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***Japan Geoscience Union Mailnews December Issue No.411 12 DEC 2025***
<< Contents >>
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| 1. Foreword by Simon Wallis, President of JpGU
| 2. JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2026 Information
| -> Meeting Outline
| -> 2026 Session Information
| -> Abstract submission opens on Thursday, 15 January 2026
| -> About JpGU Membership
| 3. Call for Nominations: 2026 Wadati Award
| 4. From Committees
| -> Publicity and Outreach Committee
| 5. Information from PEPS
| -> Notice of 2026 APC ( Article Processing Charge)
| -> PEPS Website Renewal
| -> SPEPS article collections Call for papers
| -> Latest Articles
| 6. From Science Council of Japan
| 7. What’s New
| -> Event Information
| -> Career Opportunity
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#1. Foreword by Simon Wallis, President of JpGU (2025-2026)
Recent months have brought remarkable news from Mars: there are reports of lightning in its atmosphere, and perhaps the strongest chemical evidence yet that life existed beyond our own planet. Also, new geophysical research has also probed the internal parts of the planet, and now we know Mars likely possess a solid core. Each discovery brings the Red Planet a little closer to us, making it feel more familiar, even though humans have yet to set foot there.
Reading of these scientific advances reminds me of the novel The Martian, by Andy Weir which captured so vividly what it might feel like to stand on Mars. Its protagonist, stranded and presumed dead, must draw on his scientific training to survive and find his way back to Earth. He uses botany to grow food in the inhospitable soil, chemistry to produce water to sustain himself and his plants, and engineering to solve unexpected crises—from an overturned buggy to communicating with Earth.
It is the combination of an epic survival tale woven together with a carefully-considered scientific narrative that gives the book and its story a sense of authenticity that readers immediately recognize and makes it stand out. The book received many awards, including the 2015 Seiun Award for the Japanese translation of the novel. The book’s realism stems from the author’s own scientific background and understanding and his extensive research where he tried to get the details right, at least as far as the science told us at the time.
Some of the details of the book did not stand the test of a decade of scientific advances. For instance, there is more water on Mars than we once thought. The same novel written now would have different innovations; but this too is part of the scientific method—changing your story in the light of new evidence. The ingenuity, persistence, and creativity shown by the Martian—and the author—are the same qualities that underpin our own community. Every research project, whether focused on Earth or distant planets, requires the ability to confront the unknown and find solutions, without a manual.
As we look ahead to our upcoming annual meeting, JpGU-AGU 2026, I am delighted that we will be hosting plenary lectures. While I cannot promise Martians, I can promise speakers who will offer a broad and inspiring view of Earth and planetary science. They will share stories from the frontiers of research—stories grounded in experience, informed by discovery, and aimed at the next stage of our scientific journey.
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#2. JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2026 Information
(1) Meeting Outline
[JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2026]
Date: Sun. 24 – Fri. 29 May 2026 *for 6 days
Meeting format: Hybrid (on-site + online)
On-site venue: Makuhari Messe Chiba, Japan (International Conference Hall & Exhibition Halls 7 and 8)
♣ Meeting Theme: “Transformative Science for Life & Earth”
(2) 2026 Session Information
Session descriptions of the 2026 meeting are now available in the following website.
[2026 Sessions]
https://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e2026/sessionlist_en/
[About Session Schedule Release]
The session schedule, which was scheduled to be released on 10 December, is currently undergoing final adjustments. As this process is taking longer than initially anticipated, we are not yet able to confirm a release date.
We ask for your patience while we are doing our best to finalize the session schedule. We will promptly announce its release on the meeting website.
[Restrictions of abstract submission for Special sessions]
Some Union, Public, and Section Leading Sessions have restrictions on abstract submission.
If you wish to submit an abstract to a Union, Public, or Section Leading Session, please make sure to check the details on the website before submitting.
[Collaborative Sessions]
♦Co-sponsored Sessions with JpGU Society Members
The list of co-sponsored sessions with JpGU Society Members is available at:
https://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e2026/program.php#co-sponsoring_society_sessions
♦Co-sponsoring with Organizations Other Than JpGU Society Members
The list of co-sponsored sessions with organizations other than JpGU Society Members is available at:
https://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e2026/program.php#other_co-sponsorship
(3) Abstract submission opens on Thursday, 15 January 2026
We will start accepting abstract submissions from 14:00 JST on Thursday, 15 January 2026.
We look forward to receiving many attractive abstracts to JpGU-AGU 2026.
[Key Dates]
Abstract submission open: 14:00 Thu. 15 JAN 2026 [JST]
Early submission deadline: 23:59 Thu. 05 FEB
Final deadline: 17:00 Tue. 17 FEB
[Abstract Submission Fee]
Early-bird submission: 6,600 JPY/ abstract *tax included
Standard submission: 9,900 JPY/ abstract *tax included
(4) About JpGU Membership
The 2026 fiscal year for members starts on 13 January 2026. Please note that those who newly become a member on or before 12 January will be charged the annual dues for both FY 2025 and 2026.
https://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e2026/registration.php#obtain_ID
*We only accept credit cards to pay your membership dues, submission fees, and registration fees. Extra charges will incur if other methods are requested.
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#3. Call for Nominations: 2026 Wadati Award
(Solid Earth Sciences Section Award) Japan Geoscience Union
The Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU) is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the “Wadati Award.” This award was newly established to honor outstanding researchers, particularly in the field of solid earth sciences, who are internationally recognized and have made significant contributions to the advancement of science.
Acceptance Period:
From noon on Wednesday, 1 October to noon on Tuesday, 6 January 2026
(JST)
Detail: https://www.jpgu.org/en/2026wadati-award/
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#4. From Committees
(1) Publicity and Outreach Committee
Publicity and Outreach Committee JpGU will hold a winter seminar for Senior High School students.
Name of Event: 2025 Winter Seminar for Senior High School Students
Date: 13:00-16:30 Fri. 26 December 2025
* There will be a mixer after the lectures.
Event format: On-site only
Local Venue: The University of Tokyo
Participation fee: Free of charge (online participation is also open to public)
Lecturers:
– Dr. Shigeru Ida (Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology)
– Dr. Eiichi Tajika (The University of Tokyo)
Details and registration:
https://www.jpgu.org/public/20251226/
(Available in Japanese)
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#5. Information from PEPS
(1) Notice of 2026 APC ( Article Processing Charge):
PEPS has a publishing agreement with Springer Nature in which the APC increases incrementally each year; however, there will be no change in the APC for 2026. The APC is set at 1,870 USD / 1,560 EUR / 1,340 GBP, and JpGU members receive a 20% discount, making it 1,496 USD / 1,248 EUR / 1,072 GBP. (For Japanese authors, the APC is charged in USD, and the applicable APC rate is based on the acceptance date of the manuscript.)
For details on APCs, please visit the PEPS homepage.
(2) PEPS Website Renewal
The new PEPS website by Springer Nature has been released.
https://link.springer.com/journal/40645
There are still some issues causing inconvenience to authors and readers, but we will request corrections from Springer Nature.
(3) SPEPS article collections Call for papers:
We welcome your manuscript submissions for the following SPEPS special issue.
Predictability of the Variable Solar-Terrestrial Coupling – PRESTO: Five-Year Overview.
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/PRESTO
Submission Deadline: 28 February 2026
Carbonates: their precipitation, sedimentation, reef/platform formation, and diagenesis.
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/carbonates
Submission Deadline: 31 March 2026
Integrated Biospheric Science for Managing Global Climate.
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/DigitalBiosphere
Submission Deadline: 31 March 2026
Research contributing to the estimation of the area of the so-called “Black Rain” caused by the atomic bombs.
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/Black-Rain
Submission Deadline: 31 December 2025
Please submit your paper to one of our SPEPS article collections.
(4) Latest Articles
The following articles were published.
