AGU25 Call for Abstracts!

AGU25 Call for Abstracts!

There are many exciting interdisciplinary distributed sensing sessions planned for AGU25. Below are highlights of MacGyver sessions and other DS TC related sessions.. Also, share these opportunities with colleagues who might be interested!

   
Don’t delay: Submit your abstracts by Wednesday, 30 July 23:59 EDT/03:59 UTC

MacGyver Your Science at AGU ‘25!

Are you hacking together rugged field gear? Building open-source sensor systems? Teaching students with Arduinos, Raspberry Pis, or soda bottles and duct tape? Show off your design and even your prototype at the 2025 AGU MacGyver Sessions. 

Help transform how Geoscience gets done!. This year’s MacGyver sessions spotlight grassroots ingenuity in:

H137 - The MacGyver Session: Novel, Exciting, Self-Made, Hacked, and/or Improvised Sensors, Data Acquisition, and Data Transmission Solutions to Understand the Geosphere

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/247656

Conveners: Chet Udell (udellc@oregonstate.edu), Austin Madson, Rolf Hut, Andrew Wickert

Description: This 17th edition of the MacGyver session leads science into the future. All are welcome to present and bring hands-on demonstrations to make this the most exciting poster-only session of the AGU Fall Meeting, featuring: • New sensor systems, using technologies in novel or unintended ways.• New data storage or transmission solutions, returning data from the field via LoRa, WIFI, or GSM, etc.• Novel 3D printed designs and fabrication techniques that transform measurement capabilities.• Community initiatives facilitating the creation and sharing of novel sensors, data-acquisition, and data-transmission technologies.This session is for those among us who want to share how we:• Developed rugged PCBs from the ground up to take new field measurements.• Combined sensors with Arduino or Raspberry Pi.• 3D printed water-quality samplers• Built a Cloud Storage system from Open Source Components.We welcome any and all new methods, tools, or approaches.

NS016 - The MacGyver Session: The Place for Novel, Exciting, Self-Made, Hacked, or Improved Sensors and Software Solutions to Understand the Near Surface Environment

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/248831

Conveners: Rhett Herman (rherman@radford.edu), Burke Minsley, Brian Moyer, Ryan Stewart

Description: With the popularity of Arduinos/ESP32s/Raspberry Pis, as well as the availability of inexpensive sensors that work with these devices, scientific data acquisition is becoming ever more accessible to a broader range of researchers. We invite everyone who has designed their own experiment, built their own sensors, or designed their own software to share what you have done with the broader community, and especially to show us how you have done this. Innovative sensor uses or sensor networks that measure any aspect of Earth’s near-surface environment, from centimeters to hundreds of meters below ground, are welcomed. We encourage you to bring your equipment to show what you have created, and to even use it to capture data live at the meeting!

SA021 - The MacGyver Session: The Place for Novel, Exciting, Self-Made, Hacked, or Improved Sensors and Software Solutions to Understand Space Weather

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/252259

Conveners: Vincent Ledvina (vledvina@alaska.edu), Nathaniel Frissell, Francesca Di Mare

Description: This 6th edition of the MacGyver session focuses on the interdisciplinary applications of space weather across space physics and aeronomy. Makers, citizen scientists, ham radio enthusiasts, educators, and artists are welcome to bring broad, open science and STEAM outreach. Started in Hydrology more than a decade ago, this expanded concept now engages Space Physics and Aeronomy with MacGyver-style innovations, such as: new sensor systems which use technologies in novel or unintended ways; new software, algorithms, data storage or transmission solutions that send data from the field; and initiatives that facilitate the creation and sharing of novel sensors, open source code and data, and software systems. Feel free to bring prototypes and demonstrations. We look forward to sharing our MacGyvering with the broader AGU community this year!

OS027 - The MacGyver Session: The Place for Novel, Exciting, Self-Made, Hacked, or Improved Sensors and Software Solutions to Understand Ocean Environments

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/250117

Conveners: Stephen Moysey (moyseys18@ecu.edu), Ryan McCune, Lindsay Wentzel, Katherine Anarde

Description: This 17th edition of the MacGyver session leads science into the future with contributions from across AGU sections! All are welcome to present and bring hands-on demonstrations to make this the most exciting set of poster-only sessions of the AGU Fall Meeting, featuring:  New sensor systems or uses of technology in novel or unintended ways. New data storage or transmission solutions (e.g., LoRa, WIFI, or GSM). Novel 3D printed designs and other fabrication techniques that transform measurement capabilities. Community initiatives facilitating the creation and sharing of novel sensors, data-acquisition, and data-transmission technologies.This session will share Ocean Sciences Section innovations with the broader AGU community.  If you are interested in developing sensing methods, integrating sensors, fabricating new instruments, or novel ways of collecting, transmitting, sharing and using data, then this session is for you! Any and all new methods, tools, or approaches are welcome.

