Editorial

Welcome to the first issue of Volume 131 of Applied Earth Science and a new year, albeit with a continuing pandemic. Already this year we have seen significant progress in terms of moving towards more normal circumstances and in-person gatherings and hopefully this will continue throughout 2022. This editorial will be a short one to begin the year, and will consist of a couple of editorial changes. Firstly, Patricia Durance will be stepping down as Co-Editor this year. I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank Patricia for her service to Applied Earth Science during her time as part of the editorial team and wish her luck in future ventures. I will also be stepping down as Editor of Applied Earth Science in January 2023. I have been involved with the journal since 2010, was Co-Editor from 2013 to 2019, and will have been Editor for nearly four years when I step down after taking over from Neil Phillips in 2019. My time with Applied Earth Science has been challenging but very rewarding, and has given me useful insights into scientific publishing and writing, editing, peer-reviewing, and a huge array of different types of scientific research. I’d like to thank the team at Taylor and Francis (and Maney before them) for their efforts on behalf of the journal, my Co-Editors and colleagues on the editorial board, and all of the authors and reviewers who have contributed to the journal over the past 12 years.