The IUGG Electronic JournalVolume 7 No. 2 (February 1, 2007)This short, informal newsletter is intended to keep IUGG Member National Committees informed about the activities of the IUGG Associations, and actions of the IUGG Secretariat. Past issues are posted on the IUGG Web site. Please forward this message to those who will benefit from the information. Your comments are welcome. Contents
1. Abstract Deadline for IUGG General Assembly extended to 28 February Preparations are continuing for the IUGG General Assembly, July 2 – 13, in Perugia, Italy. The Abstract Deadline for electronic filing has been extended to 28 February, which is also the new deadline for electronic applications for travel support. All instructions and forms for the General Assembly are on the web site (www.iugg2007perugia.it ), accessible from the IUGG home page (www.IUGG.org). Information on registration fees and reservations for accommodations and field trips is in the Third Circular, posted on the General Assembly website. The Third Circular has already been updated from its initial release, so be sure to refresh your screen image of the Circular before printing out the forms. The deadline to register at a reduced fee is 30 April, also the deadline to reserve accommodations through the Local Organizing Committee. After 30 April, all hotel rooms being held by the LOC will be released and they will no longer be able to assist with bookings. A preliminary list of special events at the General Assembly was included in a Special Issue of the IUGG E-Journal that was broadcast on 12 January. That special issue is posted on the IUGG website with all other previous issues of the E-Journal. IAVCEI is planning a series of field trips. New information will be released soon. Finally, please be reminded that additional nominations for Officers of IUGG and members of the Finance Committee are being accepted according to the rules posted on the IUGG website. The Chair of the Nominations Committee, Dr. Søren Gregersen, sg@geus.dk, will be happy to assist with the formalities. The ballot as it is now constituted was reported in the December 2006 E-Journal, available on the IUGG website. 2. Final Call for Delegates to the 2007 IUGG General Assembly In a formal letter posted on 9 May 2006 to all IUGG Adhering Bodies, a request was made for the name of the official delegate to the IUGG Council meetings in Perugia, Italy, in July 2007. This person must be accredited by means of a signed letter (fax and e-mail are not acceptable) from the IUGG Adhering Organisation. This person will be admitted to the Council meeting and may participate in Council business. Delegates from Adhering Bodies in Observer status (that is, dues not paid through 2006), may participate in Council Business but may not vote on issues requiring a ballot, including elections of officers and approval of the budget. Because of a change in IUGG By-laws (By-law 11) enacted at the 2003 General Assembly, IUGG Members in Associate status may send one representative to the Council meetings as a Listener, Listeners are not permitted to engage in discussions or vote on IUGG business. Previously, Associate members were not represented at Council meetings. The Adhering Organizations are asked to notify the IUGG Secretariat of the name of their delegate and to send these letters so that they arrive at the IUGG Office by 28 February 2007. In order to expedite the Council meetings, documents regarding items of business will be sent directly to the delegates for consideration in advance of the General Assembly. The deadline for bids to host the General Assembly in 2011 has passed. One invitation with detailed supporting documents was received to hold the XXVth IUGG General Assembly in Melbourne, Australia, 20 June – 1 July 2011. The bid, from the Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Society of New Zealand with support from numerous scientific societies, universities and the public and private sector, has been sent to the members of the Site Evaluation Committee (ER Engdahl, Chair, CC Tscherning, and K Whaler) for their consideration. They will present their report to the IUGG Council for their vote at the 2007 General Assembly in Perugia. 4. Nigeria returns to regular membership in IUGG Nigeria became a regular member of IUGG in the year 1971, but had subsequently requested Associate status because of financial difficulties to pay the dues. Associate members may return to regular status with the approval of the Council (or the Bureau, acting on behalf of the Council between General Assemblies) and by paying an invoice for dues. Nigeria has now paid dues for 2006, and we welcome their delegates as voting members of the IUGG Council and Association meetings in Perugia. On behalf of IUGG, Dr. David Kerridge attended the first Board Meeting of the International Year of Planet Earth held on 9 - 10 January 2007 in London, UK. The meeting began with the informal opening of the IYPE triennium (2007-2009) and closed with a joint balloon launch on the occasion of the opening of the International Year and the Commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Geological Society of London. The December 2006 editions of the IYPE Prospectus and Business Plan are available on the website http://www.esfs.org/downloads/ On behalf of IUGG, Dr. Alik Ismail-Zadeh attended the Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Planet Earth held in the University of Tokyo, Japan, on January 22, 2007. A one-day symposium highlighted the importance of IYPE, discussed the activity of Japanese scientific and industrial institutions toward the Year, and desired outcomes of this activity. At the invitation of IUGS and on behalf of IUGG, Alik Ismail-Zadeh attended the 57th Executive Committee Meeting of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) held in Nara, Japan, January 16-20, 2007. Discussions included activities of the International Year of Planet Earth, activities stemming from the consortium of 7 ICSU GeoUnions (that will next meet in April in Rome), as well as scientific topics of interdisciplinary interest. At the invitation of International Consortium on Landslides and on behalf of IUGG, Alik Ismail-Zadeh participated in the First Session of the International Program on Landslides (IPL) held in United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan, 22-25 January 2007. Discussions with Prof. K. Sassa (ICL President) and other ICL members included activities of the ICL and IPL, cooperation with the IUGG GeoRisk Commission as well as with the IUGG member Associations and their working groups dealing with landslides. IUGG is invited to cosponsor the First World Landslide Forum to be held 18-21 November 2008, in Tokyo, Japan. On behalf of IUGG, Dr. Arthur Askew attended the 14th session of WMO’s Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 7-14 December 2006. Of particular interest to IUGG are efforts to test instruments and compile internationally comparable data sets, including a new proposal to inter-compare sea level and tsunami monitoring instruments. 6. Invitation to nominate candidates for the IGCP Scientific Board The International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) is a joint venture between UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). To ensure successful assessment and implementation of proposals and projects, IGCP is changing its evaluation structure. All organizations related to the geosciences are invited to propose candidates for the position of IGBP Scientific Board member. The deadline for nominations is 31 March. For additional information, please contact the IUGG Secretariat. The 2006 COSPAR Space Science Award was presented to Prof. Atsuhiro Nishida at the recent COSPAR 36th Scientific Assembly in Beijing, China. COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) recognized Nishida as “one of the most innovative physicists in the world space physics community.” Dr. Nishida has served IUGG as Chair of the National Committee for Japan, and as Chair of the Scientific Programme Committee for the 2003 Sapporo General Assembly. In addition, COSPAR presented Prof. Raymond A. Greenwald with their International Cooperation Medal, which is awarded for significant contributions to the promotion of cooperative, international scientific endeavor. Greenwald is the Chair of IAGA Working Group II-E: Ionospheric Irregularities, Fields and Waves. 8. IUGG-Related Meetings Occurring during February – April 2007 A calendar of meetings of interest to IUGG disciplines (especially those organized or sponsored by IUGG Associations) is posted on the IUGG Web Site [ www.iugg.org ]. Specific information about these meetings, including web links, can be found there. Individual Associations also list more meetings on their web sites appropriate to their disciplines. February 7 – 10, 2007 March 5 - 9, 2007 March 13 - 14, 2007 March 20 - 23, 2007 March 20 - 25, 2007 April 22 - 27, 2007 End of IUGG Electronic Journal Volume 7 Number 2 (February 1, 2007) |
