Topics and Trends in Most Cited Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Geology and Paleoclimatology Research research in the Class of 2026?

Paleoclimate proxy records, ice sheet dynamics, and Earth system evolution dominated the field. High-resolution tree-ring records, precipitation isotopes, and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition led thematic interest. The most significant shift was the rapid emergence of lunar geology from the Chang'e-6 mission, alongside expanded interest in Proterozoic and Archean atmospheric evolution.

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Updated July 31, 2026

At a glance

Field
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
9,689
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Mid-Pleistocene Transition, Tibetan Plateau, Proterozoic Eon, Tree-ring records, Chang'e-6 mission
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
40–177
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved June 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 9,689
17718m citations

A 485-million-year history of Earth’s surface temperature

Emily J Judd et al.Science202410.1126/science.adk3705

Emily J. JuddSmithsonian National Museum of Natural History, United States

PhanDAglobal mean surface temperature485 million yearsPhanerozoicProxy DataClimate Modelstatistical integrationClimate stateslatitudinal temperature gradientsAtmospheric CO2Earth system sensitivityPaleoclimate Reconstructiontemperature-CO2 correlationlong-term climate variability
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#2 of 9,689
12618m citations

A sample of the Moon’s far side retrieved by Chang’e-6 contains 2.83-billion-year-old basalt

Zexian Cui, Qing Yang et al.Science202410.1126/science.adt1093

Zexian Cui, Qing Yang, Le Zhang, Yi‐Gang XuGuangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, China

Chang'e-6 missionlunar far sideSouth Pole-Aitken basinlead-lead isotope datingrubidium-strontium isotope datinglow-titanium basaltLate-stage lunar volcanismlunar crater chronologyKREEPstrontium isotopesneodymium isotopeslead isotopesdepleted lunar mantle sourceincompatible elementssample return missionfarside-nearside dichotomy
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#3 of 9,689
12518m citations

2023 summer warmth unparalleled over the past 2,000 years

Jan Esper et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07512-y

Jan EsperJohannes Gutenberg University, Germany

2023 summer temperatures2000-year paleoclimate reconstructionunprecedented warminghistorical temperature contextsummer climate variabilitylong-term temperature trendspaleoclimatologyanthropogenic climate changetemperature extremesProxy Data
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#4 of 9,689
9118m citations

300 years of sclerosponge thermometry shows global warming has exceeded 1.5 °C

Malcolm T. McCulloch et al.Nature Climate Change202410.1038/s41558-023-01919-7

Malcolm T. McCullochThe University of Western Australia, Australia

sclerosponge carbonate skeletonsSr/Ca palaeothermometerocean mixed-layer temperaturePre-industrial baselineIndustrial-era warming onset300-year temperature reconstructionSea Surface Temperatureland-air temperature divergence1.7°C warming by 2020IPCC temperature estimates2°C warming projectioncarbonate-based proxy recordsinstrumental temperature calibrationlate 2020s climate threshold
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#6 of 9,689
8318m citations

Dataset of stable isotopes of precipitation in the Eurasian continent

Longhu Chen et al.Earth system science data202410.5194/essd-16-1543-2024

Guofeng ZhuNorthwest Normal University, China

stable hydrogen isotopesstable oxygen isotopesprecipitation isotopesEurasian continentatmospheric water circulationlatitude effectcontinental effectseasonal isotope variationglobal warming impact on isotopesisotope enrichmentisotope depletionspatial isotope distributiontemporal isotope trendsAtmospheric Circulationunderlying surface conditionshydrological tracingclimate change indicatorsisotope dataset compilation842 monitoring stations1961-2022 time series
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#7 of 9,689
6818m citations

Co‐evolution of early Earth environments and microbial life

Timothy W Lyons, Christopher J Tino et al.Nature Reviews Microbiology202410.1038/s41579-024-01044-y

Timothy W Lyons, Christopher J TinoUniversity of California, Riverside, United States

early Earth environmentsmicrobial lifeCoevolutionArcheanProterozoic Eonbiogeochemical cyclesatmospheric compositionoxygen evolutionstromatolitesHydrothermal systemsbanded iron formationsGreat Oxidation Eventmethanogenesisanoxygenic photosynthesisSulfur Isotope Fractionationtrace metal availabilitycarbon isotope recordsmetabolic evolution
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#8 of 9,689
6718m citations

The restoration of karst rocky desertification has enhanced the carbon sequestration capacity of the ecosystem in southern China

Chaochao Du et al.Global and Planetary Change202410.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104602

