Journal profile · Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Environmental Earth Sciences
ISSN 1866-6280 · eISSN 1866-6299 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Monthly · Founded 2009
Environmental Earth Sciences: CAS Zone 3 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.24; fully open access; APC about USD 2,290; median 166 days to acceptance (88 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 75%; 706 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
The journal's website announces a move to full open access: We are pleased to announce that Environmental Earth Sciences will become a fully open access (OA) on 1 January 2026. Source ↗Publisher website ·
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Environmental Earth Sciences is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry, Landslides and related hazards and Groundwater flow and contamination studies, together about 26.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Announcement We are pleased to announce that Environmental Earth Sciences will become a fully open access (OA) on 1 January 2026. As a result, all submissions received from 19 Aug, 2025 are subject to an article publication charge (APC) if accepted and published in the journal (unless a waiver is applied). Please see our FAQs which can be found at the bottom of this page for more information on APCs, funding options, waivers and the journal's transition to fully open access. Environmental Earth Sciences is an international multidisciplinary geosciences journal concerned with anthropogenically altered interactions within the geosphere and between the geosphere–biosphere. It aims to advance the scientific evidence for sustainability of natural resources and management of geological, chemical and biological hazards.The geosphere has four subcomponents: lithosphere (solid Earth), atmosphere (gaseous envelope), hydrosphere (liquid water), and cryosphere (frozen water). It can be understood as the part of the Earth system that supplies energy and material to support all life forms including homo sapiens. Besides the Environmental Earth Science discipline, relevant areas include geophysics, geochemistry, biogeosciences, engineering geology, hydrogeology, and physical geography.”Knowledge emerging from observation, data analysis and modeling approaches spanning a range of spatial and temporal scales is of interest. Contributions highlighting technological and engineering innovations are within thescope. The focus is on coupled processes and risk assessment and mitigation in the geosphere affecting water, soil, mineral and energy resources. Given that geologists have long been concerned with rocks and minerals, the EES journal will continue to maintain this solid phase focus, but will expand to also consider other forms of solid phases, such as sediment (which holds groundwater), soil (which supports terrestrial ecosystems), waterborne suspended particulate matter (which transports chemicals in rivers), and air-borne particulate matter (which affects water and soil quality as dry deposition). Investigations of the physical, chemical and biological aspects of these solid phases and their associated liquid and gaseous environmental media are of interest.Examples of topics within the scope of the journal are (not exhaustive): Groundwater systems: the quality, quantity and sustainability of groundwater Natural and engineered georeservoirs: geothermal energy and nuclear
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Olaf KolditzPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 26%); most named Mainland China 6, Germany 6, Italy 4, United States 2, Australia 2 (23 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Groundwater and Isotope GeochemistryEarth and Planetary Sciences11.2%
- Landslides and related hazardsEnvironmental Science7.8%
- Groundwater flow and contamination studiesEnvironmental Science7.2%
- Groundwater and Watershed AnalysisEnvironmental Science7%
- Heavy metals in environmentEnvironmental Science6.6%
- Hydrology and Watershed Management StudiesEnvironmental Science5.8%
- Geochemistry and Geologic MappingComputer Science5.3%
- Rock Mechanics and ModelingEngineering4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECCASCAB AbstractsGeoRefCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.24LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.7LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.94LetPub ·
- h-index
- 98LetPub ·
- h-index
- 150OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,035OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.29OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 14.4%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 684LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,700,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 13,042 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 378 | 347 | 236 |
| 2025 | 706 | 136 | 2,415 |
| 2024 | 691 | 127 | 4,964 |
| 2023 | 623 | 130 | 6,649 |
| 2022 | 564 | 100 | 7,338 |
| 2021 | 857 | 108 | 14,421 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
166 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 130 days – 210 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (88 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 184 days
- Sample
- 88 articles with submission and acceptance dates (886 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 14.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 75%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 37 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessLetPub
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,290 / EUR 3,190 | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- No page charges
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 20,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted12, with length limits
- comment - replyComment - Reply: Short commentary papers may raise concerns on published articles regarding accuracy of data, rigor of methodology, validity of the underlying s…Length not stated
- commentaryAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…Length not stated
- data reportData Report: Archives the processes and the observational data of the geosphere following a standard reporting requirement.Length not stated
- editorialAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…Length not stated
- hypothesisAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…Length not stated
- methodologyMethodology: Documents development of geophysical, geochemical and geobiological observational tools, geostatistical and geospatial methods, data assimilation a…Length not stated
- opinionAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…Length not stated
- original researchAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…Length not stated
- policy and practicePolicy and Practice: Recommends policy options and best practices supported by recent scientific and technological advances in Environmental Earth Sciences for …Length not stated
- research articleAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…main text ≤ 20,000 words
- reviewAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…Length not stated
- systematic reviewAuthors are required to choose one article type when submitting the manuscript. Because each article type has different purpose, the length, illustration and re…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Plagiarism
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
Originality and exclusivity required at submission. Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Author contribution and competing interest statements required at submission. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Digital Publication and Copyright
Permission required for previously published material. Model summary
Articles published online in the electronic journal of Environmental Earth Sciences are fully citable as peer-reviewed research and carry the identical copyright privileges of any subsequent paper publication. Paper copies of the journal are provided as a subscription option to some Environmental Earth Science subscribers who do not have easy access to electronic media. However, paper issues of En…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Environmental Earth Sciences, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism Policy on Intellectual Dishonesty and Plagiarism
As a leading international scientific journal, the staff of Environmental Earth Sciences is deeply committed to the practice of intellectual honesty in all dealings. Infractions against generally acceptable standards for research and publication of results are taken very seriously. Such infractions may include: • Fabrication – the falsification of research or exaggeration or misrepresentation of d…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2009
- ISSN
- 1866-6280
- Electronic ISSN
- 1866-6299
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Environmental Earth Sciences
What CAS zone is Environmental Earth Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Environmental Earth Sciences is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Water Resources / Environmental Sciences / Geosciences, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Environmental Earth Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.24; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 150.
How long does peer review take at Environmental Earth Sciences?
Based on the dates recorded on 88 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 166 days (interquartile range 130–210 days); authors report an average review time of about 14.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 75%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Environmental Earth Sciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 20,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Environmental Earth Sciences based?
Of the 23 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 26%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (6), Germany (6) and Italy (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Environmental Earth Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Environmental Earth Sciences is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, CAS, CAB Abstracts, GeoRef and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Environmental Earth Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Environmental Earth Sciences is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,290.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .