Editorials in 2012

With this issue, we are celebrating the fifth anniversary of the launch of Nature Geoscience — a good time to look at some numbers.

Freshwater availability is likely to change in many regions. Humans must adapt — or move.

Not enough young people enter the geosciences. A passion for the subject should be sparked early on.

Research in Asia, and particularly in China, is catching up with the traditional hotbeds of science. The next step towards a more even geographical distribution of research will be a higher proportion of top-level publications led by scientists at Chinese labs.

Rivers run through nearly every landscape on Earth. Ascertaining the influence of this flux on carbon dynamics is necessary for a full understanding of the climate system.

Past transitions from glacial to interglacial climates have not been smooth. It would be wise to prepare for similarly sudden episodes of ice loss in future climate changes.

In response to a survey conducted in June, 886 of our readers have told us what they think about Nature Geoscience. We look forward to acting on the responses.

While the Olympics kick off in London, a new international sporting arena is taking shape beyond Earth's orbit. Recent advances in space exploration by China and Japan remind us that curiosity about our universe is a truly universal trait.

The preservation of forests, both on land and in mangrove swamps, has received much attention in the move to protect biological carbon stores. Less conspicuous communities of organisms deserve some scrutiny, too.

Aerial photos taken during a 1930s expedition to the southeastern Greenland margin had been classified and lost to science. Their rediscovery highlights how closely geopolitical and scientific ambitions are linked in exploration.

Human influence on the planet is undeniable. Making a switch from exploitation to maintenance of natural resources depends on a step change in communication, to convince the Earth's population of the necessity for a fundamental change of course.

The mid-ocean ridges mark the lines along which the Earth is turning itself inside out through the process of plate tectonics. Advances in technology are helping to reveal the intricate details of the magma systems that feed the rifting process.

The Earth's magnetic field protects us from solar activity, but the Moon and Mars are more exposed. The upcoming solar maximum is the perfect time to observe how our dynamic Sun affects its planets.

Reports from the Kepler mission have raised hopes for finding an Earth-like planet. Nevertheless, our Earth is probably unique — not just because of its distance from the Sun, but also because it has co-evolved with the life forms it has hosted.