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Journals in Earth and planetary sciences

Elsevier's Earth and Planetary Sciences collection brings together pioneering research on the complexities of our planet and beyond. Covering topics from Earth's structural dynamics and ecosystems to planetary exploration, these titles support advancements in geoscience, environmental science, and space studies, offering essential insights for researchers, professionals, and students.

  • Ocean Engineering

    • ISSN: 0029-8018
    Last updated February 2026Ocean Engineering aims to provide a medium for the publication of original research and development work in the field of ocean engineering.The journal seeks papers in the following topics:Ocean Engineering including: fixed and floating offshore platforms; pipelines and risers; cables and mooring; buoy technology; foundation engineering; ocean mining; marine and offshore renewable energy; aquaculture engineering; environmental protection; subsea engineering; scour and scour protection.Naval Architecture including: ship and special marine vehicle design; intact and damaged stability; technology for energy efficiency and green shipping; ship production technology; decommissioning and recycling.Polar and Arctic Engineering including: ice mechanics; ice-structure interaction; polar operations; polar design; environmental protection.Coastal Engineering: focuses on the analysis and design of coastal and shoreline protection systems, including structures such as seawalls, breakwaters, and beach nourishment schemes. The field addresses coastal flooding, erosion, storm surge impacts, and the resilience of coastal infrastructure.Harbo... Engineering: covers the planning, design, and operation of ports and harbours, including navigation channels, breakwaters, berthing structures, and port logistics. It also includes studies on vessel manoeuvring and safety in confined waters, as well as emerging digital and autonomous tools for port operations.Automatic Control of Marine Systems including: automatic control; automation and autonomy for marine vehicles and systemsUnderwater Technology including: AUV/ROV design; AUV/ROV hydrodynamics; maneuvering and control; underwater-specific communicating and sensing systems for AUV/ROVs.In these fields, papers on the following technical topics are welcome.Hydro- and Aerodynamics: CFD; vortex induced vibrations; fluid-structure interaction; hydroelasticity; linear and non-linear wave mechanics; buoyancy and stability; ship resistance and propulsion; seakeeping and controls; ship maneuvering; ship-radiated noise; wind-assisted propulsion; energy-efficient devices; hydroacoustics; aeroacoustics from offshore wind turbines.Structural Mechanics: materials selection (steel, composites, concrete), corrosion and other forms of degradation applied to marine structures; limit state prediction and assessments; fatigue; fracture; structural health monitoring; collision and crash worthiness; ship strength.Stochastic Calculations: stochastic processes; safety and reliability; risk and limit state design.Experimental Approaches: instrumentation; full-scale measurements; model tests.Marine equipment: risers; pipelines; ballast water treatment; air emissions treatment; underwater noise mitigation; and associated components or equipment.Ocean Environmental Predictions: only for the impact of extreme event predictions; extreme statistics; wave groups; tsunamis; short-term environment predictions and impact of climate change on ocean structures and vessel operation and design. Note that manuscripts related to broader physical oceanography or ocean science topics such as climate variability, climate modelling, remote sensing, and oceanic data analysis should be submitted to journals specialising in climate and oceanographic sciences.Automatic Control of Marine Systems: Papers submitted in this subject area should have genuine value in naval architecture and maritime engineering and should include the validation of results preferably, by full-scale measurements or model-scale tests or, when this is not possible, by high-fidelity simulations. Methods used in papers should be validated in conditions that represent realistic marine environments. Research on civilian applications of underwater imaging, target detection, acoustic target recognition and image enhancement techniques related to marine automation is also within the scope.Human Factors and Maritime Safety including: Maritime accidents; fatigue management; risk assessment; situational awareness; maritime training; human errors; human performance in operation; human factors in maritime accidents; safety culture; human factors taxonomy; all related to maritime engineering.Out of scope topics last updated December 2024Ocean Engineering does not accept submissions on marine engines and auxiliary systems, heating and cooling systems, pumps, valves, underwater explosions, sediment transport, sediment disturbance and erosion, chloride penetration, dam break phenomena, or purely theoretical papers without any application to ocean engineering. Broad material science and corrosion studies without a focus on naval architecture or offshore engineering are also outside the journal's scope. Furthermore, the journal does not consider studies related to wind turbines unless there is a direct application to offshore engineering (such as offshore wind turbines). Research focusing on the mechanics of robotic devices or wireless power transfer systems also falls outside the journal’s scope.Additionally, Ocean Engineering does not accept submissions focusing solely on military applications, including dual-use submissions such as navigation of AUVs for military purposes, the design of propulsion systems and operational conditions related to stealth techniques. While the journal is currently open to papers on submarine hydrodynamics, it must be ensured that no sensitive or military-related content is included. The aim of any manuscript submitted to Ocean Engineering should be the worldwide dissemination of scientific knowledge, focusing on civilian applications that advance the broader field of ocean and maritime engineering.*Authors are requested to complete a Review Proposal Form for Editorial approval prior to submission of the review article. Proposals can be submitted to [email protected] or one of the Editors.
  • Hydrometallurgy

