Earth, Planets and Space: A conversation with the former and the new Editor-in-Chief

Author: Christabell Ndive

This year, the journal Earth, Planets and Space is having a transition of editorship from Prof. Takeshi Sagiya to Prof. Masahito Nosé. In this interview, we delve into the experiences and visions of both the outgoing and incoming Editors-in-Chief. They discuss the impact of research, the journal's significant contributions, and plans for the future. 

Please share some background information about yourself and your journey in the field of space science?

Masahito Nosé: I obtained my Ph.D. in Science from Kyoto University in 1998. After conducting postdoctoral research for approximately three years at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, I pursued research and education at the Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, and the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University. Since 2023, I have been serving as a professor at the School of Data Science, Nagoya City University.

Since my student days, my research has focused on analyzing data from ground-based observations and in-situ measurements by satellites to investigate electromagnetic phenomena occurring in geospace. I have also been involved in the development and deployment of magnetometers, including their integration into sounding rocket.

In the field of solar-terrestrial physics, where continuous multipoint and multispecies observational data are generated both on the ground and in space, I am particularly interested in managing such extensive databases and applying mathematical and statistical data analysis methods to discover new knowledge. 

How do you envision the impact of research on huge geomagnetic storms?

Masahito Nosé: Since around 2024, when solar activity began to intensify, major geomagnetic storms have occurred with increasing frequency. This situation is expected to persist for several years, even after the solar activity reaches its peak around 2025. During such geomagnetic storms, red auroras have been observed over wide areas, even at low latitudes like Japan, and numerous unusual phenomena have been recorded in space.

The special issue currently accepting submissions, “Extreme Space Weather Events in May 2024: New Discoveries and Future Challenges”, is anticipated to feature numerous papers exploring the phenomena associated with massive geomagnetic storms. These studies, based on the latest observational data, advanced analytical techniques, and simulation results, are expected to provide valuable insights into the dynamic processes occurring during extreme space weather events.

These new findings are indispensable for understanding and forecasting space weather, especially as humanity advances toward lunar and Martian exploration. I believe that Earth, Planets and Space (EPS) plays a crucial role in disseminating such knowledge and advancing the field of solar-terrestrial research.

How has the research published in Earth, Planets and Space contributed to disaster prevention?

Takeshi Sagiya: Earth, Planets and Space publishes scientific research articles. Many articles deal with natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Those natural disasters are hard to prevent because we still do not know enough about natural phenomena that cause the disasters. The first step toward disaster prevention is to describe what happened and understand its characteristics in various aspects. A better understanding of natural phenomena allows us to provide useful advice for reducing the damage. The 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake was one such example. Though the earthquake was not expected before, articles in the special issue provide various details of this earthquake. These efforts will contribute to preventing similar disasters in the future. Recently, the development of space geodetic techniques such as GNSS and InSAR enabled us to monitor the strain accumulation processes before large earthquakes. The new special issue "Geodetic Approach to Evaluation of Seismic Hazard and Other Geological Disasters" promotes such approaches for improving the evaluation of seismic potentials. These examples illustrate how Earth, Planets and Space contributes to disaster prevention.

What have been the most significant contributions of Earth, Planets and Space?

Takeshi Sagiya: We have been committed to publishing high-quality research articles on Earth and planetary sciences promptly. Our most significant contribution is to promote scientific research in this field. Specifically, more than half of the articles published are by authors in Japan. Therefore, promoting earth and planetary science in Japan and other Asian countries to the world is an important role of this journal. Also, the special issue "International Geomagnetic Reference Field - The Thirteenth Generation" reported the latest geomagnetic reference model, which provides international standards to researchers in the related field.

What are your plans for your first year as Editor-in-Chief of Earth, Planets and Space?

MN: EPS is internationally recognized, with a steadily increasing number of submissions and an Impact Factor that has reached approximately 3. This remarkable achievement reflects the tremendous efforts of past Editors-in-Chief, many editors, and all those involved. I consider it a vital mission to maintain and further develop this current status. To achieve this, I believe it is essential to actively solicit and compile special issues, enrich the content of Frontier Letters, shorten the peer review process, and enhance awards to honor the contributions of reviewers. These initiatives require the collaboration and support of editors and researchers engaged with EPS. I sincerely hope to receive your valuable cooperation in these endeavors.

Are there any areas of research that you predict could be particularly exciting in the near future?

MN: EPS publishes papers in the following six fields: Space Science and Aeronomy, Geomagnetism, Seismology, Geodesy, Volcanology, and Planetary Sciences. Each of these fields is highly active, with significant research efforts underway. In Space Science and Aeronomy, important research topics include the characterization of electromagnetic environments on the Moon and Mars, as well as phenomena such as the increase or decrease in ionospheric density during massive geomagnetic storms, the rise in atmospheric density, and its impact on satellite orbits, as mentioned earlier.

In Seismology, one focus is on elucidating diverse earthquakes from slow to fast slip. To uncover the constitutive laws governing slip, advanced frictional experiments play an increasingly critical role. Advances in observations, such as sea-floor monitoring, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) are transforming the science. These novel datasets, combined with traditional records, will be more utilized through the development of AI and multi-physics simulations.

In Geodesy, various new geodetic satellite missions are ongoing. We expect exciting results based on ALOS-4, NISAR, Sentinel-1A/C/D, multi-GNSS, etc. Also, with the great advancement of space geodetic techniques, Geodesy has been widening its scope to monitor the space-time change of the whole Earth system, including the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere. We expect more and more multi-disciplinary studies with geodesy to contribute to a better understanding of the Earth system.

In Volcanology, quantitative assessment of volcanic activity and numerical simulation and modeling of volcanic activity will be major topics

Finally, in Planetary Sciences, fascinating research themes include understanding the formation and evolution of the solar system based on samples returned by Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 missions.

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