To continue our annual appreciation for the impressive display of science writing across the blogs, we launched the annual EGU Blogs competition in December 2021. From a shortlist of posts selected by our blog editors, we invited you, the EGU Blogs readers, to vote for your favourite post of 2025. We also invited EGU division blog editors and office staff to take part in a panel vote. After a month of voting by almost 400 people, we’re happy to announce the results below.
The winning blogs and what they tell us
Congratulations once again to the Natural Hazards (NH) Division Blog, winner of the panel vote, and the Geodynamics (GD) Division Blog, winner of the public vote!
The GD Division blog was crowned winner of this year’s public vote for their blog One Ring to Rule Them All: The Geology of Middle-earth written by Manel Ramos. The author bridges the gap between high fantasy and hard science, and proves that the legendary landscapes of Middle-earth are far more than just pretty backdrops. By treating the Misty Mountains like the Himalayas and Mount Doom like a volatile stratovolcano, the post reveals a tectonic soul pulsing beneath Tolkien’s maps.
As for the panel vote, the NH Division blog ranked first with their post If a Resilient City Had a Face: It Might Look Like Kagoshima The blog is written by Hedieh Soltanpour, who explores how Kagoshima, Japan, maintains a resilient way of life despite its extreme proximity to the highly active Sakurajima volcano. Residents manage this constant hazard through a unique cultural identity that views the volcano as a source of both spiritual connection and agricultural bounty. This high-risk exposure is mitigated by sophisticated warning systems, specialized evacuation shelters, and daily safety routines like children wearing protective helmets. Soltanpour concludes that Kagoshima proves how preparedness and community awareness can successfully transform vulnerability into a calm, sustainable existence.
But wait…. we’re not done yet! We would also like to add that all the posts that entered the competition are worthy of a read too. You can click here to find the blog contest announcement, and then scroll down to the list of shortlisted entries to read them individually.
That’s not all! The best Geolog post is back for the second time, more details to be announced this week so stay tuned!
We welcome regular and guest writers
If you’re inspired by the diverse range of posts on EGU Blogs and want to try your hand at science writing, we’d love to hear from you! All EGU Blogs welcome (and encourage!) guest contributions. We’re especially eager to feature a wide variety of voices, as it’s the mix of guest posts and regular features that makes our blogs such a great read.
If you would like to contribute to any of the division blogs or GeoLog, please send a short paragraph detailing your idea to the EGU Media and Engagement Manager Asmae Ourkiya at media@egu.eu
