The journal reports on new developments in continuum mechanics and thermodynamics and their relevance to materials in geophysics and in the environment. It encourages papers that describe new observed phenomena and presents - for their interpretation and simulation - models based on the principles of mechanics thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Apart from original contributions review articles will occasionally be invited preferably on topics emphasizing the geophysical and environmental aspects and on new techniques for the description of material behaviour or on experiments or observations supporting theoretical concepts. The journal is aimed at engineers physicists natural scientists and applied mathematicians.