Earth-Science Reviews

The following are examples of what the editors consider to demonstrate very well the kind of review article that ESR hopes to publish:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2013.12.005 Geophysical constraints on the link between cratonization and orogeny: Evidence from the Tibetan Plateau and the North China Craton

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2007.04.001Subduction kinematics and dynamic constraints

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.04.0053.5 billion years of glass bioalteration: Volcanic rocks as a basis for microbial life?

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.01.005 Resolving MISS conceptions and misconceptions: a geological approach to sedimentary surface textures generated by microbial and abiotic processes

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.05.001 Legacy effects of sediments in river corridors

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.12.004 Paleogeographic trends in Late Triassic reef ecology from northeastern Panthalassa

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.04.008 The occurrence, identification and environmental relevance of vivianite in waterlogged soils and aquatic sediments

Covering a much wider field than the usual specialist journals, Earth Science Reviews publishes review articles dealing with all aspects of Earth Sciences, and is an important vehicle for allowing readers to see their particular interest related to the Earth Sciences as a whole. Our readership is more diverse than that of specialist journals: as well as research scientists, also students, government agencies involved in programme support and management and in environmental assessment and control, private industries concerned with planetary resources, and the independent consultant. The journal's vision includes ensuring accessibility for all of these groups.


Every review article published will advance existing knowledge and highlight new directions being taken at the forefront of expanding subject areas by synthesis, evaluation and discussion of previously published literature. The value of such articles to the readership is increased with comment and opinion provided by the author from a specific context. Authors may further enhance their article with the addition of supplementary material such as videos, datasets and applications.


Articles may be extensive, providing comprehensive coverage of a relatively broad or cross-disciplinary subject area, or they may be much shorter providing an in-depth overview of a very specific topic, and authors may choose to include a proportion of their own primary research data to support their arguments. From time to time, 'Invited Earth-Science Reviews' will be published about topics of exceptional interest.


Other styles of 'review' article will be considered; these include critical reviews of methods used in the geosciences, case studies which illustrate and provide critical review of concepts of global significance, and articles that use previously published literature as a basis to develop aspects of industrial or social policy relevant to the earth sciences.


Submissions that simply aggregate previous literature and do not build on current awareness, or those that are structured like a primary research paper, are unlikely to be accepted for publication. Authors of primary research articles are encouraged to submit their work to a subject-appropriate journal, rather than to Earth-Science Reviews.


Earth Science Reviews offers authors the rare opportunity to explore a particular subject without any limitation on the number of words used. We encourage authors to adopt a writing style which balances conciseness with the need to do justice to their chosen subject. Therefore, authors of review articles in excess of around 20,000 words should first discuss their idea by email with one of the journal editors, copied to Tim Horscroft, the Review Papers Coordinator, ([email protected]), to ensure the project's suitability for potential publication.


This journal welcomes review-type papers within its scope that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 13, (Climate Action) SDG 14 (Life below water) and SDG 15 (Life on land)