Geodesy Cartoon Competition
Turn Science into Smiles
The Geodesy Cartoon Competition from September 2025 to March 2026, organized by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and GGOS, invited participants worldwide to illustrate geodesy through creative, humorous, and visually engaging cartoons. The aim was to make complex geodetic concepts accessible to a broad audience and highlight their importance for society. Submissions were evaluated by an international jury based on clarity, creativity, accessibility, and scientific relevance.
274
cartoons submitted
in total
119
cartoonists participated
46
from countries
Further Information
- Download Guidelines [PDF]
- Download Flyer [PDF]
- Any question? Please contact us
Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Start of Competition | ✅ September 1, 2025 (during IAG Scientific Assembly) |
| Submission Deadline | ✅ March 22, 2026 (Late submissions will not be considered!) |
| Jury Voting | ➡️ April 2026 |
| Winners Announced | ➡️ May 5, 2026 (at IAG Geodesy Reception 2026 during EGU26) |
Cartoon Categories
Cartoonists were invited to submit their work in one of the following categories.
| Categories | Example Cartoon |
|---|---|
Category 1 | Geodesy Explaining CartoonsWhat to draw: Describe geodesy in a simple and accessible way for a general audience. Avoid technical details and instead focus on how geodesy benefits society, like touching on important topics like sea level rise, climate change, natural disasters, navigation, etc. The main message of the cartoon should be immediately clear to the viewer. Target Audience: General public |
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Category 2 | Geodetic Observation Technique CartoonsWhat to draw: An explanation of what geodetic observation techniques (e.g. VLBI, SLR, GNSS, Gravimetry, … see more) do, ideally illustrated through a practical example of a resulting product. Some technical details may be included, but the content should remain accessible and not overly complex. It is acceptable if the viewer takes a bit longer (compared to Category 1) to fully grasp the message. Target Audience: People with basic geodetic knowledge |
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Category 3 | Geodetic Product CartoonsWhat to draw: An explanation of one of the geodetic products (e.g.: reference frames, EOP, geoid, atmosphere, … see more). This can be illustrated through a widely recognized application of the product. Some technical details may be included, but the content should remain accessible and not overly complex. It is acceptable if the viewer takes a bit longer (compared to Category 1) to fully understand the message. Target Audience: People with basic geodetic knowledge |
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Remark: The organizers reserve the right to assign a submitted cartoon to a different category if it is deemed more appropriate.
Draw Requirements
- Cartoon Categories: The cartoon must fit into one of the three defined cartoon categories.
- Type of Drawing: The way the cartoon is drawn is entirely up to you and your creativity and ingenuity. You can create the cartoon by hand, or it can be produced entirely digitally. The cartoon should consist of only one graphics (or at most two), not a series of images like a comic strip.
- AI Tools: Cartoons created with AI tools (ChatGPT, MidJourney, Dall-E, …) are allowed but are only eligible for the AI Recognition Award (Not GOLD or SILVER Award). All submissions will be screened using reliable AI-detection tools.
- Cartoon Colors: The background should be white. Colorization of the cartoon itself is optional but welcome.
- ⚠️ No Text Within the Cartoon/Graphic: Please create a cartoon without visible text inside the drawing. Only universally understood elements (such as symbols or short labels in English) are allowed. But a title and subtext need to be added during the submission process. This makes it easy to translate the text into other languages later. Cartoons/graphics with text will be disqualified!
- Meet Judging Criteria: The cartoonist should submit a cartoon that aligns as closely as possible with all judging criteria. The better it fulfills these criteria, the greater the chance of winning a prize. See judging criteria below…
Judging Criteria:
Each of your submitted cartoons must meet the following criteria as effectively as possible. The jury will base their voting on the cartoons on these criteria:
- Creativity & Visual Impact: Does the cartoon offer a fresh, original idea with a strong, eye-catching design that leaves a lasting impression?
- Humor or Emotional Appeal: Does the cartoon make people smile, laugh, or feel something?
- Clarity of Message / Simplicity: Is the cartoon’s message quickly recognizable?
- Accessibility for Non-Geodesists: Is the cartoon easily understood by the general public?
- Relevance to Geodesy & Scientific Correctness: Does the cartoon clearly relate to geodesy and convey geodetic concepts correctly, while allowing for artistic abstraction or simplification?
Please find more details on drawing requirements and judging criteria, as well as all jury info in the Geodesy Cartoon Competition Guidelines [PDF].
Prizes
Each category has three awards (GOLD, SILVER, AI Recognition Award). A cartoon can be submitted in each of the three categories and could win up to three prizes, that’s up to 900€ cash in total (if you win 3x GOLD Award), plus an IAG Membership* and additional benefits**.
| Award | PrizeS (for each category) |
|---|---|
🥇 GOLD |
300 € cash prize + 50 € IAG Membership* + additional benefits** |
🥈 SILVER |
150 € cash prize + 50 € IAG Membership* + additional benefits** |
🤖 AI Recognition Award*** |
50 € IAG Membership* + additional benefits** |
Top 5 contributors by category |
Get a reserved and free place at the IAG Geodesy Reception 2026 (May 5, 2026) during EGU General Assembly 2026 in Vienna. (Note: Submitter needs to be ranked within top 5 of at least one of the categories by jury voting to get a reserved place.) |
Winner Announcement
All the winners of the geodesy cartoon competition in each of the categories will be announced at the IAG Geodesy Reception 2026 on May 5, 2026, during EGU General Assembly 2026 in Vienna, Austria. ⚠️ A registration is required for this event. ⚠️
Sponsors
The prizes are kindly sponsored by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and the whole competition is organized and supported by IAG’s Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) and the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (BEV – Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen) in Austria.
* IAG Membership:
- All winners will receive a free IAG Individual Membership for 2027 (worth of €50, non-cash). This includes discounts at IAG events and reduced subscription rate at Journal of Geodesy. Read more…
** Additional Benefits:
- Poster: The winning cartoons (GOLD, SILVER and AI) will be presented in poster size at the IAG Geodesy Reception 2026 during the EGU General Assembly in May 2026.
- Journal of Geodesy: Announcement of each winner in the IAG Newsletter, as part of the Journal of Geodesy.
- Highlighted Online: Each winner will be spotlighted in dedicated announcements across IAG and GGOS social media channels and at the IAG website.
- Announcement: Winners will be announced at IAG Geodesy Reception in May 2026.
*** AI Recognition Award:
- The best cartoon in each category which was AI (Artificial Intelligence) created will win this AI Recognition Award
- All participants who submit a cartoon created using AI tools are excluded from the “GOLD” and “SILVER” awards, but are eligible to win the AI Recognition Award.
Further Remarks:
- Jury: The winners will be determined by a independent jury based on judging criteria
- Details: Please find all details in the competition guidelines [PDF]
Statistics
The competition exceeded all expectations, proving to be an outstanding success. In total, 274 cartoons were submitted by 119 cartoonists, far surpassing initial expectations. Through the majority of these outstanding contributions, a significant impact was made in increasing the visibility of geodesy to a broader audience.
Submitted Cartoons
274
in total
222
qualified (meet requirements)
19
created by AI Tools
Participating Cartoonists
119
cartoonists participated
46
from countries
35
by Early Career Scientists
Cartoonists by Country
IAG as part of the IUGG
IAG Related Organisations
IAG collaborates closely with numerous organizations within geodesy and beyond. See the list for details.
This website is provided by the IAG Secretariat and the GGOS Coordinating Office, which are hosted by the BEV – Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen) in Vienna, Austria.