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June 2008
Australian Earth Sciences Convention (AESC) 2008
Australian Earth Sciences Convention – a must-attend for all geoscientists!
20-24 July 2008, Perth
Australian Earth Sciences Convention - less than 4 weeks to
go - register now for
this "must attend" mega-conference!
More than 135 presenters and 450 papers across 5 major
streams!
Please CLICK HERE to view the full program for this important international conference and to register
your
place.
The programs for each of the Convention’s five specific streams are now also available online
– follow the links below.
We look forward to welcoming you to Perth next month!
Whether it is the formation of the Solar System, the next big frontier for minerals exploration or some
other
area
of geoscience that interests you, the 2008 Australian Earth Sciences Convention is an event
you should
not
miss!
The Convention is Australia’s premier geoscience conference and a
major event on the international
geosciences calendar.
Boasting a wide-ranging program across five major streams, this year’s mega-conference has already
attracted many registrations. Over 1000 delegates are expected to attend the event, which will feature
more
than 135 Australian and international presenters, 450 papers, a great range of workshops and field
trips, a
major trade exhibition, and an exceptional social program.
A great range of speakers and topics!
The 2008 Australian Earth Sciences Convention will cover an incredible variety of topics from a diverse
range
of Australian and international experts. The wide-ranging program will appeal to geoscientists from
all sectors–whether you are working in industry, government or academia…or studying Earth Sciences at
university.
Effectively several conferences wrapped into one, the Convention’s five streams are:
Resources – foundation for our future
The evolution of life and the solar system
Earth’s environments – past, present and future
The dynamic Earth – from crust to core
Geoscience in the service of society
Please also CLICK HERE to see more information about these streams.
Mars, asteroids, minerals exploration, water contamination, salinity
and tsunamis – just a few of the topics featured in this year’s mega-program!
The Convention’s extremely wide-ranging program will feature everything from Australia’s future energy
mix
to what parts of Australia and what infrastructure assets are most likely to be affected by tsunami
(and what is being
done to mitigate this risk), from groundwater exploration in Australia to
groundwater contamination in the
Himalayas
and the USA, from salinity to food production risk and
food traceability!
With the Convention being held in Perth, there is also a strong focus on mineral and energy exploration,
new technologies and potential discoveries in Western Australia, Australia and internationally.
The conference will also feature a diverse range of topics including asteroid impacts, 3.5 billion year old
fossils
and what they can tell us about Earth’s evolution, evidence of mass extinctions on Earth, the
formation
of Earth and
the Solar System, NASA’s missions to Mars and what they have uncovered, marine
eco-systems,
geo-tourism
and
even the geochemistry of termite mounds!
In focusing on critical topics such as earthquakes, landslides and other geohazards, climate change,
carbon sequestration, clean coal technologies, uranium deposits and their production in a global context,
and
alternative energy sources like geothermal energy, this conference will tackle some of the biggest
issues being faced by
Australia and indeed the planet.
Workshop registrations close 4 July!
Registrations for the Convention’s field trips have already closed, but until 4 July you can still secure
your place in the great range of workshops being held before, during and after the conference. They are:
Drafting public reports that conform to the JORC Code
Crustal history and tectonics of the Northern Tasman Orogenic Zone
The Precambrian timescale: issues and possible changes
Core logging – observing, measuring and interpreting structural elements
EarthCaching: combining geoscience, learning and outdoor fun with the Global Positioning System and
the Internet
Mineral prospectivity analysis and quantitative resource assessments
Smart exploration with pre-competitive hyperspectral mineral mapping data from Queensland
For more information about the workshops, please CLICK HERE.
A great program of social events!
The exceptional social events for this year’s Convention include a GeoTrivia Night, the Convention
Dinner
(featuring ABC Radio’s Robyn Williams as guest speaker), the Society of Economic
Geologists’
2008 Mentoring Event, and
happy hour and icebreaker events.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Please visit the conference website or contact the conference organisers:
International Conferences & Events (ICE) Aust. P/L
Suite 4 / 73 Hay Street, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia
t: +61 (8) 9381 9281
f: +61 (8) 9381 9560
e: aesc2008@iceaustralia.com
w: http://www.iceaustralia.com/aesc2008
A great range of speakers!
