COVID-19 and Geosciences: Implications, Current State and Future Perspectives

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 1462

Special Issue Editors

Instituto de Geociencias, IGEO (CSIC-UCM), C/ Del Doctor Severo Ochoa 7, Edificio Entrepabellones 7 y 8, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: planetary geosciences; meteorites; geoeducation; geoethics; mineralogy; geochemistry; sustainability; conceptual changes; astrobiology; future earth
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Environment, Science & Engineering, Southern Cross University, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
Interests: human–landscape interactions; Quaternary geology; geoarchaeology; environmental and cultural heritage management; environmental and cultural heritage places and landscapes; education; scholarship of teaching and learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Geo-environment and Geoheritage Group, Geology Department, Faculty of Sciences, B.P. 8106, Cité Dakhla 80000, Agadir, Morocco
Interests: sedimentology; stratigraphy; geoheritage; geotourism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak known as the COVID-19 pandemic as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This viral disease has resulted in dramatic social responses across the world, which go beyond the impact on human health and have largely resulted in the wholescale shutdown of social activities, movement and access to services.

These responses have had a significant impact on institutions such as higher education and research organizations, especially where professional, academic and scientific activities require access to practical facilities such as laboratories and fieldwork. As COVID-19 has spread, universities and scientific institutions all around the world have shut down, suspended their work or in other ways limited their activities.

The geosciences cover a wide scope of topics and methodologies, including, notably, field and laboratory studies. Data collection, data analysis, education and outreach activities all rely on fieldwork and laboratory access. These provide a direct connection with society at different contexts, scales and levels.

Geoscience educators across the world have had to respond rapidly to this changing environment. In particular, they have had to consider options for continuing their teaching in the absence of access to fieldwork and laboratories. They have had to consider online equivalents to face-to-face teaching.

This Special Issue is focused on gathering contributions from academics, researchers and other geoscience professionals, reflecting on the responses taken or available to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles are invited that explore this issue from a range of perspectives and expertise, providing examples of responses and considering the implications for geosciences as a whole. Articles from the geosciences are welcome, as is commentary from a multidisciplinary perspective. 

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Field activities (e.g., geoparks, geoheritage, geotourism)
  • Geoscientific research projects and programs
  • Laboratory and analytical testing
  • Geoeducation, geoethics and outreach
  • International collaboration and cooperation
  • Student internship, placement and work-integrated learning

Prof. Dr. Jesus Martinez-Frias
Prof. Dr. Bill Boyd
Dr. Mohamed Abioui
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers

There is no accepted submissions to this special issue at this moment.
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