JOINT SYMPOSIA

J01 Structure and evolution of the lowermost mantle and core from observations and modeling

Convener: Felipe Terra-Nova (France)
Co-convener(s): Jon Mound (UK), Thanh-Son Pham (Australia)

Present day structures and processes in the lower mantle and core reflect the thermal, material, and electrical properties of these regions, and also bear the imprint of the long-term thermal and chemical evolution of the planet. Understanding the Earth’s deep interior links a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, and progress has been made by combining insights from observational, experimental, and theoretical studies in a wide range of disciplines. For example, advances in seismology have provided increased resolution of the complex structures of the lowermost mantle and the upper core, geomagnetic monitoring has revealed the rapid dynamics of the core, and interactions between the two are factored into improved models of Earth’s formation and evolution.

This session invites contributions detailing investigations into the structure, dynamics, and evolution of the deep Earth. We encourage discussion from a broad spectrum of Earth science disciplines with a common goal of holistically understanding the complex systems of the deep mantle, the core, and the interactions between them. We encourage contributions from disciplines including, but not limited to, paleo- and geomagnetism, seismology, mineral physics, geochemistry, gravity, Earth’s rotation and dynamics. Studies combining interdisciplinary methods and approaches are especially encouraged.

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J02 Joint models of magnetic, seismic, and other geophysical data to unravel the geological structure, constraints for georesources, and triggers for strain localization and seismicity

Convener: Marta Neres (Portugal)
Co-convener(s): Analdyne Soares (Portugal), Irene Merino (Germany), Manel Prada (Spain), Nicolas Saspiturry (France)

A wide variety of geophysical methods can be used to map, interpret and model geophysical properties, allowing us to unravel the geological structure and to improve the understanding of geological processes. This session welcomes contributions from researchers and research teams who not only use but further combine different geophysical methods to reach integrated models of the Earth. We specially encourage works integrating potential field data (magnetic and gravity) with passive and active seismics, electromagnetics, and/or field geology. The session will promote the discussion of integrated approaches to study the Earth’s crust and underlying mantle, with implications for natural resources (e.g. natural hydrogen, hydrocarbons, freshwater reservoirs), natural hazards (e.g. triggers for seismicity and strain localization, landslide and tsunami occurrences), and energy transition (e.g. identification of targets for carbon storage and sequestration, mapping of mineral resources). Other applications of combined approaches are also welcome.

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J03 Exploring crust and mantle beneath the oceans, solid Earth-Ocean interactions and soundscape in the oceans: innovative instrumentation, processing ocean-bottom and floating sensor data and scientific achievements

Convener: Shima Abadi (USA)
Co-convener(s): Kiyoshi Baba (Japan), Carmen Gaina (Norway), Wolfram Geissler (Germany), Patty Lin (Taiwan), Afonso Loureiro (Portugal), Luis Matias (Portugal), Shunguo Wang (Norway)

Most existing Earth’s crust and mantle models are still constrained by continental observations, since the vast majority of sensors for solid Earth geophysics are deployed on the continents. Structures beneath two thirds of the Earth’s surface covered by oceans are still poorly constrained and explored.

Over the past three decades, the possibilities for conducting long-term experiments on the ocean bottom (e.g., in geodesy, seismology, magnetotellurics) have steadily increased due to advances in instrumentation, in particular broadband sensors. Especially, deployments within the framework of Pacific Array greatly improved our knowledge on the ocean hemisphere, beside temporary targeted deployments in the Indian, Atlantic, Arctic and Southern oceans. Yet technical and logistical circumstances for ocean-bottom deployments remain challenging and costly. In addition, floating sensors start to fill data gaps globally.

Applications of fibre-optic sensing technologies to Earth Sciences investigations in the ocean floor have seen a recent and explosive development that is currently extending to Biology and the characterization of soundscape in the oceans.

We welcome contributions from all fields of ocean-based measurements for solid earth geophysics, showcasing recent developments and scientific achievements. This includes different kinds of ocean bottom instrumentation, floating sensors, experiment design, and scientific discoveries from ocean-based or amphibian deployments. We also invite submissions on broad applications of different fibre-optic sensors, including DAS but not exclusively and the innovation they bring to Geosciences and related disciplines.

