In the last week of April, 6 scientists from the ICARUS team went to the EGU conference in Vienna to present their latest science and gain new insights from others. Here are the highlights of their week.
Dr. Emmanuel O. Eresanya
At this year’s EGU conference in Vienna, Austria, I had the honour of presenting my current research, titled Future Projection of the Ocean Dynamic Sea Level over the Irish, Nordic, and Arctic Seas under Different Global Warming Thresholds, funded by the Marine Institute. My presentation took place within the sub-session Changes in the Arctic Ocean, Sea Ice, and Subarctic Seas Systems under the Ocean Science theme. This opportunity allowed me to share my findings with an international community of scientists and facilitated valuable new connections and collaborations. I also enjoyed the friendly weather and the nice delicacies in Vienna.
Dr. Samantha Hallam
It was slightly daunting to be first up in the week presenting mid-morning on Monday, but the session was well attend and it was a good opportunity to talk about TOPIM (Tropical cyclone ocean-coupled potential intensity model) and how hurricane intensity prediction in the Caribbean can be improved by near real-time ocean coupling using the TOPIM model. EGU is always such a good place to get up to speed on the latest science and I attended many interesting sessions on tropical cyclones, AMOC, Atlantic Nino, Marine heatwaves, and decadal prediction. Attending the conference with colleagues from ICARUS was a wonderful bonus.
Kevin Healion, Research Assistant
This was my first time attending the EGU in Vienna. The first thing I will say is if you get an opportunity to attend, do, it is a fantastic experience. On Friday morning I had the opportunity to present a poster I created with the help of Dr. Peter Thorne and Dr. Simon Noone. Titled Can we take student-based data rescue to the next level by engaging secondary school students across Europe and the World the poster presented information regarding the amount of data digitised by second year geography students through the CliDar Africa project. The poster also argued that there is an opportunity to engage with secondary school students which could lead to even larger amounts of data being rescued. As well as getting to present my poster I got to chat with others who presented posters on different data rescue projects across the globe. Outside my own presentation I had the opportunity to attend talks on various topics such as how to communicate climate science to the public, and climate data harmonization.
Dr. Nannan Li
I had a wonderful time attending EGU 2025 in Vienna – my first time at both the conference and the city. The weather was warm and sunny, perfect for enjoying the sights and some amazing schnitzels! I presented preliminary results from my research for the PCARB project (funded by Research Ireland), about how past climate change have influenced the carbon storages Irish blanket bogs and received great feedback on our work. It was inspiring to meet researchers from across Europe and even from China. EGU was a great opportunity to grow, connect, and learn. I’m truly thankful for the support that made it all possible – and I can’t wait to go again!
Cathal Ryan, Doctoral student
The European Geoscience Union (EGU) which is hosted annually in Vienna, Austria provided a unique opportunity to present current work and research and opportunities to meet up with past colleagues and friends. If I was to summarise my time in attendance this year, I would describe it as immensely constructive. Thus far, I have now attended three conferences, and EGU was the first where I presented a poster on the carbon measurement of peat soils, and my take aways – poster presentations surpass oral presentations. They provide more advantages and values especially when you benefit from great levels of engagement from the audience. With a poster, you can discuss your work with more clarity and answer specific questions that you may be asked. With thousands of researchers attending EGU, one might find that in an oral their message becomes drowned out or lost. In one session you are provided only a few minutes to hammer home your points, other presenters are there to do the same; therefore, it becomes difficult not to get lost in the lively atmosphere. A poster provided for more personal and intimidate discussions.
To discuss beyond the four corners of the poster, attending EGU in the height of the Vernal season with my colleagues and friends from the department and enriched the whole experience. From attending their presentations, eating out, or grabbing a coffee between seminars with them, there was always laughs and smiles to share. They were what made the whole experience so memorable.
Ashly Kalayil Uthaman, Doctoral student
This was my third time attending the EGU General Assembly, so I wasn’t as excited as I was during my first visit. But still, EGU 2025 gave me many special memories.I had my talk on the first day in the morning. The room was almost full, which made me a bit nervous, but I was happy to share my latest work on wave simulation under changing climate conditions. After my talk, a professor from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) came to speak with me and invited me to give a seminar there. That was one of the most exciting moments for me at EGU this year.
Another happy moment was meeting my PhD supervisor, André Düsterhus, in person. André moved to Denmark during my second year, so we don’t meet often. But EGU has become our meeting place—we met last year as well, and it was really nice to see him again this time too. That conversation felt like reconnecting with a guiding force. Beyond my session, I attended discussions on handling reviewer comments effectively, and another on the growing role of AI in research, both of which were timely and thought-provoking. I appreciate how EGU continues to evolve with the changing landscape of academia.
This time, I also took some time to explore Vienna on my own. Walking around the city, visiting places, and enjoying some quiet time by myself made the trip even more special.Even though it was my third time at EGU, this year felt different in a good way—with a mix of learning, sharing, and small moments of joy
Link to EGU abstract: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-9156.html
The sights and delights of Vienna
In the evenings and at lunchtime, it was great to catch up with ICARUS colleagues, and one evening Cathal gave us a wonderful tour of the city
