Abstract
Welcome to the first issue of Volume 130 of Applied Earth Science, and welcome to 2021. I write this editorial with a much more positive outlook than at many times during the last 12 months. Vaccines are being rolled out, commodity prices are up, and mineral exploration funding is looking positive. In addition, initial moves by President Biden in the USA towards low-CO2 energy and transport can only be good for the minerals industry globally given the mineral and metal requirements that this transition will have. This is not to diminish the real impact COVID-19 has had; a death toll of more than 2 million worldwide, more than 90, 000 in the U.K., and more than 400, 000 in the USA speaks for itself. This is also not counting the longer term impacts of those affected by this virus. However, we live in hope that vaccines and mitigation will decrease these impacts and will eventually get us to a place if not the same as before the virus, then at least one that is safer with COVID-19 under control. In light of all of this, the challenges of getting a scientific journal published seem rather small. Nevertheless, there are a number of challenges involved in this effort, and it is one that requires support and assistance. Here, as I did in the same issue last year, I thank my two co-editors, Marat Abzalov and Patricia Durance, the members of the Applied Earth Science Editorial Board, and the reviewers listed below who provided their time and expertise to ensure the peer review process remains robust. Without volunteers such as these, the scientific process would not be possible.
Marat Abzalov
Marcel Bassani
Stephen Carey
Chris Devitry
Patricia Durance
Oktay Erten
Vojtech Ettler
James Everett
Saeed Farrokhpay
Kathryn Goodenough
Stephen Grebby
Lachlan Grose
Jessica Hamilton
Lloyd Hamilton
June Hill
Nyree Hill
Stephen Hill
Xunyu Hu
Attila Leaes
Xiaohui Li
Nasser Madani
James Manuel
Roger Marjoribanks
Jelena Markov
Erin Marsh
Clive Mitchell
Jessica Mitchell
Nicola Mondillo
Rebecca Montsion
Louisa O'Connor
Daniel Oliveira
Victor Oliveira
Cameron Perks
Neil Phillips
David Phillips
Walter Pohl
Kevin Purvis
Didier Renard
Jia-Shyan Shiau
Paul Slezak
Martin P. Smith
Bob Smith
Graham Smith
Karl Smith
Ryan Smith
Graham Sparrow
Christine Standing
Christina Stouraiti
Steven Suthers
Julian Vearncombe
Tim Werner
Feng Yuan
Du Yuansheng