    • ISSN: 0304-386X
    An International Journal devoted to all aspects of the Aqueous Processing of MetalsHydrometallurg... aims to compile studies on novel processes, process design, chemistry, modelling, control, economics and interfaces between unit operations, and to provide a forum for discussions on case histories and operational difficulties.Topics covered include: leaching of metal values by chemical reagents or bacterial action at ambient or elevated pressures and temperatures; separation of solids from leach liquors; removal of impurities and recovery of metal values by precipitation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, gaseous reduction, cementation, electro-winning and electro-refining; pre-treatment of ores by roasting or chemical treatments such as halogenation or reduction; recycling of reagents and treatment of effluents.
  • Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors

    • ISSN: 0031-9201
    Launched in 1968 to fill the need for an international journal in the field of planetary physics, geodesy and geophysics, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors has now grown to become important reading matter for all geophysicists. It is the only journal to be entirely devoted to the physical and chemical processes of planetary interiors.Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our Support CenterThis journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals
  • Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography

    • ISSN: 0967-0645
    Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography publishes topical issues from the many international and interdisciplinary projects which are undertaken in oceanography. Besides these special issues from projects, the journal publishes collections of papers presented at conferences. The special issues regularly have electronic annexes of non-text material (numerical data, images, images, video, etc.) which are published with the special issues in ScienceDirect. Deep-Sea Research Part II was split off as a separate journal devoted to topical issues in 1993. Its companion journal Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, publishes the regular research papers in this area.AUTHORS PLEASE NOTE: the Editors cannot accept submissions that are not linked to a thematic issue. Please do not submit unsolicited papers. For information on how to submit a publication proposal for a special/thematic issue, you are cordially invited to contact the Chief Editors, Kenneth Drinkwater or Javier Aristegui.Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our Support Center
  • Journal of Geochemical Exploration

    • ISSN: 0375-6742
    Journal of Geochemical Exploration is mostly dedicated to publication of original studies in exploration and environmental geochemistry and related topics.Contributions considered of prevalent interest for the journal include researches based on the application of innovative methods to:define the genesis and the evolution of mineral deposits including transfer of elements in large-scale mineralized areas.analyze complex systems at the boundaries between bio-geochemistry, metal transport and mineral accumulation.evaluat... effects of historical mining activities on the surface environment.trace pollutant sources and define their fate and transport models in the near-surface and surface environments involving solid, fluid and aerial matrices.assess and quantify natural and technogenic radioactivity in the environment.determin... geochemical anomalies and set baseline reference values using compositional data analysis, multivariate statistics and geo-spatial analysis.assess the impacts of anthropogenic contamination on ecosystems and human health at local and regional scale to prioritize and classify risks through deterministic and stochastic approaches.Papers dedicated to the presentation of newly developed methods in analytical geochemistry to be applied in the field or in laboratory are also within the topics of interest for the journal.Submission of studies presenting results related with global and continental-wide geochemical prospecting activities and review articles covering topics of interest for a broad international audience is also encouraged specially when accompanied by cartographic products.To ensure high quality of both the peer review process and the published papers, associate editors are assigned to individual submissions in accordance with their own expertise.
  • CATENA