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J04 Data assimilation and Machine Learning: Challenges and Leveraging New Opportunities

Convener: Laure Lefevre (Belgium)
Co-convener(s): David Themens (UK), Tomoko Matsuo (USA), Kyle Gwirtz (USA), Jacob Bortnik (USA), Sacha Lapins (UK)

Data assimilation is a powerful statistical learning framework that combines models, observations, and their respective uncertainties, allowing us to unify data-driven scientific induction with first principle-based deductions. The framework in the general form can be applied to any geophysical system, with many of the challenges faced broadly spanning disciplines. On the other hand, applications of data assimilation and statistical learning techniques to sparsely observed geophysical systems (such as the core, mantle, cryosphere, hydrosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere, and magnetosphere) face considerable challenges, requiring innovative adaptation of methods to maximize the use of sparse observations, and considerable research efforts to quantify model and observational uncertainties. Recently, advances in Machine Learning have presented new opportunities to leverage more complex observations and develop probabilistic or reduced order parametrizations of complex physical processes and entire models. These techniques present new opportunities to explore coupled or computationally prohibitive data assimilation approaches that otherwise would not be tractable. This session invites submissions broadly on the topic of data assimilation and the implementation of machine learning techniques to facilitate geospatial environment specification and discovery. Submissions should span any application of data assimilation or machine learning in IAGA or IASPEI domains.

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J05 Interdisciplinary observations of pre-earthquake processes – from mechanical to electromagnetic and geochemical phenomena

Convener: Dimitar Ouzounov (USA)
Co-convener(s): Katsumi Hattori (Japan), Qinghua Huang (China), Valerio Tramutoli (Italy), Mala Bagiya (India)

This session concerns interdisciplinary research that will lead to understanding the processes that precede earthquakes. It will cover a wide range of seismological, geodetic, and electromagnetic phenomena, as well as geochemical and thermodynamic phenomena. This observational approach asks what phenomena occurred before, during, and after a major earthquake. The joined analysis of the atmosphere-ionosphere connection, seismic records (foreshocks /aftershocks), and geochemical, electromagnetic, and thermodynamic processes related to stress changes in the lithosphere established the foundation for the new lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling (LAIC) concept. In particular, it is essential to ask whether electromagnetic, geochemical, and thermodynamic phenomena can be explained consistently with the dynamic picture of earthquakes. In addition, physical and statistical verification with AI-enhanced methods of various phenomena will be included, but not limited to. Presentations on the latest developments in earthquake precursors are also welcome.

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J06 Combined GNSS, Ground, and Satellite Data to Study Co-Seismic Parameters Associated with Natural Hazards

Convener: Ramesh Singh (USA)
Co-convener(s): Kosuke Heki (Japan), Jann-Yenq Liu (Taiwan), Toshiyasu Nagao (Japan)

The dense network of GNSS, ground, and satellites is capable of providing land, ocean, atmospheric, and ionospheric parameters globally. These parameters help scientists to understand earth system processes associated with earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, surface deformation, ocean waves even changes associated with the total solar eclipse. Using data from different observing systems, efforts are needed to forecast impending natural hazards and provide an early warning of changes in various earth system components and provide an early warning. The data from the observing system will alert people and also help I am mitigating the disasters and loss of life.
The session will welcome contributions based on field, lab, model and analysis of ground observing and satellite observations.

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J07 Historical and Legacy Geophysical data for the future: data archiving, mining and re-use of historical observations, models and numerical simulations

Convener: Ciaran Beggan (UK)
Co-convener(s): Josep Batllo (Spain), Susana Da Silva Custodio (Portugal), Christopher Davies (UK), Kirsten Elger (Germany), Hisashi Hayakawa (Japan), Yasuyuki Kano (Japan), Andrea Rovida (Italy)

Our present digital data systems, with Standard Exchange formats, repositories, etc., started their development a short half century ago. Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have been recording natural events from their environment. At first, in a large variety of documents with or without scientific purposes, but less than three centuries ago we learned to make continuous analogue records of different variables. These historical documents and legacy records retain their value and continue to be useful for the study of the past seismicity and the geomagnetic field of our planet. They supply precious information on earthquakes, hazard and seismic risk, geomagnetic field evolution and the long term solar climate.

This session is devoted to the preservation, interpretation, dissemination and use of such records for present-day research. Its wide scope encourages the exchange of experiences at all levels and to create new synergies between IASPEI and IAGA. Many topics are relevant to this field, among them:
• Historical seismology covering documentary study, earthquakes and seismic hazard,
• Legacy seismograms and magnetograms, preservation and use,
• Archiving, mining and re-use of geophysical data,
• Machine learning in digitization of historical data for legacy records (ground motion, space weather and space climate applications),
• Historical models and numerical simulations leveraging legacy data.
• Case studies of historic earthquakes and other geophysical events.
Other submissions related to historical and analogue data in geosciences are also welcome.

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J08 Innovation in Geoscience Education and Outreach

Convener: Ashley Smith (UK)
Co-convener(s): María del Puy Papí Isaba (Austria), Shivangi Sharan (UK), Louisa Murray-Bergquist (Netherlands), Sanja Panovska (Germany)

Sharing scientific knowledge, methods, and awareness is essential to supporting societal transitions in sustainability, development, and security. Efforts to improve this process span a wide range of contexts, from initial and life-long education to professional training, capacity building within organisations, and broader societal engagement. In the face of environmental and societal challenges, and with the continual evolution of scientific techniques and capabilities, there is great scope and opportunity for innovation in education and outreach methods.

This session invites both conceptual developments as well as practical case studies from geoscientists, educators, and other knowledge brokers. Special emphasis is placed on Open Science and exploring how increasing digitisation can enhance accessibility and inclusivity.

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J09 Remote sensing of decadal dynamical processes of the Earth’s interior

Convener: Xiaodong Song (China)
Co-convener(s): Felix Gerick (Belgium), Weijia Kuang (USA)

This session is for interdisciplinary research of Earth’s interior dynamical processes on sub-decadal to decadal time scales by utilizing geomagnetic, geodetic and seismic measurements and by theoretical modeling approaches.

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J10 The influence of the thermal state of the lithosphere on the tectonic processes: insights from heat-flow data and implications for geothermal resources

Convener: Massimo Verdoya (Italy)
Co-convener(s): Ivone Jimenez-Munt (Spain), Maria R.A. Duque (Portugal), Elif Pazvantoğlu (Turkey), Antonio Correia (Portugal)

Heat flow measurements are fundamental for characterizing the Earth’s energy budget. They can evidence dynamic processes that take place on a regional scale, e.g. lithosphere extension, subduction, thrust folding, magma emplacement in the crust and thermal mobilization of minerals, driving processes such as metamorphism and the formation of economically important mineral deposits. Moreover, it is widely accepted that the brittle-ductile boundary, above which deformation is accompanied by seismic activity, is thermally controlled. In polar regions, the heat flow can affect the ice-sheet temperature and rheology, the basal melting, and the consequent mechanical decoupling at the ice-bedrock interface. On the other hand, the evaluation of subsurface thermal regimes is also important for geothermal energy applications, which, in their different technical aspects (electrical and direct uses, ground-source heat pumps, etc.), are becoming more prominent in the frame of renewable and sustainable resources. The symposium focuses on the results of experimental and theoretical studies concerning the influence of heat distribution on the main tectonic, rheological, seismological and crustal fluid flow processes, as well as on the geothermal potential of the areas. The symposium’s topics of interest could include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• global and local scale geodynamic processes and their relations with the thermal state of the lithosphere;
• understanding the mechanisms of heat transfer in continental and oceanic regions for better modelling the lithospheric thermal structure and identifying potentially exploitable geothermal areas;
• thermal studies addressing permafrost thawing, mineral and geothermal resource evaluation;
• advances in borehole and rock thermo-physical measurements and their relationship to a wide range of geodynamic processes;
• acquisition of new heat-flow data in a variety of geological realms;
• reviews of existing thermal data identifying key-knowledge gaps.

We welcome contributions that address these topics on both large areas and local or small-scale case studies, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas, methods, and concepts on the thermal aspects of the Earth’s interior.

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