The Near Surface Geoscience family is expanding with the addition of two new parallel conferences on Geohazards Assessment and Risk Mitigation, and UXO and Object Detection. These conferences will debut at the upcoming Near Surface Geoscience Conference & Exhibition in Naples in September 2025, making the event bigger and more impactful than ever before.

More concurrent conferences are being added to next year’s Near Surface Geoscience Conference & Exhibition (NSG) in Naples from 7 to 11 September 2025. Inaugural conferences on Geohazards Assessment and Risk Mitigation, and UXO and Object Detection are being added to the programme making the event bigger and better than ever. 

The 1st Conference on UXO and Object Detection will focus on geophysical and geotechnical methods for detecting UXO (unexploded ordnance) and other buried objects. This is significant because the accumulation of explosive remnants in conflict areas continues to be a severe problem in many regions of the world. Advances in near-surface geosciences have improved detection methods, making these operations safer and more effective. The conference scope includes exploring object detection which plays a crucial role in various fields, for example in windfarm projects, but also agriculture, infrastructure planning, and environmental monitoring. In the case of offshore wind developments, identifying UXOs, submerged pipelines, and other obstacles is essential for safe and efficient construction. Similarly, in agriculture and infrastructure, detecting buried objects such as cables, archaeological artifacts, or natural features like sinkholes can significantly impact planning and development efforts. 

The conference will draw knowledge from EAGE’s technical community focused on drones (UAVs) to discuss how they have proven valuable tools for mapping and inspecting large areas quickly and safely. The discussion should resonate in our Naples venue as Italy still deals with unexploded remnants from World War II and has specialised teams for detecting and removing these materials. 

The 1st Conference on Geohazards Assessment and Risk Mitigation will address the growing impact of geohazards, such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, and coastal erosion, risks that have become more frequent and severe with climate change and rapid urbanisation. 

The choice of Italy, and particularly the region around Naples, as the location for these inaugural discussions is fitting, given its geologically active landscape and historical vulnerability to natural disasters, including eruptions from Mount Vesuvius and regional earthquakes. Reinforcing this timely conference is EAGE’s technical community on Geohazards, which will provide expert insights and foster collaborative discussions on mitigating these pressing risks.