@Hideto Uchida, Yoshitaka Hashimoto, Michiharu Ikeda, Takeshi Tsuji, Kozo Onishi, Naoki Nishizaka;
‘Quantifying fault damage zone properties using geological and geophysical data along the Median Tectonic Line, Southwest Japan’.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00773-9
@Pawat Wattanachareekul, Takuya Inoue, Joel P. L. Johnson;
‘Modeling the effects of vegetation growth rate on the dynamics of alternate bars’.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00774-8
@Hisahiro Takashima, Yugo Kanaya, Yoko Iwamoto, Kazuhiko Takeda, Takashi Sekiya, Fumikazu Taketani, Martina M. Friedrich, Michel Van Roozendael et al;
‘Simultaneous observations of atmospheric IO radical, O3, and sea surface iodide over the tropical western Pacific warm pool: strong correlation of IO levels with estimated inorganic iodine fluxes’.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00775-7
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/WNP
@Chiho Sukigara, Taichi Yokokawa, Akiko Makabe, Kaho Mori, Yu Nakajima, Shinya Kouketsu, Eiji Tasumi, Masumi Hasegawa-Takano, Naoto F. Ishikawa, Chunqi Jiang, Siyu Jiang et al.;
‘Diel and daily changes of water mass structure and biogeochemical processes in early spring in the western subtropical North Pacific’.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00776-6
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/WNP
@Florence Mila Purnomo Sie, Sayaka Yasunaka, Anindya Wirasatriya;
‘Seasonal and interannual variations in local minimum sea surface temperature and maximum chlorophyll-a around the Savu Sea, Indonesia’.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00781-9
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/WNP
@ Yu Itahashi, Yoshinori Takano, Yoshito Chikaraishi, Nanako O. Ogawa, Naoto F. Ishikawa, Naohiko Ohkouchi, Masako Yamane, Yusuke Yokoyama, Minoru Yoneda;
‘Purification of hydroxyproline for small-scale radiocarbon dating verified using archaeological bone collagen’.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00778-4
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/EIO
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#6. From Science Council of Japan
JpGU acts as liaison with the Science Council of Japan.
Below is the archive of the distributed newsletters from the Science Council of Japan.
(Available in Japanese)
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#7. What’s New (Please confirm contents from the associated official website)
(1) Event Information
*Please check the event website for the latest information.
10th International Nitrogen Conference (N2026)
Dates: 2 -6 November 2026
Place: Kyoto International Conference Center, Kyoto, Japan
https://n2026.org/
(2) Career Opportunity
Recruitment of Postdoctoral Researcher at Marine Seismology Research Group, Subduction Dynamics Research Center (SDR), JAMSTEC
[Application deadline: 17 DEC 2025]
https://www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/details/sdr20251217/
Recruitment of Postdoctoral Researcher at Center for Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Research (CCOAR), Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), JAMSTEC
[Application deadline: 21 DEC 2025]
https://www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/details/ccoar20251221/
Researcher at Applied Mathematical Science Group, Center for Mathematical Science and Advanced Technology (MAT), JAMSTEC
[Application deadline: 22 DEC 2025]
https://www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/details/mat20251222/
Recruitment of Project Researcher (II) or Postdoctoral Researcher at Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, JAMSTEC
[Application deadline: 24 DEC 2025]
https://www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/details/sugar20251224/
Assistant Professor Position in the Research Section of Inland Earthquakes, DPRI, Kyoto Univ.
[Application deadline: 08 JAN 2026]
https://www.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/news_en/23955/
Professor Position in the Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University
[Application deadline: 09 JAN 2026]
https://www.kochi-u.ac.jp/marine-core/en/index.html
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University
[Application deadline: 25 JAN 2026]
https://jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekJorDetail?id=D125111909&ln=1
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To all individuals interested in Earth and planetary sciences
The Japan Geoscience Union Mailnews is distributed to all registered members of the Japan Geoscience Union via our website to provide the latest information in the field of Earth and planetary sciences.
Please encourage those around you who have not yet registered their personal information (membership) to join JpGU.
Registration is open to anyone affiliated at universities, research institutes, companies, educators, and anyone else interested in Earth and planetary science.
Edited by Publicity and Outreach Committee of JpGU
Published by Simon Wallis (President) of JpGU
Japan Geoscience Union (http://www.jpgu.org/)
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Please note that this is not to stop all emails/information from JpGU.
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