic feature of Bulgarian social networks. Generative artificial intelligence is also a frightening topic. On the other hand, a topic like Global Information Systems is hardly touched upon, except by highly profiled publications, which can be considered a good sign.

Based on the narratives found, future prebunking and inoculation could be done. The narratives can be compared with those emerging in the post-Soviet space in other European countries and Europe in general, and in this sense, the study is a step toward a more general understanding of the processes of mis and disinformation in the scientific news flow not only in Bulgarian.

How to cite: Margova, R.: Misinformation in scientific news in Bulgarian for future inoculation , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15618, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15618, 2024.

GeoTraductores, a collaborative initiative involving Eos.org, GeoLatinas, and Planeteando, aims to overcome the language barrier in climate change and Earth science communication within Spanish-speaking communities. To accomplish this, science articles from Eos.org have been translated into Spanish by approximately 40 volunteers as part of the Eos en Español project. Around 85% of our team comprises  Latin women,  who have translated over 150 articles, contributing to expanding the Spanish-speaking audience of Eos.org and solidifying the initiative’s success. This strategic translation effort not only enhances accessibility but also promotes the representation of Latin American Early Careers Scientists, many of whom reside and work in predominantly English-speaking countries.

Since 2020, the GeoTraductores initiative has been co-led by (1) members of the non-profit organization GeoLatinas dedicated to embracing, empowering, and inspiring Latinas in Earth and Planetary Sciences; (2) Planeteando, a Mexican scientific and social outreach project in Earth and Environmental Sciences; and (3) Eos.org, the science news magazine published by AGU. Each party plays a distinct role in the initiative: (1) volunteer recruitment of translators is handled by GeoLatinas and Planeteando, (2) proofreading and editing of the translated articles is mainly led by Planeteando, and (3) the articles and platforms to make the final Spanish translation available are provided by Eos.org. In a broader effort, all involved collaborators utilize their social media platforms to make this bilingual content more accessible to a wider readership.

Throughout this initiative, the GeoTraductores volunteers benefit by improving their English and translation skills, gaining visibility on social media, and making an altruistic contribution to the Latin American general public. Collaborators also benefit from engaging and gaining a wider audience to communicate science, as they foster the capacity building of volunteers, promoting a science communication co-production, and boosting each other. Overall, GeoTraductores is forging a pathway to democratize science, particularly in Latin America. Through establishing and strengthening a network of expert bilingual science communicators, this initiative addresses historical language barriers that impede the accessibility and dissemination of scientific information to the general public. By empowering volunteers and embracing diversity, GeoTraductores paves the way for expanding multilingual spaces within Earth and Planetary sciences one translation at a time.

How to cite: Navarro-Perez, D., Ramírez-Salazar, A., Barragán-Montilla, S., Garcia Arredondo, M., Micalizio, C.-S., Rosa Marín, A., and Gómez Correa, M. A.: GeoTraductores: one translation at a time, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15895, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15895, 2024.

“Writing The Earth” was an interdisciplinary and collaborative programme between the Irish Writers Centre and the SFI Research Centre in Applied Geosciences, which brought six creative writers and ten geoscientists together to research and write about climate and geoscience in various genres or narrative forms to reach new public audiences.

In a collaborative process of talks, facilitated workshops and mentoring across six months, the programme brought the worlds of geoscience and creative writing together. New writings to have been created and performed for the public through the programme included: scenes from two new plays that explore the health of the planet and mass extinction through razor-sharp satire and earnest pathos. Other writings explored the intimate human connection between worker and object, consumer and extracted raw materials, and our relationship with groundwater through the lens of family history, mythology and science.

Writing the Earth sought to explore the commonality between geoscientists and writers as both narrators and observers of our world, and to create a safe space for deliberation, dialogue and creative expression on what can sometimes be complex, and contentions, geoscience topics. Central to the success of the programme, and in the creation of the new narrative writings, was the geoscientist-writer relationship. What a geoscientist does is to research and investigate a topic methodically, and to reach conclusions based on a series of observations which are often complex to explain to a general audience. What a writer often does is to make sense of our world, often the indecipherable parts of our existence, through language, imagery and emotion.  Whether scientist, or writer, both ultimately use the written word to describe the world to the reader.

We will share our experiences of running a creative, interdisciplinary programme, short extracts from the new writings, the results of the pre-, mid- and post-evaluation, and key takeaways on how to run a similar programme.

How to cite: McAuliffe, F., Bistany, V., and O'Rourke, F.: Writing the Earth: what happens when you bring creative writers and geoscientists together to explore climate and sustainability issues?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-16502, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-16502, 2024.

This paper reports on the design and development of a Digital Academy against Climate Change Disinformation providing citizens with trustworthy information and resources on climate change, as well as fact-checked information from credible sources. The objective of the Digital Academy is to enable citizens to browse through: a) trustworthy information, such as articles and scientific publications; b) fact-checks that debunk climate change disinformation; c) relevant resources, such as media literacy material; and d) reports on the state of disinformation around climate change.

The Digital Academy against Climate Change Disinformation is part of the AGORA project’s digital tools, delivered through the AGORA project’s Digital Agora living digital environment that enables stakeholders, scientists, experts, media and citizens to network and communicate, to find peers and other communities from other geographical or societal contexts to share challenges and needs, facilitating multidisciplinary, integrated approaches to societal transformation. Aspiring to play a crucial role in the collective efforts to tackle climate-related disinformation and drive societal transformation, the Digital Academy aims to enhance individual skills, foster collaboration, and provide credible sources for empowering local communities in addressing the climate crisis. 

The material (modules and resources) that is made available through the Digital Academy is structured in three main sections, namely (i) Climate Change, (ii) Media Literacy, and (iii) Resources. The Climate Change section includes modules, focusing on climate change, climate communication, and climate disinformation, and aims to equip users with a comprehensive understanding of climate-related challenges. Additionally, the Digital Academy actively counters climate change disinformation by providing debunks and reliable information. Recognizing the importance of media literacy in the digital age, the Media Literacy section includes modules on critical thinking, digital literacy, fact-checking, and verification, aspiring to empower users to navigate the digital landscape with confidence. The Resources section encompasses climate fact checks, reports on climate change and adaptation, and a wealth of tools and approaches. Case studies and stories within this section share experiences, highlighting enablers, barriers, and lessons learned from ongoing implementations.

In summary, the Digital Agora stands as a comprehensive platform, promoting informed decision-making, climate resilience, and media literacy. Through its diverse modules and extensive library of resources, the Digital Agora aims to create a resilient community equipped to address the challenges of climate change and disinformation.

Acknowledgement: The presented work is part of the AGORA Project and it is funded by the European Union through the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement No 101093921. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

How to cite: Markou, S., Doulgerakis, A., Triantafillou, A., Acierno, A., Buonocore, M., and Reder, A.: A Digital Academy against Climate Change Disinformation featuring trustworthy and fact-checked information and resources on climate change and media literacy., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17203, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17203, 2024.