Xiaoyong BaiInstitute of Geochemistry, China

karst rocky desertificationCarbon sequestrationEcosystem Restorationsouthern Chinakarst ecosystemsDesertification reversalcarbon storage enhancementkarst landscapecarbon sink functionvegetation restorationEcosystem carbon dynamicskarst regionland degradation restoration
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#9 of 9,689
6218m citations

Global and regional temperature change over the past 4.5 million years

Peter U Clark, Jeremy D Shakun et al.Science202410.1126/science.adi1908

Peter U. Clark, Jeremy D. ShakunOregon State University, United States

benthic foraminiferaδ18Oglobal temperature reconstructionsea levelMid-Pleistocene TransitionObliquity cyclesEccentricity cycleslong-term coolingSouthern Ocean carbon cycleClimate FeedbackGeologic processesPleistocene climate variabilityMilankovitch cycles
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#11 of 9,689
5818m citations

The 4.2 ka event is not remarkable in the context of Holocene climate variability

Nicholas P McKay et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-50886-w

Nicholas P. McKayNorthern Arizona University, United States

4.2 ka eventHolocene climate variabilityClimate Excursionpaleoclimate datasetsProxy Data8.2 ka eventNorth Atlantic coolinghydroclimateregional climate coherenceTree-ring recordsannual-scale paleoclimate reconstructionobjective climate excursion detectionspatial climate patternsclimate event significance testing
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#12 of 9,689
5718m citations

The impacts of climate change on coastal groundwater

Christina Richardson et al.Nature Reviews Earth & Environment202410.1038/s43017-023-00500-2

Christina RichardsonUniversity of California at Santa Cruz, United States

coastal groundwaterClimate change impactsSea Level Risesaltwater intrusiongroundwater rechargecoastal aquifersprecipitation patternsgroundwater-surface water interactioncoastal hydrologyaquifer vulnerability
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#13 of 9,689
5418m citations

Environmental drivers of increased ecosystem respiration in a warming tundra

S L Maes et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07274-7

Sybryn L. MaesUmeå University, Sweden

Tundraecosystem respirationLong-term warming experimentsGlobal WarmingCarbon-climate feedbacksoil temperaturegrowing seasonplant-related respirationmicrobial respirationsoil nitrogen concentrationsoil pHcarbon:nitrogen rationitrogen limitationTurnover ratesorganic carbon reservoirsin situ warming
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#14 of 9,689
5118m citations

Exploring the effects of weighting against homoplasy in genealogies of palaeontological phylogenetic matrices

Martín D EzcurraCladistics202410.1111/cla.12581

Martín D. EzcurraCONICET-Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Argentina

Implied weightingequal weightinghomoplasyphylogenetic parsimonypalaeontological phylogenetic matricesmatrix genealogiesconcavity constantRobinson-Foulds distancedistortion coefficientsubtree pruning and regraftingproportional sum of group dissimilaritiescharacter weightingtree stabilityprincipal components analysisk-value optimizationmatrix size correlation
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#15 of 9,689
5118m citations

Soil carbon in the world’s tidal marshes

Tania L Maxwell et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-54572-9

Tania L. Maxwell, Thomas A. WorthingtonUniversity of Cambridge, United Kingdom

tidal marshesSoil Organic CarbonCarbon storagespatially explicit mapping30-arcsecond spatial resolutionlandscape-level environmental driversglobal tidal marsh extent map3710 unique locations1.44 Pg C global stock0–30 cm soil layer30–100 cm soil layer83.1 Mg C ha−1185.3 Mg C ha−1predicted error quantificationcoastal ecosystem conservationblue carbonwaterlogged soils
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#16 of 9,689
4818m citations

The history of Earth’s sulfur cycle

Mojtaba Fakhraee et al.Nature Reviews Earth & Environment202410.1038/s43017-024-00615-0

Mojtaba Fakhraee, Peter W. CrockfordYale University, United States

sulfur cycleEarth historysulfur isotopesmass-independent fractionationatmospheric oxygenArcheanProterozoic EonPhanerozoicpyritesulfateMicrobial Sulfate ReductionSeawater Sulfate ConcentrationGreat Oxidation Eventsedimentary sulfurredox evolutionsulfur biogeochemistry
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#17 of 9,689
4718m citations

Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth

Zhisheng An et al.Science202410.1126/science.abn4861

Zhisheng An, Xu Zhang, Zhonghui LiuInstitute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Mid-Pleistocene TransitionAntarctic Ice SheetNorthern Hemisphere Ice SheetsBipolar climate couplingSouthern Ocean sea ice expansionDiachronous glaciationPleistocene mid- to high-latitude proxy recordsModel-data comparisonNorth Atlantic coolingmoisture transport to Northern Hemisphere2.0 to 1.25 million years ago AIS growth1.25 million years ago NHIS expansionhemispheric climate linkages
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#18 of 9,689
4518m citations

Returned samples indicate volcanism on the Moon 120 million years ago

Bi-Wen Wang, Qian W L Zhang et al.Science202410.1126/science.adk6635

B Wang, Qian W.L. Zhang, Yuyang He, Qiuli LiChinese Academy of Sciences, China

Chang'e-5 missionlunar volcanic glass beadsuranium-lead datingmagma fountainssulfur isotopesrare earth elementsthorium enrichmentmantle heat-generating elementslunar volcanism timingvolcanic glass textureschemical composition analysismantle source geochemistryLate-stage lunar volcanismlunar soil samples
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#19 of 9,689
4518m citations

Storage, form, and influencing factors of karst inorganic carbon in a carbonate area in China

Chaochao Du et al.Science China Earth Sciences202410.1007/s11430-023-1249-9

Xiaoyong BaiGuizhou Normal University, China

karst inorganic carboncarbonate areaCarbon storagecarbon formkarst hydrogeochemistryCarbonate weatheringdissolved inorganic carbonsoil inorganic carbonkarst carbon cycleChina karst regionscarbonate rockkarst aquiferinorganic carbon sequestrationhydrochemical parameters
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#20 of 9,689
4018m citations

Middle and Late Pleistocene Denisovan subsistence at Baishiya Karst Cave

Huan Xia, Dongju Zhang, Jian Wang, Zandra Fagernäs et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07612-9

Huan Xia, Dongju Zhang, Jian Wang, Zandra FagernäsLanzhou University, China

DenisovansBaishiya Karst CaveTibetan Plateauzooarchaeology by mass spectrometryshotgun proteomicshominin rib specimenDenisovan sedimentary mitochondrial DNADenisovan mandiblelate Middle PleistoceneLate PleistoceneCaprinaeMegaherbivoresanthropogenic bone modificationschaîne opératoirecarcass processingbone toolsfaunal assemblagetaxonomic assignmenteastern Eurasia
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 in Geology and Paleoclimatology Research is defined by high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions, Quaternary ice age dynamics, and deep-time Earth and planetary evolution. Paleoclimate proxies were central to the cohort, led by precipitation isotopes, stable water isotopes, and tree-ring records featured in up to 6% of top papers. In Quaternary climate dynamics, the Mid-Pleistocene Transition emerged as a key focal point for understanding orbital forcing, eccentricity cycles, and ice sheet sensitivity, with major contributions analyzing Antarctic Ice Sheet behavior and North Atlantic cooling. In regional geomorphology and climate interactions, the Tibetan Plateau was prominent, driving studies on tectonic uplift, drainage reorganization, and Asian monsoon evolution. Deep-time Earth history maintained strong representation across the Proterozoic Eon, Archean, Great Oxidation Event, and Ediacaran, highlighting carbon-climate feedbacks and atmospheric CO2 controls. Crucially, planetary geology made a major impact on this cohort, highlighted by lunar sample returns from China's Chang'e-6 mission to the South Pole-Aitken basin, providing critical constraint on late-stage lunar volcanism and crater chronology.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals significant thematic expansion toward planetary sample analysis, orbital paleoclimatology, and tectonic-hydrologic coupling. The most prominent surge was driven by lunar geology, where research on the Chang'e-6 mission, the South Pole-Aitken basin, and late-stage lunar volcanism rose from absence in the prior year to 4% of top papers following sample returns. In terrestrial paleoclimatology, studies of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition and tree-ring records tripled in frequency (from 2% to 6%), signaling an intensified focus on high-precision climate benchmarks and nonlinear climate responses. Research on the Tibetan Plateau and Proterozoic Eon also experienced steep gains, expanding from zero presence to 6% representation. Similarly, investigations into extreme El Niño events, carbon-climate feedbacks, and stable water isotope dynamics doubled or newly emerged. Conversely, generic regional surveys saw reduced relative emphasis as the field pivoted toward mechanistic integration of paleoclimate proxy data, orbital cycles, and planetary evolution.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/geology-and-paleoclimatology-research/2026. Accessed 2026-07-31.

Methodology
Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459