    • ISSN: 0341-8162
    Catena is an interdisciplinary journal of soil science and geomorphology with a focus on geoecology, landscape ecology, landscape evolution and hydrology. Original research papers, comments, and reviews linking field, laboratory, and/or modelling results, integrating different geospheres, and discussing soil and landscape processes on different spatial and temporal scales will be considered, provided they are sufficiently novel and of broad interest.Reviews are expected to critically discuss and synthesise findings and approaches on topics falling within the core aims of Catena. Short comments (no more than 2 journal pages i.e. ca. 2000 words) are considered for publication only if they bring important scientific new elements and/or corrections/improvem... on substantial aspects of previously published articles. Manuscript... that will not be considered include papers on the following topics:Research papers summarising literature results, and bibliometric analyses (meta-analyses are not included). Studies without explicit relation to landscape patterns or processes, such as:Purely geological or groundwater studies.Runoff studies that have no relation to soil or geomorphic change.Chemical laboratory experiments with no relation to ‘real’ field conditions.Microbiol... studies with no relation to soil formation or landscape processes.Geotechnic... and environmental engineering studies.Geobotanical... ecological and vegetation studies with no (or limited) relation to soil, hydrology, geomorphology or landscape evolution.Agricultur... production experiments without a solid relation to landscape.Studies on ecosystem services and land use planning.Comparisons of the performance and robustness of models and statistical methods (e.g. process-based, or machine learning) with no or only a minimal landscape-learning effect.Regionally oriented studies which cannot be applied to other landscapes (or lack novelty in approach or methodology).The Chairs of the Editors-in-Chief do not accept pre-submission enquiries to determine if a manuscript is likely to be of interest to the journal.
  • Journal of Hydrology

    • ISSN: 0022-1694
    Journal of Hydrology publishes original research papers and comprehensive reviews in all the subfields of the hydrological sciences, including water based management and policy issues that impact on economics and society. These comprise, but are not limited to the physical, chemical, biogeochemical, stochastic and systems aspects of surface and groundwater hydrology, hydrometeorology, hydrogeology and hydrogeophysics. Relevant topics incorporating the insights and methodologies of disciplines such as climatology, water resource systems, ecohydrology, geomorphology, soil science, instrumentation and remote sensing, data and information sciences, civil and environmental engineering are within scope. Multi- and inter-disciplinary analyses of hydrological problems are invited, specifically ones that broaden the understanding of hydrologic science through integration with social, economic, or behavioural sciences. The science published in the Journal of Hydrology is relevant to catchment scales rather than exclusively to a local scale or site. Studies focused on urban hydrological issues are included. Submissions focusing on region-specific problems, past and future conditions, analysis, review and solutions, can be submitted to the journal's companion title, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.Journal of Hydrology is part of the Journal of Hydrology family of journals, alongside Journal of Hydrology X and Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.
  • Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

    • ISSN: 0168-1923
    Agricultural and Forest Meteorology is an international journal for the publication of original articles and reviews on the inter-relationship between meteorology, agriculture, forestry, and natural ecosystems. Emphasis is on basic and applied scientific research relevant to practical problems in the field of plant and soil sciences, ecology and biogeochemistry as affected by weather as well as climate variability and change. Theoretical models should be tested against experimental data. Articles must appeal to an international audience. Special issues devoted to single topics are also published.Typical topics include canopy micrometeorology (e.g. canopy radiation transfer, turbulence near the ground, evapotranspiration, energy balance, fluxes of trace gases), micrometeorological instrumentation (e.g., sensors for trace gases, flux measurement instruments, radiation measurement techniques), aerobiology (e.g. the dispersion of pollen, spores, insects and pesticides), biometeorology (e.g. the effect of weather and climate on plant distribution, crop yield, water-use efficiency, and plant phenology), forest-fire/weather interactions, and feedbacks from vegetation to weather and the climate system.Keyword index available on https://www.elsevier...
  • Palaeoworld

