As a way of measuring success in planetary science, we analyzed the participation of female scientists in ESA Solar System missions: we counted the original science team members of 10 missions over a period of 38 years and determined the percentage of women within each team. Although the number of female scientists in the field has been constantly increasing in Europe, we found that gender gaps that existed 38 years ago have persisted into the present.

This work provides updated scenario on the underrepresentation of women in the Italian university system in the area of geosciences in the last two decades. Data highlight an increase in the number of female full and associate professors whereas the low number of female non-permanent researchers raises strong concerns. Over different areas of geosciences, Paleontology represents the only field in which the gap is filled whereas all the other disciplines suffer a gender imbalance.

Between 1800 and 1929, female earth scientists existed in significant numbers: 210 are presented here, including newly discovered hydrogeologist Norah Dowell Stearns. Gender discrimination made access to university difficult and access to scientific careers even harder. They found several ways to overcome these difficulties thanks to the support of their parents or to the more ambiguous support of husbands or academic male mentors, through staying single, and through teamwork with other women.

The geosciences are one of the least diverse disciplines in the United States, despite the field's relevance to people's livelihoods and economies. Bias, discrimination and harassment present serious hurdles to diversifying the field. We summarize research on the factors that contribute to the persistence of hostile climates in the geosciences and other scientific disciplines and provide recommendations for cultural change through the role of mentoring networks and professional associations.

A similar proportion of women and men that submit applications to for example the European Research Council are successful in receiving funding. However, in this article we show that in all countries women are applying to a lower extent than their proportion of the workforce of researchers in the higher education sector would suggest, and men are therefore allocated disproportionally more research funds. We speculate on potential causes and hope to stimulate future investigations on this topic.

In marine research in Kiel (Germany), women are underrepresented in leading research positions. In our case study, we discuss innovative activities to improve gender equality in two large externally funded marine sciences research alliances: the Cluster of Excellence The Future Ocean and the Collaborative Research Centre 754 Climate–Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean. We show that progress towards gender equality was initiated by these time-bound third-party-funded projects.

The paper presents descriptive statistics of gender participation in ERC calls in the geosciences. The share of women applying for Starting Grants is on average around 30 %; for Consolidator Grants and Advanced Grants the share is around 25 % and 11 % respectively. Success rate analysis shows no significant gender disparities. The paper provides an overview of the ERC peer-review system, discusses results specific to the geosciences, and concludes with a review of past actions and future goals.

Scientific meetings and workshops are critical for career development, but attending these events can involve expensive travel. A survey of early career researchers found that cost prevented most respondents from attending important events and they frequently have needed to use personal funds. Replacing travel reimbursements with advances helps the financial burden. Addressing disparities in travel support will promote diversity in the next generation of polar scientists.

The paper reflects on the results of a survey carried out within the COST TN1301 Sci-Generation network among the holders of ERC starting grants originating from countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It is discussed how the the statistics of ERC starting grants is a mirror of host countries' and host institutions' ability to attract and keep the most talented young researchers.

This study sought to understand how geoscience departments are supporting students with disabilities in field-based learning experiences. Eleven accessible and inclusive teaching practices were identified and evaluated based on qualitative survey responses from over 160 geoscience departments in the United States. The outcomes of this study offer practical suggestions for providing accessible and inclusive field experiences for students with disabilities.

We present a detailed analysis of the atypical low frequency seismicity occurred at Mt. Vesuvius in 2003-2018. The different decay patterns of the spectra, the existence of families as well as single events, the wide seismogenic volume, indicate that these events are caused by distinct source mechanisms: slow brittle failure in dry rocks and resonance of fluid-filled cracks. On these basis, we classified the earthquakes as Low Frequency (LF) and Long Period (LP).

We identify a problem with professional society honours and awards programs: that they typically do not represent the full demographics of the society's membership. This problem must be addressed intentionally; it will not fix itself, even as more people from historically under-represented groups increase among the membership. We offer actions to address and ameliorate this problem based on our collective experience with the American Geophysical Union Honors and Recognition program.