SY046 - The MacGyver Session: The Place for Novel, Exciting, Self-Made, Hacked, or Improved Sensors and Software Solutions to Contribute to Participatory, Citizen, and Community Science

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/250523

Conveners: Phil Bresnahan (bresnahanp@uncw.edu), Stephen Moysey, Austin Madson

Description: This 17th edition of the MacGyver session leads science into the future with contributions across AGU sections! All are welcome to present and bring hands-on demonstrations to make this the most exciting set of poster-only sessions of the AGU Fall Meeting, featuring:  - Open-source or do-it-yourself solutions for public participation in science. - Sensor/human networks designed for community-engaged research.- Community-centered data dashboards, data storage, or transmission solutions (e.g., LoRa, WIFI, or GSM).- Community initiatives facilitating the creation and sharing of novel sensors, data-acquisition, and data-transmission technologies. This session will share Science & Society Section innovations with the broader AGU community. If you are interested in the societal impacts of developing and applying sensing methods, integrating or building sensors with communities, or transmitting, sharing, and using data for participatory science or other applications, then this session is for you! All case studies, methods, or approaches are welcome.

General DS TC Sessions

B086 - Surface-Atmosphere Interactions: Scaling Fluxes with Remote Sensing

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/251074

Conveners: Nicola Falco (icolafalco@lbl.gov), David Durden, Leila Hernandez Rodriguez, Stefan Metzger

Description: As flux tower and remote sensing (RS) communities converge through shared goals in resource management and environmental monitoring, the need for scale-aware data integration has never been more urgent. This session builds on recent outcomes from the AmeriFlux–NEON–CarbonDew workshop series “Remote Sensing and Fluxes Upscaling for Real-world Impact” and will focus on advancing methods and applications that link eddy covariance fluxes with RS observations across spatial and temporal scales. We welcome contributions including, but not limited to: (i) Flux attribution and upscaling using RS; (ii) Ground-truthing and cross-validation across RS, flux towers, and landscapes; (iii) Advances in process modelling, machine learning and AI (or their combination) for integrating flux and RS data; (iv) Novel RS techniques (e.g., hyperspectral, thermal, lidar) in flux science; (v) Applications in agriculture, forestry, urban systems, and land management, and; (vi) Benchmark datasets, shared tools, and collaborative platforms.

NS004 - Advances in Fiber-Optic Sensing for Near-Surface Imaging and Geohazard Assessment

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/256924 

Conveners: Cheng Feng (fengcheng@zju.edu.cn), Ajo-Franklin Jonathan, Ettore Biondi, Eileen Rose Martin, Ahmad Tourei

Description: Distributed fiber-optic sensing (DFOS), particularly distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), is revolutionizing subsurface imaging and rapidly transforming geohazard monitoring. Leveraging large-scale access to telecommunication (dark) fibers, DFOS offers an unprecedented opportunity to monitor dynamic Earth processes with high spatial and temporal resolution. This session invites contributions showcasing advancements addressing challenges in imaging, monitoring, and interpreting DFOS datasets for near-surface geoscience studies focused on subsurface characterization and geohazard assessment (e.g., landslide, volcanic activity, induced seismicity). Applications include, but are not limited to, geotechnical engineering (e.g., infrastructure monitoring), environmental geology (e.g., permafrost, glaciers), hydrology (e.g., fluid flow characterization), and marine sciences (e.g., submarine cable-based sensing). We welcome topics including sensing innovations, dense array processing techniques, realtime processing, and cable deployment strategies, and case studies in geotechnical and environmental applications. This session aims to highlight scientific and engineering perspectives, emphasizing how fiber sensing is advancing near-surface geosciences through scalable, high-resolution insights into Earth processes.

H163 - Wireless Data Networking for Distributed Sensing in the Earth Sciences: Connecting the Sciences

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/250043

Conveners: Cian Dawson (cian@cbdawson.com), Peng Fu, Vinit Sehgal, Stijn Wielandt

Description: Advancements in environmental sensors are rapidly increasing the number and types of monitoring tools available, supported by improvements in edge computing, machine learning, and internet-of-things (IoT) cyberinfrastructure. In field locations with limited built infrastructure, these sensor networks require adoption of wireless data networking tools, including cellular, wifi, LoRa, and/or satellite communications to meet project objectives. Typically customized setups, this ad hoc approach can increase field study costs and time and limit the portability of research data networking infrastructure solutions across sites and projects. This session invites examples of wireless environmental data networking solutions for distributed sensing systems across all geoscience disciplines and tools. Presenters will highlight common needs, solutions, lessons learned, and recommended practices applicable to the larger community. The session will also identify challenges that would benefit from community collaboration through the AGU Distributed Sensing Technical Committee.

H145 - Understanding Distributed Sensing Instruments for Scientific Discovery: A Guided Tour through the Tools of Earth Science

https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/prelim.cgi/Session/251653

Conveners: Haokai Zhao (hkzhao7@mit.edu), Vidya Samadi, Cian Dawson

Description: Distributed sensing technologies are transforming Earth and space science by enabling high-resolution, real-time monitoring across scales and domains. However, keeping pace with the rapidly evolving landscape of sensing tools remains a challenge—especially for students and early-career researchers. This session invites AGU members to lead domain- or instrumentation-themed discussions on distributed sensing, such as its applications in hydrology, seismology, atmospheric science, or the use of tools like wireless sensor networks, fiber-optic sensing, or mobile sensing platforms, etc. Presenters will share research experiences, technical insights, and practical lessons to foster cross-disciplinary learning. In collaboration with the AGU Distributed Sensing Technical Committee, interested presenters may co-design a themed, guided tour of the AGU Exhibit Hall to explore relevant technologies in context. This session aims to foster community knowledge exchange and support a broader understanding of current capabilities, challenges, and emerging directions in distributed sensing across the Earth and space sciences.