The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international fields within the Earth and space sciences. The geophysical sciences involve four fundamental areas: atmospheric and ocean sciences; solid-Earth sciences; hydrologic sciences; and space sciences. The organization's headquarters is located on Florida Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Abstract Scientific assessments play a critical role in synthesizing evidence to support evidence-based decision-making in many sectors and topics. For climate change, large-scale assessments like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA) reports help many different users—from national government to local governments, Indigenous Peoples and communities, the private sector, the social sector, and the scientific community itself—navigate the complex field of climate risks, impacts, and integrated solutions. While cocreation with users is essential to developing actionable assessments, this paper lays the groundwork for future processes by identifying many advancing and emerging areas of relevant knowledge ready for assessment or additional near-term research. Drawing on the expertise of many scholars who were formerly tasked with producing the Sixth NCA and authors of other national or subnational climate assessment reports, this paper highlights select U.S.-relevant topics in which research advances since the 2023 Fifth NCA make new syntheses particularly valuable for future national, subnational, and sectoral climate assessments. It also identifies critical research topics in those select areas that would be useful for future climate assessment efforts. Overall, this research priorities road map aims to catalyze collaborations, research, and a network of climate assessments to synthesize the state of climate impacts, risks, and responses and to provide widely accessible and foundational information for sectoral, regional, and cross-cutting climate action plans and decisions in the United States. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY Scientific assessments are critical in informing households, communities, businesses, institutions, and governments as they respond to intensifying climate hazards. As climate change impacts accelerate, the pace of assessment and integration of science with decision-making and action must accelerate as well. A network of U.S. climate assessment efforts could rapidly synthesize actionable science and case studies to inform climate response strategies. To support future processes, this paper presents a selection of foundational topics needing assessment and near-term research across climate impacts, risks, and actions from the perspective of the United States and some of its key regions, environments, and economic sectors. For example, assessment is needed for the increasing threats posed by compound extremes and cascading climate risks, which can overwhelm systems developed for independent events. The effectiveness of climate responses likewise requires continuous evaluation and improvement, with consideration of the broader impacts (e.g., economic, environmental, health) associated with those strategies. System-level understanding of integrated climate response strategies can be advanced by combining observations and modeling with mitigation, adaptation, climate interventions, disaster management, and resilience decision scenarios. Overall, these research priorities aim to encourage new research and future national, regional, local, and sectoral climate assessments that support climate-informed decision-making in the United States.
Geosites and geoheritage are key resources for civic education, environmental awareness, and territorial understanding, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), regions of exceptional geological richness but limited institutionalization of geoconservation. In Peru, despite advances such as the UNESCO Global Geopark of Colca, a weak integration persists between geological heritage and national educational systems. This study adapts an international methodology for the functional assessment of geosites to the Peruvian context, producing a practical, replicable, and scalable tool for settings with limited institutional resources. The multicriteria approach evaluates seven functional variables, including target audience, accessibility, landscape diversity, and educational potential, focusing on educational and geotouristic dimensions. The assessment was applied to five representative geosites: Cordillera Negra, Pongo de Rentema, Añashuayco ashlar quarries and terraces in the Chili Valley, Nevado Coropuna, and Georuta Miraflores–Huaquis, complemented by interdisciplinary validation using the “8G” model and expert consensus via a modified Delphi process. Results highlight the high educational potential of these sites and underscore the value of integrating geoheritage assessment into geoscience teaching. Future challenges include expanding regional validation, systematizing educational criteria, and strengthening collaboration with local communities and managers, contributing to more effective and socially embedded geoconservation across LAC.
Open access is removing paywalls for readers, yet inequities in scholarly publishing remain. Editorial bias, language dominance, and the underrepresentation of scholars from the Global South on editorial boards continue to shape which voices and topics are visible in the global record. Financial practices also present barriers: waivers and discounts can be cumbersome, and engagement with Global South consortia in open access agreements is still limited. Improving equity means exploring new approaches — in both editorial and financial practices — that expand participation and strengthen scholarly publishing as a truly global, inclusive system.
Physical samples and their associated data and metadata underpin scientific discoveries across disciplines and can enable new science when appropriately archived. However, there are significant gaps in current practices and infrastructure that prevent accurate provenance tracking, reproducibility, and attribution. For most samples, descriptive metadata are often sparse, inaccessible, or absent. Samples and associated data and metadata may also be scattered across numerous physical collections, data repositories, laboratories, data files, and papers with no clear linkage or provenance tracking as new information is generated over time. The Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Physical Samples Curation Cluster has therefore developed guidance for scientific authors on ‘Publishing Open Research Using Physical Samples.’ This involved synthesizing existing practices, gathering community feedback, and assessing real-world examples. We identified improvements needed to enable authors to efficiently cite and link Earth science samples and related data, and track their use. Our goal is to help improve discoverability, interoperability, and reuse of physical samples, and associated data and metadata. Though primarily focused on the needs of Earth and environmental sciences, these guidelines are broadly applicable.
Editor‐in‐Chief reflects on six years leading this journal
