Eos History

The publication that evolved into Eos, called Transactions, American Geophysical Union, began as a way to distribute information about AGU’s annual meetings and discipline-specific sections to AGU members. Launched in 1920, it was published sporadically until 1959, when it became a quarterly. In 1969, it became monthly and added Eos to its name. In 1979, the publication became a weekly newspaper. Then, in 2014, Eos.org was launched, making the publication more accessible than ever to a wide variety of audiences. To accompany this dynamic new format, a companion glossy magazine was also launched, which is mailed monthly to all AGU members. Eos in 2014 even joined the Twitterverse under the handle @AGU_Eos, reaching an entirely new audience!

As former AGU executive director Fred Spilhaus said in a 2007 article, “Almost 40 years ago, President Landsberg challenged members to use Eos ‘for voicing their opinions.’” He went on to say, “Let AGU not be further away from you than your nearest mailbox.” Eos remains your forum. Today, wherever you are in the world, let AGU be no farther away from you than your Internet connection.”

And as past AGU president Carol Finn said in a 2015 article marking the launch of Eos.org, “While the site may be new, as with all AGU initiatives, the principles and reputation on which it’s built make for a strong foundation. Eos’s efforts to keep Earth and space scientists informed about the latest developments in our community have always been admirable, and the new site will provide for a whole new level of reach and engagement. Not only do I think our readers are going to enjoy the site—after all, it’s pretty snazzy!—I think they will benefit immeasurably from the knowledge it shares and the relationships and collaborations it helps to build.”