Gender equality is widely recognized as a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development, social well-being, and inclusive growth.Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations, SDG 5 explicitly underscores gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls as essential enabling conditions for achieving the broader 2030 Agenda.Despite this global commitment, gender disparities continue to persist as deep-rooted structural challenges across many scientific disciplines, including geoscience.Geoscience plays a pivotal role in addressing some of the most pressing contemporary challenges, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable resource management, disaster risk reduction, and environmental protection.However, the historical contributions of women to geoscience, as well as their current and potential future roles, have frequently been undervalued, overlooked, or insufficiently documented.Although recent decades have witnessed a notable increase in the number of women entering geoscience and other STEM fields at both undergraduate and doctoral levels, this growth has not translated proportionally into representation in senior professional positions.Empirical evidence consistently points to a pronounced "leaky pipeline," in which women remain significantly underrepresented in permanent academic appointments, leadership roles, and decision-making bodies within the geoscience community.This Special Issue of Episodes, "Empowerment of Women in Geoscience toward the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality)," emerges from the recognition that addressing gender disparity in geoscience is not only a matter of equity, but also a necessary condition for scientific excellence, innovation, and sustainable development.At the professional level, gender imbalances limit the diversity of perspectives, restrict scientific creativity, and, ultimately, weaken the capacity of geoscience to respond effectively to global environmental and societal challenges.The motivation for this Special Issue was twofold.First, it aims to critically examine the structural, institutional, and sociocultural factors that hinder women's full participation and advancement in geoscience.Second, it highlights successful initiatives, best practices, and role models that can inspire and support the next generation of geoscientists, regardless of gender, while contributing to the development of more inclusive and equitable scientific communities.

In slowly deforming intraplate regions, identifying active faults is challenging due to their low slip rates or concealment by recent sedimentation and anthropogenic activity, requiring significant time and resources. We focus on the structural features and spatial extent of a buried active reverse fault, central South Korea. Our approach integrates the structural and paleoseismic records from the fault exposure with 2D and 3D electrical resistivity surveys. In the road construction area, electrical resistivity differentiates the fault's hanging wall from the footwall in granitic bedrock. The hanging wall yields resistivities of <150 m, lower than the footwall. Based on these findings, we implemented a 3D survey using five survey lines across a 16 m 27 m area. The 3D inversion reveals a distinct boundary at 150 m, delineating a N22W-direction and asymmetric damage in the fault zone. In the rice cultivation area, 2D surveys were conducted along three survey lines to verify the buried fault. The results revealed a low-resistivity zone (<150 m) indicating an extensive damage zone. Our findings emphasize the effectiveness of integrating geological observations with 2D and 3D resistivity surveys to increase the precision of fault location and reveal complex internal structures in sediment-covered or urban regions.

Near-surface geological defects pose a serious threat to human life and infrastructure.Hence, the exploration of geological hazards is essential.Currently, there are various geological hazard exploration methods; however, those require improvements in terms of economic feasibility, convenience, and lateral resolution.To address this, this study examined an extraction method to determine spatial autocorrelation velocity dispersion curves for application in near-surface exploration.The influence of the spatial autocorrelation coefficient calculation error on the velocity dispersion curves was determined using the theoretical calculation formula.Advantageous frequency bands with different radii were obtained and the extraction method of the velocity dispersion curve for multi-radius advantageous frequency bands was summarized.Finally, the method was applied to explore tunnel damage in a representative section of a railway tunnel.Through a comparative analysis of the results of multi-channel surface wave analysis and drilling methods, this method was observed to accurately identify abnormal areas of geological structures.Compared with traditional processing methods, the method described herein has a higher lateral resolution and can effectively suppress the influence of interference factors on the calculation results, thereby improving the accuracy of the velocity dispersion curves.The results of this study provide a reference for the application of spatial autocorrelation methods in the investigation of urban near-surface geological defects.

This article provides an overview of the developmental trajectory and enduring impact of the Commission on Geoscience Education (COGE) under the auspices of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) from its inception in 1961 to 2024, including its formal establishment in 2004. Originally established as the Commission on Geoscience Education, Training, and Technology Transfer (COGEOTT) in 1990, COGE's evolution is explored against the backdrop of expanding global needs in geoscience education. The Commission's strategic reorientation from purely facilitating scientific conferences to addressing diverse educational demands across developed and developing countries is examined. In its various forms, COGE has consistently advocated improving geoscience education globally, and COGE's significant collaborative ventures, notably with the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO) and the European Geosciences Union (EGU), highlight key achievements such as the formulation of an international geoscience curriculum and impactful educational publications. These collaborative efforts underscore COGE's instrumental role in shaping geoscience education on a global scale. Key independent achievements of the Commission include the establishment of the Geoscience Education Field Officers (GEFO) Program, the creation of the Chris King Medal for excellence in international geoscience education, ongoing partnerships with other global geoscience education organizations, and the recent reinvigoration of a social media presence to increase awareness of its initiatives. Despite these achievements, COGE faces new and persistent challenges, such as resource constraints and adapting to diverse educational systems. The Commission's innovative responses to these challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrate its resilience and commitment to advancing geoscience education globally. This showcases the importance of collaboration and innovation, amidst evolving circumstances.