The Geosciences Information For Teachers (GIFT) workshop, hosted by the EGU and organised with the help of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), is taking place on April 24–26 2017 at the EGU General Assembly in Vienna, Austria. The topic of the 2017 edition of GIFT is The Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Sea (from the latin medius, “middle” and terra, “land”, meaning “in the middle of land”) is almost completely surrounded by land: on the north by Europe and Anatolia, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The area shows a distinctive geological fingerprint which attracted generations of Earth scientists. Mountain chains, orogenic belts, extensional basins, active volcanoes, violent earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and floods testify to the vigorous active tectonics that characterize the region. The same area, owing to the favorable climate, availability of resources (i.e., water and raw materials) and the presence of the sea, allowed for trade and cultural exchanges, and made it a cradle of culture.

Currently, the area is densely populated with progressively increasing anthropogenic pressures, which, when combined with the peculiar geological setting, result in heightened vulnerability to climate change enhanced by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Mediterranean in thus a key region for understanding the complexities and delicate relationships between civilization, natural processes, catastrophic events and protection of the environment.

The workshop will explore most of these aspects, and will include a hands-on experience session.

Teachers from Europe and around the world can apply to participate in the 2017 edition of GIFT, and to receive a travel and accommodation stipend to attend the workshop, by November 15 2016. Application information is available for download in PDF format, a document which also includes the preliminary programme of the workshop.

• GIFT programme
• EGU Committee on Education