Electromagnetic geophysics in Japan: a conference experience

In September 2024, I attended the 26th Workshop on Electromagnetic Induction into the Earth and Planetary Interiors (EMIW). This biennial meeting is held by the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) Division VI, a vibrant geophysics community that uses electromagnetic (EM) methods to look deep into the Earth (and sometimes beyond).  

About EMIW 

EMIW is organised by the national EM geophysics communities. The very first workshop was held in Edinburgh in 1972, when Rosemary Hutton (a trailblazer for EM research and women in geophysics) was a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. Since then, the meeting has taken place every other year all over the globe. The conference is the stage for EM geophysicists to exchange their ideas, present their newest research and form vital relationships, as well as find potential new project partners and sometimes the next science job as well!  

EMIW in Japan 

This year, it was the large Japanese EM geophysics community that hosted the workshop. In Japan, geophysics is so important because of all the natural hazards present: earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and tsunamis. Befittingly, Beppu on the island of Kyushu was chosen as the workshop venue; Beppu is famous for its hot springs, also called ‘Beppu’s hells’! Most hotels in town have traditional hot baths (‘onsen’) and mine was on the rooftop with views over the ocean. Unfortunately, the daytime temperature in Japan reached 35°C every day, which was not very conducive to hot baths.  

The conference included nine sessions and various review talks. I convened a session on EM monitoring of geohazards, which is a broad theme where our work at BGS to assess space-weather effects fits right in alongside volcano monitoring, changing glaciers, landslides and tsunamis. Other sessions covered more fundamental topics such as instrumentation, data acquisition, processing, modelling and inversions, as well as application areas like resource exploration. There were also specific sessions on airborne, marine and extraterrestrial EM, including a very interesting review talk on EM geophysics on other planetary bodies in NASA/ESA missions. Volcanoes in Japan and on other islands were a prominent topic, as was geothermal research.  

Visiting Mount Aso 

An excursion on the third day of the conference is a staple in the EMIW tradition. Many scientists will agree that the third day of a conference is when everyone gets tired and overwhelmed by all the exciting chat and talks and new ideas swirling around, so a day out in the field provides a great alternative way of understanding key ideas. In Beppu, several excursion options were available to the conference participants. I had signed up to the popular trip to visit Mount Aso, a volcano located in the centre of Kyushu.  

Firstly, we visited the Shinto shrine where locals and guests honour the mountain. The volcano is located in one of the largest calderas in the world and is one of the most active, with its last eruption in 2021. The volcano is very well monitored and the visitor sites have emergency shelters, so we felt very safe visiting the rim of the crater lake.  

Back to the workshop 

Back in Beppu, the workshop continued for another three days. The final day closed with a big gala dinner, where Japanese delicacies and traditional sake (a clear rice wine) were served. A smaller group of fellow scientists finished the conference with a round of karaoke before saying our goodbyes. Next time we’ll convene in 2026, in St John’s,  Canada. 

About the author

Dr Juliane Huebert

Space weather geophysicist

BGS Edinburgh

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