    • ISSN: 1871-174X
    Published on behalf of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CASPalaeoworld is a peer-reviewed bimonthly journal dedicated to the study of past life and its environment. We encourage submission of original manuscripts on all aspects of palaeontology and stratigraphy, comparisons of regional and global data in time and space, and results generated by interdisciplinary investigations in related fields. Some issues will be devoted entirely to a special theme whereas others will be composed of contributed articles. Palaeoworld is dedicated to serving a broad spectrum of geoscientists and palaeobiologists as well as serving as a resource for students in fields as diverse as palaeobiology, evolutionary biology, taxonomy and phylogeny, geobiology, historical geology, and palaeoenvironment.Pa... publishes original articles in the following areas:•Phylogeny and taxonomic studies of all fossil groups •Biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy •Palaeoecology, palaeoenvironment and global changes throughout Earth history •Tempo and mode of biological evolution •Biological events in Earth history (e.g., extinctions, radiations) •Ecosystem evolution •Geobiology and molecular palaeobiology •Palaeontological and stratigraphic methods •Interdisciplinary studies focusing on fossils and strataPalaeoworld accepts the following categories of contributions:Origin... technical research papers and case studies Short communications Review articles (normally invited) Palaeoworld PerspectivesCollecti... of articles on a special theme Letter to the Editors Book reviewsThis journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 13 (Climate Action).
  • International Journal of Coal Geology

    • ISSN: 0166-5162
    The International Journal of Coal Geology deals with fundamental and applied aspects of the geology, petrology, geochemistry and mineralogy of coal, oil/gas source rocks, and organic matter-rich shales. The journal aims to advance the environmentally sustainable exploration and utilization of these resources, as well as advancement of geologically-related engineering and technology for effective resource management towards net-zero carbon goals.The scope of the journal encompasses basic research, computational and laboratory studies, technology development, and field studies in:Geology, geochemistry, mineralogy, and petrology formation of coal and coal seams, including studies of coal-forming processes and environmentsmetamorp... of coal and dispersed organic matter in source rocksgeologic aspects of coal measures, oil- and gas-source rockspetrology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and petrophysics of coal, coal seams, and organic matter-rich shales.Exploration and development of coal and unconventional resourcesformation, transport and storage of carbon related to coal geology; energy gases in coals and shales including coal bed methane, coal mine methane, abandoned mine methaneunconventiona... petroleum systems mainly focusing on studies of shale gas and oil shalesGeology, exploration, and resource identification of critical minerals and critical materials in coal, coal-bearing sequences, acid-mine drainage, and other fossil fuel materials; modes of occurrence and recovery of critical minerals and critical materials from coal-based resources.Environmen... aspects of coal and unconventional resourcesgeologicall... impacts of coal mining, acid-mine drainage, and exploitation of unconventional resourcescoal utilization related to geology and constituents of coalengineering and technology for carbon emission reduction, capture, storage, and utilizationgeologica... and environmental aspects of coal fires and underground coal gasification.Applica... of computational methods for geology and engineering of coal and unconventional resource managementApplicatio... of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) including, but not limited to, machine learning, automated reasoning and inference, case-based reasoning, computer vision, knowledge representation, remote sensing, spatial statistics and uncertainty evaluation for the topics covered within the scope of the journalDevelopment and application of analytical methods for geochemistry, mineralogy, petrology and pore space of coal and unconventional energy systemsApplication of numerical modeling methods, preferably validated by experimental or field data, in support of technology development and environmental management of resources covered by the journal.Types of contributions published are: research papers describing original theoretical (with potential for application) and applied research, proceedings of symposia, review papers in a particular topic, short contributions, surveys, book reviews, and letters to the editor. Research papers that combine theory and experiments and/or field studies are especially welcome. Review papers are only an invitation basis; if the authors are not invited but would like to contribute a review paper, please write to the editors first for advice. Note that topics including coal mining technology and engineering, mining safety, rock mechanics, and chemical engineering are not within the journal scope unless they are closely related to coal geology. This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy)