Journal profile · Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Terra Nova
ISSN 0954-4879 · eISSN 1365-3121 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1989
Terra Nova: CAS Zone 3 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.86; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,720; median 145 days to acceptance (78 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 99 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Terra Nova is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Geological and Geochemical Analysis, earthquake and tectonic studies and Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, together about 51.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Geophysics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Terra Nova publishes short, innovative and provocative papers of interest to a wide readership and covering the broadest spectrum of the Solid Earth and Planetary Sciences. Terra Nova encompasses geology, geophysics and geochemistry, and extends to the fluid envelopes (atmosphere, ocean, environment) whenever coupling with the Solid Earth is involved. Papers that are of interest to Terra Nova readers will usually expose new general principles and understanding or challenge conventional wisdom. Out of Scope Articles that do not fit with the journal's criteria include: More than 2500 words for a Research Article Highly specialized or technical methodological research; Local or regional case studies that do not adequately show how results/findings are timely and significant in a broader context outside of the study area; Regional articles where methodology has already been applied and do not study new data, resulting in the paper adding limited novel science or new results that is of interest to a broad and international readership.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Editorial board by country: 10 in mainland China (about 32%); most named Mainland China 10, Italy 8, United States 4, Germany 4, India 2 (31 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Geological and Geochemical AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences21.9%
- earthquake and tectonic studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences18.3%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences11.3%
- High-pressure geophysics and materialsEarth and Planetary Sciences9%
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth and Planetary Sciences5.6%
- Geological formations and processesEarth and Planetary Sciences5.1%
- Geological and Geophysical Studies WorldwideEarth and Planetary Sciences4.5%
- Geochemistry and Geologic MappingComputer Science3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| 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 4 |
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 | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | 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
INSPECCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
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
- 1.86LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.9LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.83LetPub ·
- h-index
- 78LetPub ·
- h-index
- 127OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,650OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.14OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 51.3%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 46LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,022Publisher website ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 46Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 114,358Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,015 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 39 | 16 | 7 |
| 2025 | 99 | 41 | 76 |
| 2024 | 60 | 39 | 143 |
| 2023 | 73 | 42 | 318 |
| 2022 | 72 | 28 | 524 |
| 2021 | 63 | 13 | 563 |
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
145 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 110 days – 248 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 12 days (79 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 158 days
- Sample
- 78 articles with submission and acceptance dates (99 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 48%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 48%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 150 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer review, at least 2 reviewersPublisher website · model-extracted
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 3,720 / EUR 3,110 / GBP 2,450 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 2,500 words
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Cover letter
- Optional
- Not considered
- Highly specialized or technical methodological research
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- comment articleComment articles written in response to papers published in Terra Nova are welcome and should be submitted within six months of the publication of the article b…Length not stated
- debate articleDebate articles are submitted in pairs, with each article presenting one side of a topic of current debate or controversy. Because of the need to cover both sid…Length not stated
- focus articleFocus articles are mini-reviews that focus on a particular concept or example, addressing specific questions and introducing the reader to the current thinking …Length not stated
- rapid communicationRapid Communication articlesLength not stated
- research articlefor Cover Submissions Manuscript types Research articles: Research articles submitted to Terra Nova must not exceed 2500 words (excluding references and figure …main text ≤ 2,500 words
- review articleiting service is available if required. Review articles: Review articles may be up to 8000 words and should be discussed with a Scientific Editor or Associamain text ≤ 8,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism
- Data availability
Data sharing expected in public repository; data availability statement required Model summary
Terra Nova recognizes the many benefits of archiving research data. Terra Nova expects you to archive all the data from which your published results are derived in a public repository.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access
Free format submission offered Model summary
Terra Nova now offers Free Format submission for a simplified and streamlined submission process.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review The Review Process
Upon receipt of a manuscript, the Editors will check that the topic falls within the scope of Terra Nova and that the paper does not exceed the permitted length. A number of manuscripts are rejected at this stage, usually within a week. All other manuscripts will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Authors can expect to receive an initial decision on a manuscript within three months…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Plagiarism screening Model summary
Terra Nova employs a plagiarism detection system, and all submitted articles are screened for plagiarism against previously published works.
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
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1989
- ISSN
- 0954-4879
- Electronic ISSN
- 1365-3121
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 38, Issue 5 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Terra Nova
What CAS zone is Terra Nova in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Terra Nova is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category 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 Terra Nova?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.86; CiteScore 4.1, h-index 127.
How long does peer review take at Terra Nova?
Based on the dates recorded on 78 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 145 days (interquartile range 110–248 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 48% (2025). 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 Terra Nova?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Manuscript length: ≤ 2,500 words; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Cover letter: 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 Terra Nova based?
Of the 31 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 10 (about 32%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (10), Italy (8) and United States (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Terra Nova?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Terra Nova is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists INSPEC and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Terra Nova open access, and what is the APC?
Terra Nova is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,720.
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: .