Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Link: tao.cgu.org.tw
Description: Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (TAO) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal publishing original research, notes, correspondence, and reviews across all Earth science disciplines, focusing on geophysics, geology, atmospheric science, space science, oceanic science, and hydrology.
Key Words: peer-reviewed, open access, Earth sciences, geophysics, geology, atmospheric science, space science, oceanic science, hydrology
Introduction:
Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (TAO), established in 1990, is the flagship journal of the Chinese Geoscience Union, based in Taipei, Taiwan. Co-sponsored by the Geological Society, Geophysical Society, Meteorological Society, and Oceanographic Society of the Republic of China, and partially subsidized by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the ROC, TAO has been a pivotal platform for advancing Earth science research. It is published bimonthly by Springer International Publishing AG and has been indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI) since 2003, as well as in GEOREF, Research Alert, EBSCOhost, and Current Contents/Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences. With an impact factor of 0.963 in 2023 and an h-index of 52, TAO maintains a respectable standing in the scientific community, ranked in the Q3 quartile for Atmospheric Science, Oceanography, and Earth and Planetary Sciences by SCImago Journal Rank (SJR 0.347).
TAO publishes original research articles, notes, correspondence, and reviews across six key sections: Geophysics, Geology, Atmospheric Science, Space Science, Oceanic Science, and Hydrology. These sections cover a broad spectrum of Earth science disciplines, including seismology, tectonophysics, geodesy, structural geology, petrology, atmospheric physics, chemistry, dynamics, space weather, oceanography, and hydrological processes. The journal emphasizes innovative and rigorously reviewed research, prioritizing novel findings with practical and scientific significance. It is an amalgamation of several legacy publications, including Papers in Meteorological Research (Meteorological Society of the ROC), Bulletin of Geophysics (National Central University Institute of Geophysics), and Acta Oceanographica Taiwanica (National Taiwan University Institute of Oceanography), reflecting its comprehensive scope.
The journal operates under a CC BY license, ensuring open access and allowing authors to retain unrestricted copyrights and publishing rights. Articles are archived in CLOCKSS and Portico, with DOIs assigned for permanent identification. TAO encourages submissions in English, adhering to a single-blind peer-review process to maintain high standards of scientific integrity. Authors are required to submit manuscripts via the journal’s online portal (http://tao.cgu.org.tw), following detailed guidelines that include structured abstracts, clear methodologies, and proper citation formats. The journal also supports supplementary materials and data sharing to promote transparency and reproducibility.
TAO’s scope includes cutting-edge research on topics such as seismic hazards, climate change impacts, tropical cyclogenesis, geoid modeling, and carbonate chemistry, as evidenced by recent publications on Taiwan’s seismic activity, monsoon trough dynamics, and marine ecosystems in the South China Sea. It fosters international collaboration, with articles often involving researchers from multiple countries, enhancing its global reach. While its impact factor (0.963) and citation metrics (Citescore 1.9, SNIP 0.53) indicate a moderate but growing influence, TAO remains a vital resource for researchers, professors, and practitioners in Earth sciences, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
