Four in Five Geoscientists Report Harmful Field Experiences, Survey Finds

A new survey finds that four in five geoscientists have experienced a harmful interaction during fieldwork, from bullying to sexual harassment, according to a study published in the journal AGU Advances. Fieldwork is central to geoscience, letting researchers directly observe and collect data on Earth processes that cannot be replicated in a laboratory, but it often means traveling to remote locations, sharing housing and working long hours under uneven power structures between students and senior researchers.

Anne U. Gold and colleagues ran an anonymous survey of 289 members of the American Geophysical Union to measure how often harmful field interactions occur, which types cause the most harm, and why many incidents go unreported. The survey asked about aggression and hostility, social harassment, undermining of work, inappropriate sexual behavior, assumptions and stereotyping, and violations of personal privacy, and asked what could make geoscience fieldwork safer and more inclusive.

Eighty percent of respondents said they had experienced at least one harmful field interaction, with the average respondent reporting five such incidents. Identity-based behaviors, including inappropriate sexual behavior and stereotyping, were commonly reported, but respondents said behaviors tied to professional conduct — such as gatekeeping, sabotage and devaluing someone's work — had the most negative impact.

Women and nonbinary researchers were disproportionately affected by devaluation of their work, bullying, unwanted sexual attention and invasions of privacy. Early-career researchers were more likely to face uncomfortable sleeping arrangements and pressure to drink alcohol, while pressure to engage in unsafe activities and bullying were more common at remote field sites.

Seventy-five percent of the most impactful incidents were never reported. The researchers say the findings point to a need for better safety and inclusion training, enforced codes of conduct, and independent reporting pathways so that geoscience fieldwork can be safe, fair and ethical for everyone involved.