The Convention’s exciting line-up of plenary and keynote speakers includes:
Prof. Peter Cawood,University of Western Australia & 2008 Mawson Prize Winner
Making mountains: geological drivers and environmental consequences
Dr Peter McCabe, CSIRO & President of the American Geological Institute
Australia’s energy future
Prof. Malcolm Walter, Australian Centre for Astrobiology
What does the geological record tell us about climate change?
Dr Barry Drummond, Geoscience Australia
The Tsunami risk to Australia and what is being done to mitigate it
Phil Commander, WA Geological Survey and the Department of Water
The Yarragadee Aquifer
Prof. Michael Gurnis, California Institute of Technology, USA
The dynamic earth - the new perspective from deep seismic imaging
Dr Jeffrey Taylor, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, USA
New views of the chemistry and geology of the crust of Mars
NEWSBREAKERS
Alcheringa up for grabs!
Due to space problems back issues of Alcheringa can no longer be stored at the University of
Wollongong.
All copies must be disposed of. Copies not collected on the day will be sent to land fill!
To complete your
collection, grab copies of your missing issues from Building 32,
University of Wollongong Campus between
10 am and 1 pm Saturday June 28.
Contact Tony Wright for more information: awright@uow.edu.au
Geopark 57 an Australian first
The United Nations has declared part of the volcanic terrain of south west Victoria as a globally
significant
geological area. The area known as the Kanawinka Geopark is the first geopark in
Australia, and the 57th
in the world to be recognised by UNESCO.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/23/2282401.htm
Jason to help Australian nautical monitors
The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM), also known as Jason-2, has been launched.
It will provide precise data on sea level and there by improve our understanding of how the oceans
are
changing in response to
climate change.
http://www.csiro.au/news/Jason2Launch.html
Chilean volcano hots up again
The Chaiten volcano in southern Chile has erupted with renewed strength after a recent lull.
The renewed
activity threw thick clouds of ash and molten rocks high into the air, dashing hope that
those evacuated in
recent weeks could return home.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g1Z8YjA-sFizu0_J6OKX8E0sg-_g
Earthquakes rock Japan
The magnitude 6.8 Honshu earthquake of June 13th occurred in a region of convergence between
the
Pacific Plate and the Okhotsk section of the North American Plate in northern Japan,
where the Pacific
plate is moving west-northwest with respect to North America.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008tfdp.php#summary
What have dugongs and lobsters got to do
with
volcanoes?
The summits of two volcanoes have been discovered by a
team aboard
the
Southern Surveyor while mapping uncharted
areas north-east of Fiji
for active
submarine volcanoes,
spreading ridges and rift zones.
Named 'Dugong', and 'Lobster',
the volcanoes are dominated
by large
calderas at depths of 1100
and 1500 metres.
http://www.csiro.au/news/SubmarineVolcanoes.html
Visit http://www.csiro.au/multimedia/NewVolcanoes.html for a
pod
cast of the news report
FROM THE DIVISIONS
Divisional information is regularly updated at http://gsa.org.au/events/divisionmeetings.html
Check this site for more recent information on the following events:
Australian Capital Territory
15th July 2008 GSA ACT meeting
David Brown Lecture Theatre, RSES, Building 47, ANU, 5.00pm for 5.30pm
Tasmania
17th July 2008 GSA TAS regular meeting
Dr. Gareth Cooper, Hot Dry Rocks Pty Ltd: Geothermal Exploration - Risks, Myths and Facts
Geology lecture theatre, UTAS, Hobart, 5.30 pm for 6.00 pm
Victoria
31st July 2008
Joane McKnight, Mirjam Bröhl, and Bernie Joyce: Australia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark:
The Kanawinka Geopark on the volcanic plains from Colac to Mt Gambier
Earth Sciences Building, Fritz Loewe Lecture Theatre, University of Melbourne , 5.30pm for 6.15pm
25th September 2008 SELWYN SYMPOSIUM
Neoproterozoic extreme climates and the origin of early life
Earth Sciences Bldg, Fritz-Loewe Lecture Theatre, University of Melbourne, 8.00am for 9.00am
Western Australia
1st July 2008 GSA WA regular meeting
Dr Chris Clark, CUT: Event timing in the Southern Granulite Terrane, India
Geography Lecture Theatre 1, Geology-Geography Building, University of Western Australia, 5.30 pm
IN THE NEWS
Mummy nothing to curse about
An arm and the tail of an Edmontosaurus, named Dakota, covered by fossilised skin recently went on
display
in North Dakota. It is one of very few mummified dinosaurs in the world, and researchers say it
might be the
best
in terms of quality and quantity of preserved skin. The rest of what may be a complete
skeleton
is yet to be
prepared
out of the matrix.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071203-dino-mummy.html
Mining drives job demand and makes the news
Minerals Council of Australia estimates there will be 90,000 more mining related jobs by 2020,
with the
greatest demand in skilled trades. In the short term, annual employment growth rate is forecast at
six per
cent
until 2012, double government predictions.
http://www.vedior.com/hr-portal/recruitment-news/jobs-increase-in-mining-predicted.html?c=3746
More dinosaurs for Jurassic parks
The Morrison Formation in Utah continues to amaze with still more Jurassic beasts unearthed at a
dig near Hanksville. Palaeontologists have unearthed at least two meat-eating dinosaurs, a
probable Stegosaurus,
and four very large sauropods.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080617-utah-dinosaurs.html
Mars bound while Earth bound
The Mars Society of Australia has joined with NASA's Spaceward Bound program to
enable the society to conduct analogue research and education programs in Australia.
The first expedition, to northern South Australia, departs in July after the 8th Australian
Mars Exploration Conference, July 4–6, concludes.
http://www.hobbycentre.com.au/SBA2008Reg.html
The Cretaceous Mancos Shale of Utah as a Mars analogue, with the
MarsSkin3 simulated Mechanical Counter Pressure suit under test.
Image courtesy of Mars Society of Australia
ON THE WEB
Dig up the mines atlas update
Geoscience Australia's Australian Mines Atlas has been redeveloped and integrated within
Geoscience
Australia's
core software and infrastructure framework for improved stability and public access.
The
redeveloped Atlas
includes greater capability in zooming and downloading of custom data subsets
for use
in spreadsheets or with
Google Earth.
http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/
How the Dutch do it with trucks
Geotruck is an interactive mobile classroom where Dutch and Flemish secondary schools can take part
in
the
Earth Quest game. It’s an exciting, challenging and instructive way to make students aware of
major environmental challenges such as climate change, energy supply, overpopulation and natural
disasters.
http://www.geotruck.nl/mailing/maillist/admin/templates/english/mailingjune08.html
National Geochemical Survey hotting up
This survey is designed to provide pre-competitive data and knowledge to support exploration
for energy resources in Australia. In particular, it will improve the existing knowledge of the
concentrations
and distributions
of energy-related elements such as uranium (U) and thorium (Th) at the
national scale.
http://www.ga.gov.au/minerals/research/national/geochemical/index.jsp
IN THE MEDIA
New AusGeo News
The June 2008 issue is out now. Catch up on all the goings on at Geoscience Australia.
http://www.ga.gov.au/ausgeonews/ausgeonews200806/
Water rockets are go
Read the latest Victorian Space Science Education Centre's edition of the CAPCOM newsletter to find
out about
the APRSAF International Water Rocket Education Workshop and much more.
It is available as a pdf download
http://www.vssec.vic.edu.au/downloads/capcom/capcom25-0608.pdf
ATSE Clunies Ross Award - 2009 call for nominations
The Ian Clunies Ross Memorial Foundation is calling for nominations for the 2009 Australian Academy
of Technological Sciences and Engineering Clunies Ross Award, one of the pre-eminent awards for
scientists, technologists and innovators across Australia.
http://www.cluniesross.org.au/the-awards
Unearthed and exposed photography competition
The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum’s photography competition Unearthed and Exposed celebrates
the
natural history of our planet. Enter a photograph which displays evidence of the Earth’s geological
history or
captures the beauty of a fossil or mineral specimen. Great prizes. Entries close October 10,
2008.
http://www.somervillecollection.com.au/
Mining Education Australia continues to grow
The University of Adelaide is the latest tertiary institution to join the ground-breaking national
education joint venture, Mining Education Australia. This joint venture provides a common curriculum for
third
and fourth year mining engineering students, and is now extended across four states in Australia.
http://mea.edu.au/
COMING UP IN AJES
Volume 55 Issue No.5 2008
RESEARCH PAPERS
B De Waele & S Pisarevsky
Geochronology, paleomagnetism and magnetic fabric of metamorphic
rocks in the northeast Fraser Belt,
Western Australia.
J L Payne, M Hand, K M Barovich & B P Wade
Temporal constraints on the timing of high-grade
metamorphism in the northern Gawler Craton: implications
for assembly of the Australian Proterozoic.
M A Olmos & G F Birch
Application of sediment-bound heavy metals in studies of estuarine health:
a case study of
Brisbane Water
estuary, New South Wales.
F P Murphy, J Cull, T J Lee, S K Lee & Y Song
Magnetotelluric soundings and crustal architecture
at Century mine, northern Australia.
T D Frank
Late Holocene island reef development on the inner zone of the northern Great Barrier
Reef: insights
from Low Isles Reef.
R C King, R R Hillis & S D Reynolds
In situ stresses and natural fractures in the Northern Perth
Basin, Australia.
B P Wade, M Hand, D W Maidment, D F Close & I R Scrimgeour
Origin of metasedimentary and
igneous rocks from the central Australia: a U–Pb, LA-ICPMS, SHRIMP and
Sm–Nd isotope study
Volume 55 Issue No.6/7 2008
GEOCHRONOLOGY IN AUSTRALIA
Guest Editors
J R De Laeter, A J W Gleadow & I McDougall
J R De Laeter, A J W Gleadow & I McDougall: Introduction
J R De Laeter: Geochronology in Australia: an overview
Part 1 History of geochronology in Australia
I McDougall
Brief history of isotope geology at the Australian National University.
S Y O’Reilly, W L Griffin & B Gulson
Geochronology in New South Wales.
S Golding
History of geochronology in Queensland.
J A Cooper, J D Foden, J R Prescott, H H Veeh & A W Webb
Geochronology in South Australia.
A J W Gleadow & J F Lovering: Development of geochronology in Victoria.
J R De Laeter
Geochronology in Western Australia
Part 2 Geochronology through time
D R Nelson
Geochronology of the Archean of Australia.
S Sheppard, B Rasmussen, S Bodorkos & I M Tyler
Role of geochronology in our present-day understanding of the Proterozoic: an Australian perspective.
I S Williams & A K Pulford
Contribution of geochronology to understanding the Palaeozoic geological history of Australia.
I McDougall
Geochronology and evolution of Australia in the Mesozoic.
P M Vasconcelos, K M Knesel, B E Cohen & J A Heim
Geochronology of the Australian Cenozoic: a history of tectonic and igneous activity, weathering, erosion
and sedimentation
Part 3 Geochronology: some recent applications
R Grün, R Wells, S Eggins, N Spooner, M Aubert, L Brown & E Rhodes
Electron spin resonance dating of South Australian megafauna sites.
T R Ireland, S Clement, W Compston, J J Foster, P Holden, B Jenkins, P Lanc, N Schram
& I S Williams
Development of SHRIMP.
M T McCulloch & G E Mortimer
Application of the 238U–230Th decay series to dating of fossil and modern corals using MC-ICPMS.
B I A McInnes, R R Keays, D D Lambert, J Hellstrom & J S Allwood
Re–Os geochronology and isotope systematics of Tanami, Tennant Creek and Olympic Dam Au–Cu deposits.
S Y O’Reilly, W L Griffin, N J Pearson, S E Jackson, E A Belousova, O Alard & A Saeed
Taking the pulse of the Earth: linking crustal and mantle events.
J R Prescott & G B Robertson
Luminescence dating: an Australian perspective
WHAT'S ON
The 2006 Mt Isa Deep Crustal Survey Project workshop, Mt Isa,
June 24, 2008
A one-day workshop to release the results of the Mt Isa Deep Crustal Survey Project.
http://www.ga.gov.au/minerals/research/pubs/minalert/min_alert_apr2008.jsp
Mineral exploration through cover: How far have we come? Canberra,
June 25, 2008
A one day symposium for geoscientists to acquaint themselves with the outcomes of CRC LEME research.
http://crcleme.org.au/NewsEvents/Events/newevents.html
Mineral exploration through cover (MXTC), Adelaide, June 27, 2008
Regolith and CRC LEME round up.
http://crcleme.org.au/NewsEvents/Events/newevents.html
Surviving Australia, Australian Museum, Sydney; now opening
June 28, 2008
A new permanent exhibition unlocking all the secrets and surprises of animal life in Australia through time.
http://www.australianmuseum.net.au/
8th Australian Mars Exploration Conference, Adelaide, 4–6 July, 2008
http://www.marssociety.org.au/amec2008/AMEC2008.php
35th Australian Groundwater School, Perth, 14–18 July, 2008
http://www.groundwater.com.au/
GSA Council Meeting, Perth Exhibition & Conference Centre, 20 July, 2008
http://www.gsa.org.au
AESC 2008, Perth Exhibition & Conference Centre, 20–24 July 2008
http://www.iceaustralia.com/aesc2008
10th Australian Space Development Conference, 21–23 July 2008
http://www.nssa.com.au/ASDC10/index.html
American Geophysical Union 2008 Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting,
Cairns,
29 July – 1 August, 2008
http://www.agu.org/meetings/wp08/?content=program
Inaugural Global Geotourism Conference, Perth, 17–20 August 2008
http://www.promaco.com.au/2008/geotm/
Second International Earth Science Olympiad, Philippines,
31 August – 8 September 2008
http://www.ieso2008.ph/index.php
Eastern Australian Basins Symposium III, Sydney, 14–17 September 2008
http://www.pesa.com.au/
2008 Sustainable Development Conference, Darwin, 15–19 September 2008
SD08: Solutions Through Collaboration
http://www.minerals.org.au/mcaevents/events/sd08_sustainable_development_conference
2008 SELWYN SYMPOSIUM, Melbourne, 25 September 2008
Neoproterozoic extreme climates and the origin of early life
http://www.gsa.org.au/divisions/vic.html
Terry Leach Symposium, Sydney, 17 October 2008
The application of Petrology to Geological Models in Mineral Exploration
http://www.smedg.org.au/LeachSymp08.html
Joint Australasian Mineralogical Seminar, Zeehan Tasmania,
3–7 November 2008
Copper Mines and Minerals
http://www.mineral.org.au/seminar/seminar08.htm
Australia Mining Congress 2008, 18–20 November 2008
Asia's No1 mining and investment conference
http://terrapinn.com/2008/mine_au/
CONTACTS
Head Office
Suite 61, 104 Bathurst Street
Sydney NSW 2000
ph 02-9290 2194
fax 02-9290 2198
www.gsa.org.au
Executive
Divisions
Special Interest Groups
The Australian Journal of Earth Sciences (AJES)
The Australian Geologist (TAG)
Education and Outreach
Publicity
The Australian Earth Science Convention, 2008 will be held in Perth on
20–24 July 2008.
The conference is a joint event of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists
and the Geological Society of Australia.
To get involved or find out more contact: aesc2008@iceaustralia.com
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