Original scientific contributions on the physics and chemistry of the Earth, its environments, and the solar system will be considered for publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Every part of a paper submitted for publication should convey the author's findings precisely and immediately to the reader. Authors are urged to have their papers reviewed critically by colleagues for scientific accuracy and clarity of presentation.

Typescript. All parts of the paper must be typed double or, preferably, triple spaced on good quality white paper 8½ by 11 inches (21.5 X 28 cm) with at least 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins at top, bottom, and sides. Erasable bond, which smudges easily, and tissue paper are not acceptable. Each page of the typescript should be numbered in the top right hand corner.

AGU's online manuscript formatting helpdesk provides information about preparing manuscripts. Here you will find preformatted templates for all AGU journals for both Microsoft Word and WordPerfect, updated instructions, and updated LaTeX files for AGU journals and book styles.

Authors are expected to supply neat, clean copy and to use correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax. Spelling and hyphenation of compound words follow the unabridged Webster's Third New International Dictionary. The metric system must be used throughout; use of appropriate SI units is encouraged. Following recommended style and usage expedites processing and reduces the chance of error in the typesetting.

Because text footnotes are expensive to set and distracting to the reader, they should be incorporated into the text or be eliminated completely.

The typescript should be arranged as follows:

1. title page including authors' names and affiliations
2. abstract
3. text
4. reference list
5. figure legends
6. tables

Abstract. The abstract should in a single paragraph (250 words or fewer) state the nature of the investigation and summarize its important conclusions. Listing the contents in terms such as "this paper describes'' or "the paper presents'' should be avoided. Use of the passive voice often indicates that the author is merely describing the procedure rather than presenting conclusions. References should not be cited in the abstract.

The abstract should be suitable for separate publication in an abstract journal and be adequate for indexing.

When a paper is accepted for publication, the author will be asked to submit electronically an abstract and index terms for the Geophysical Abstracts in Press (GAP), which is published approximately 1-3 months prior to publication of the article. This abstract does not replace the abstract (described above) that is published with the article. The GAP permits authors to list accepted, in press, papers by specific subject and provides AGU members with up-to-date information in their fields. Electronic submission of abstracts ensures accuracy and streamlines production of GAP, the Earth and Space Index (EASI), and the annual print indexes. AGU asks authors to carefully select index terms when they submit their GAP abstracts to ensure that a paper is classified properly in the annual year-end subject index for each journal and to allow readers to locate papers with greater ease and precision. This new system is part of AGU's strategy to move toward electronic distribution of information.

Mathematics. All characters available on a standard typewriter must be typewritten in equations as well as in text. The letter l and the number 1 and the letter O and the numeral 0, which are identical on most typewriters, should be identified throughout the paper to prevent errors in typesetting. Any symbols that must be drawn by hand should be identified by a note in the margin. Authors will be charged for all corrections in galley proof for material that was handwritten in the typescript. Allow ample space (3/4 inch (2 cm) above and below) around equations so that type can be marked for the printer.

Alignment of symbols must be unambiguous. Superscripts and subscripts should clearly be in superior or inferior position. Fraction bars should extend under the entire numerator.

Barred and accented characters that are available for machine typesetting may be used. Symbols that are not available and therefore must be avoided are triple dots, any accents (other than bars) that extend over more than one character, and double accents (e.g., a circumflex over a bar). Accents over characters can be eliminated by the use of such symbols as ', *, and † set as superscripts.

If an accent or underscore has been used to designate a special typeface (e.g., boldface for vectors, script for transforms, sans serif for tensors), the type should be specified by a note in the margin.

If the argument of an exponential is complicated or lengthy, "exp'' rather than e should be used. Awkward fractional composition can be avoided by the proper introduction of negative powers. In text, solidus fractions (l/r) should be used, and enough enclosures should be included to avoid ambiguity. According to the accepted convention, parentheses, brackets, and braces are in the order { [ ( ) ] }. Displayed equations should be numbered consecutively throughout the paper; the number (in parentheses) should be to the right of the equation.

Notation. The notation is a list of symbols used in the text as an aid to the reader. It should be set up in this form:

 

c		rate of soil accumulation, m/yr.
d		median grain size of water-deposited material, µm.
D		distance of the locus of points, m.
h		elevation of the rock stream channel at a particular time ti, meters above base level.
Hf		maximum vertical displacement of the fault associated with an earthquake, m.
Hf '		amount of vertical displacement of the mountain-bounding fault, m.
z		vertical coordinate of the model grid system.
ß		parameter computed by ß = b/log10 e.
		mean peak flow rate above base flow of stream, m3s.

References. A complete and accurate reference list is of major importance. Omissions, discrepancies in the spelling of names, errors in titles, and incorrect dates make citations annoying, if not worthless, to the reader and cast doubt on the reliability of the author as well.

Only works cited in the text should be included in the reference list. References are cited in the text by the last name of the author and the year: [Jones, 1990]. If the author's name is part of the sentence, only the year is bracketed. Personal communications and unpublished data or reports are not included in the reference list; they should be shown parenthetically in text: (F. S. Jones, unpublished data, 1990).

References are arranged alphabetically by the last names of authors. Multiple entries for a single author are arranged chronologically. Two or more publications by the same author in the same year are distinguished by a, b, c after the year.

For laboratory, company, or government reports, information should be included on where the report can be obtained. For Ph.D. and M.S. theses the institution granting the degree and its location should be given.

References to papers delivered at meetings should include title of paper, full name of meeting, sponsor, meeting site, and date. Citations of papers presented at meetings have been complicated by the practice of collecting manuscripts from participants, reproducing the manuscripts, and distributing the collections to people attending the meeting. Such collections should not be cited as published works.

References to books should include the page numbers of the material being cited.

Names of periodicals should be either written out in full or abbreviated according to the system employed by the Chemical Abstracts Service. One-word titles should always be given in full: Science. It is permissible to give only the initial page number of a paper but preferable to give the range of pages. Samples:

Beal, R. C., The Seasat SAR wind and ocean wave monitoring capa-

bilities, Rep. JHU/APL SIR79U-019, 56 pp., Appl. Phys. Lab., Johns
Hopkins Univ., Laurel, Md., 1980.

 

Hartle, R. E., and J. M. Grebowsky, Upward ion flow in the nightside

ionosphere of Venus (abstract), Eos Trans. AGU, 71, 1431, 1990.

 

Macdonald, G. A., A. T. Abbot, and F. L. Peterson (Eds.), Volcanoes

in the Sea: The Geology of Hawaii, 2nd ed., 517 pp., Univ. of Hawaii
Press, Honolulu, 1983.

 

Passey, Q. R., Viscosity structure of the lithospheres of Ganymede,

Callisto, and Enceladus, and of the Earth's mantle, Ph.D. thesis,
Calif. Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, 1982.

 

Shaw, H. R., and D. A. Swanson, Eruption and flow rates of flood

basalts, in Proceedings of the Second Columbia River Basalt Sympo-
sium, pp. 271-299, East. Wash. State Coll. Press, Cheney, 1970.

 

Skalsky, A., R. Gerard, S. Klimov, C. Nairn, J. G. Trotignon, and K.

Schwingenschuh, Martian bow shock: Topological features of the
upstream region, paper presented at Chapman Conference on Ve-
nus and Mars, AGU, Balatonfured, Hungary, June 3-8, 1990.

 

Spera, F. J., A. Borgia, J. Strimple, and M. Feigenson, Rheology of

melts and magmatic suspensions, 1, Design and calibration, J. Geo-
phys. Res., 93, 10,273-10,294, 1988.

 

Squyres, S. W., and S. K. Croft, The tectonics of icy satellites, in

Satellites, edited by J. Burns and M. S. Matthews, pp. 193-341, Univ.
of Ariz. Press, Tucson, 1986.

Refer to recent issues of the Journal of Geophysical Research for more examples.

Tables. Tables should be typed as authors expect them to look in print. Every table must have a title, and all columns must have headings. Column headings must be arranged so that their relation to the data is clear. Footnotes should be indicated by reference marks *, †, ‡, §) or by lowercase letters typed as superiors. Each table must be cited in text. Authors are urged to make supporting data available as supplements, as described below.

Illustrations. One original or glossy set of illustrations suitable for reproduction and three clear photocopies for the reviewers should accompany the typescript. Illustrations should be original drawings in black ink or, preferably, sharply focused glossy prints. Lettering should be mechanical, not hand drawn. When reduced for printing, lettering should be at least 1.5 mm high: the largest lettering should not exceed 3 mm. The following limiting dimensions apply: page height, 24.1 cm; page width, 17.3 cm, column width, 8.4 cm.

Figures not cluttered with information that could be placed in the legend look neater and are easier to read. All details on the figures should be checked carefully because errors found in galley proof stage (e.g., misspelled words, incorrect values, omitted symbols) must be corrected by the author, and the cost of preparing the new figure for printing will be charged to the author.

Each figure must be cited in numerical order in text and must have figure legend.

Color figures and foldouts can be accommodated, but the addititional costs for these special figures must be borne by the author. The author should retain an identical print for checking color proofs. The AGU Publications office should be consulted for current costs and other special instructions.

If figures that have been published under copyright are to be reproduced in JGR, AGU must have permission from the copyright holders. Copies of letters of permission to republish should accompany the typescript.

Unless requested in writing by the author at the time of initial manuscript submission, figures will not be returned. AGU cannot guarantee the return of original artwork.

Supplementary material. Authors are encouraged to submit papers that are as concise as possible. Supporting material, such as tables of data, computer printouts, appendices, additional graphs, lengthy mathematical derivations, and extended background discussions may be made available through videotape, electronic mechanisms, or microfiche. All supplements will be subject to the same peer review as the printed material. Summaries of articles and key figures may be submitted for publication in the journal, the detailed article being published on microfiche. All material published on microfiche is included in the microform editions of JGR (and therefore archived in libraries) and is available to individuals on order. Information about electronic supplements is available under Tools for Authors/Electronic Supporting Data (E-Supplements). Contact the editors or AGU Publications office for more information on this service.

Return to Publications
Return to Starting Point