The IUGG Electronic Journal Volume 9 No. 4 (1 April 2009)
UNION GEODESIQUE ET GEOPHYSIQUE INTERNATIONALE
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF GEODESY AND GEOPHYSICS
The IUGG Electronic Journal
Volume 9 No. 4 (1 April 2009)
This 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 (http://www.iugg.org/publications/ejournals/). Please forward this message to those who will benefit from the information. Your comments are welcome.
Contents
IUGG Annual Report for 2008
Report on the ICSU World Data System Transition Team (WDSTT) business meeting
News from the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) expresses its recognition to IUGG
IUGG-related meetings occurring during April - June 2009
1. IUGG Annual Report for 2008
The IUGG Annual Report provides a summary of the activities of the Union, IUGG Associations and Union and Inter-Unions Commissions. Thanks to the input from the Associations and Commissions, the 2008 IUGG Annual Report is now completed and posted on the IUGG web-page: http://www.iugg.org/publications/reports/report2008.pdf. We invite you to download this impressive summary of last year’s activities.
2. Report on the ICSU World Data System Transition Team (WDSTT) business meeting
The General Assembly of the International Council for Science (ICSU) held in Maputo (Mozambique) in October 2008 decided to establish a new World Data System as an Interdisciplinary Body to replace the World Data Centers and Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Services. To assist in this development, ICSU created the ad hoc transition team to prepare a term of references (ToR) and to draft a plan of actions for the WDS Scientific Committee (to be established this year by ICSU).
The team, WDSTT, held its business meeting in the ICSU Secretariat in Paris from 9 to 11 March 2009. On 10 March ICSU invited representatives of three ICSU Unions (IUGG, International Astronomical Union, and International Union of Radio Sciences) and of key partners (IOC, GEO, IPY, and CODATA) to attend the WDSTT meeting. The Secretary General A. Ismail-Zadeh represented IUGG. The aim of this joint meeting was to clarify the role of the ICSU Unions and key partners in the development of the new WDS. M. Mokrane (ICSU) presented the ICSU 2009-2010 goals to establish the WDS Scientific Committee.
It was suggested that ICSU Unions could take part in the procedure for the accreditation of new WDS units (data centers and services). A relevant ICSU Union should endorse all new applications for membership in the WDS. ICSU agreed that Scientific Unions should be invited to WDS General Assemblies to discuss scientific plans and activities. The ToR of the WDS Scientific Committee should include linking the WDS-SC with ICSU Unions and key partners.
The IUGG Commission for Data and Information committed to assist in the establishment of the new WDS. For many years IUGG financially supported FAGS services. IUGG decided to continue its support to geophysical data services and data centers till 2011, because this financial support is important for many geophysical services as seed funding to enable them to raise national funding for research.
3. News from the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE)
The Young Earth Scientists for Society (YES) Congress
The Young Earth Scientists for Society (YES) network, an association of earth scientists under the age of 35 years representing geological societies from around the world, in collaboration with the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), is organising a world congress for young earth scientists, policy makers, advisors and decision makers to be held in Beijing (China) from 25 to 28 October 2009. The conference will focus on global climate, environmental and geological challenges facing today’s society, and aims to establish an interdisciplinary global network of individuals committed to solving these challenges. Young representatives from main geological associations and employers, young leaders in politics and those from administrative bodies are invited to attend and create an interdisciplinary global network that will include future policy makers, advisors and decision makers.
Planet Earth Book
The IYPE Corporation released the second version of the Planet Earth book. Please visit the following web-site to see this excellent, illustrative, electronic book
4. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) expresses its recognition to IUGG
The fourth meeting of the International Airways Volcano Watch Operations Group held in Paris, France from 15 to 19 September 2008 called for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to express its recognition to IUGG and project partners for having completed the Eruption Source Parameters (ESP) Project and producing the on-line tools for use by the volcanic ash advisory centers.
The Air Navigation Commission in considering the report of the meeting noted this conclusion and requested that such recognition be expressed on behalf of ICAO. Taieb Cherif, ICAO Secretary General, thanked IUGG and its project partners (the U.S. Geological Survey and the Cascades Volcano Observatory) for the completion of the ESP Project and for the production of the on-line tools to be used in volcanic ash and transport and dispersion models in support of safety and efficiency of international air navigation.
5. IUGG-related meetings occurring during April – June 2009
A calendar of meetings of interest to IUGG disciplines (especially those organized by IUGG Associations) is posted on the IUGG web site [www.IUGG.org/calendar]. Specific information about these meetings can be found there. Individual Associations also list more meetings on their web sites according to their disciplines.
- April 6 -10, IACS, Manali, India, International Symposium on Snow and Avanaches.
- April 13-17, IAHS, Puebla Cholula, Puebla, Mexico, International Conference on Water, Environment and Health Sciences: The Challenges of the Climate Change (ICWEHS).
- April 14-17, IAVCEI, Malargue, Argentina, 3rd International Maar Conference.
- April 19-24, EGU, Vienna, Austria, European Geosciences Union General Assembly.
- April 19 - May 2, IUTAM/IUGG, Singapore, Republic of Singapore, International Spring School "Fluid Mechanics and Geophysics of Environmental Hazards.
- April 20-23, IAHS, Vienna, Austria, HydroEco'2009: 2nd International Multidisciplinary Conference on Hydrology and Ecology: Ecosystems Interfacing with Groundwater and Surface Water.
- April 29-30, IASPEI, Lisbon, Portugal, Second International Seminar on Prediction of Earthquakes.
- May 4-8, ISPRS, Stressa, Lago Maggiore, 33rd International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE-33).
- May 10-16, IUGG, Belgrade, Serbia, 5th Congress of the Balkan Geophysical Society.
- May 16-21, JGU, Chiba City, Japan, Japan Geoscience Union Meeting.
- May 24-27, AGU, Toronto, Canada, Joint Spring Meeting.
- May 31 - June 4, CMOS, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 43rd Annual Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) Congress.
- June 2-5, ISPRS, Hannover, Germany, Workshop on High-Resolution Earth Imaging for Geospatial Information.
- June 3-6, IUGG, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Russia, International Conference Electronic Geophysical Year in Russia, State of the Art and First Results.
- June 6-11, IACS, Obergurgl, Austria, Mechanisms of Quaternary Climate Change: Stability of Warm Phases in the Past and in the Future – ESF conference.
- June 8–10, IACS, Tromsø, Norway, High Mountain Glaciers and Challenges Caused by Climate Change.
- June 10-12, IASPEI, Vienna, Austria, International Scientific Studies Conference
- June 21-24, CCEP, Toronto, Canada, 19th World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM)
- June 22-26, Geochemical Society, European Association of Geochemistry, Davos, Switzerland, Goldschmidt 2009: Challenges to our Volatile Planet
End of IUGG Electronic Journal Volume 9 Number 4 (1 April 2009)
A.T. Ismail-Zadeh, Secretary General [http://www.IUGG.org]
E-mail: Alik.Ismail-Zadeh@gpi.uka.de Fax: +49 721 71173.
Note: Contributions to IUGG E-Journal are welcome from members of the IUGG family. Please send your contributions to Alik Ismail-Zadeh by e-mail (insert in Subject line: contribution to E-Journal). The contributions will be reviewed and may be shortened by the Editor.
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Ms. Simone Oswald
IUGG Assistant Secretary General
IUGG Secretariat:
Geophysical Institute
University of Karlsruhe
Hertzstr. 16
76187 Karlsruhe, GERMANY
Phone: +49-721-6084494
Fax: +49-721-71173
E-mail: secretariat@iugg.org
Web: http://www.IUGG.org
