Journal profile · Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Marine Geology
ISSN 0025-3227 · eISSN 1872-6151 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1964
Marine Geology: CAS Zone 2 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.61; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,770; review about 148 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 153 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Marine Geology is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, Geological formations and processes and Coastal and Marine Dynamics, together about 43.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Marine Geology is the journal on marine geological processes in the broadest sense. It seeks papers that are comprehensive, interdisciplinary and synthetic that will be lasting contributions to the field. Papers must demonstrate new findings and their context and significance discussed in terms of the international literature.Marine Geology accepts papers on subjects as diverse as seafloor hydrothermal systems, beach dynamics, early diagenesis, microbiological studies in sediments, palaeoclimate studies and geophysical studies of the seabed. Papers that address emerging new fields, for example the influence of anthropogenic processes on coastal and marine geology are particularly welcomed.The papers should be concerned with the coastal and marine realm in the broad sense and should deal with rocks, sediments, landforms (sedimentology, geomorphology, geoarchaeology, geochemistry), the physical and chemical and biological processes affecting them, and the characteristics and evolution of the processes/mechanisms as revealed by sedimentary archives.Papers should address scientific hypotheses: data compilations, including 'big data' and datasets of global significance, and papers that deal with marine management and risk assessment, sustainability issues, and hydrocarbon reservoir characterisation may be submitted to the journal on the condition that they demonstrate a close and clear relationship between these issues and coastal/marine geological processes and deposits. Papers on laboratory or modelling studies must demonstrate direct relevance to marine processes or deposits. Papers dealing with coastal deposits now on land may be accepted on condition that these deposits show continuity with, and their interpretation is relevant to, coastal and marine processes. Papers dealing with continental deposits that do not correspond to these criteria and must be submitted to other journals. The primary criteria for acceptance of papers include that the science is of high quality, novel, significant, and of broad international interest.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Shu GaoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 15 in mainland China (about 19%); most named Mainland China 15, United States 13, Italy 10, United Kingdom 4, Germany 4 (77 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences18.9%
- Geological formations and processesEarth and Planetary Sciences16.6%
- Coastal and Marine DynamicsEarth and Planetary Sciences7.8%
- Methane Hydrates and Related PhenomenaEnvironmental Science7.2%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science5.5%
- earthquake and tectonic studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences5.3%
- Geological and Geophysical StudiesEarth and Planetary Sciences4.1%
- Geological and Geochemical AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 2.61LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.81LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 117LetPub ·
- h-index
- 214OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 6,408OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.44OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 31.19%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 145LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 9,347 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 141 | 60 | 33 |
| 2025 | 153 | 67 | 293 |
| 2024 | 176 | 84 | 821 |
| 2023 | 150 | 65 | 1,133 |
| 2022 | 186 | 76 | 1,728 |
| 2021 | 239 | 105 | 3,597 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
148 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports 4–8 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 71 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 148 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,770 / EUR 3,530 / GBP 3,020 / JPY 467,590 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,520 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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)
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- commentIt is possible to submit a Comment that about a recently published Marine Geology paper.Length not stated
- letterThe majority of the articles published in the journal are original Research Papers. Research papers should report new and original research of high quality that…Length not stated
- original researchThe majority of the articles published in the journal are original Research Papers. Research papers should report new and original research of high quality that…Length not stated
- original research paperThe majority of the articles published in the journal are original Research Papers. Research papers should report new and original research of high quality that…Length not stated
- research paperThe majority of the articles published in the journal are original Research Papers. Research papers should report new and original research of high quality that…Length not stated
- reviewThe majority of the articles published in the journal are original Research Papers. Research papers should report new and original research of high quality that…Length not stated
- review articleThe majority of the articles published in the journal are original Research Papers. Research papers should report new and original research of high quality that…Length not stated
- short communicationThe majority of the articles published in the journal are original Research Papers. Research papers should report new and original research of high quality that…main text ≤ 4,000 words
- special issueA Special Issue of Marine Geology is a coherent set of papers on a single scientific theme.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1964
- ISSN
- 0025-3227
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-6151
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Marine Geology
What CAS zone is Marine Geology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Marine Geology is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Oceanography / Geosciences, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Marine Geology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.61; CiteScore 4.8, h-index 214.
How long does peer review take at Marine Geology?
The publisher reports about 148 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Marine Geology based?
Of the 77 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 15 (about 19%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (15), United States (13) and Italy (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Marine Geology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Marine Geology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Marine Geology open access, and what is the APC?
Marine Geology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,770.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .