| 23 March 2009 GSA Release No. 09-12 |
| Contact: Christa Stratton Director - GSA Communications & Marketing +1-303-357-1093 |
|
Geoscientists Set to Discuss Climate Change, Water Issues, Carbon Sequestration, Science Education, and More
Geological Society of America’s 2009 North Central regional meeting in Rockford, Illinois, 2-3 April
More than 400 geoscientists will soon gather for the 42nd Annual Meeting of the North Central Section of the Geological Society of America, hosted this year by the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences at Northern Illinois University (NIU). The meeting will take place at the NIU Rockford Conference Center in Rockford, Illinois, USA.
The Keynote Lecture, "Paleoclimate: Hadean to Holocene," by John Valley of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, presents an example of what can be learned by applying a broad array of techniques and disciplinary approaches to the singularly important topic of climate. The presentation will take place Thursday, 2 April, 5-6 p.m., in the NIU-Rockford Conference Center’s main auditorium.
View the abstract at http://www.niu.edu/geology/gsa/Valley_abstract.pdf
A more complete introduction to Valley's talk, including photos, can be found at http://www.niu.edu/geology/gsa/ValleySmallfile.pdf.
Seven symposia will highlight cutting-edge scientific research on such topics as water use and availability in the Great Lakes Basin, carbon sequestration, and modern techniques for addressing research questions in planetary geology.
In accordance with the Obama administration’s priority to increase science literacy, and in recognition of the need to prepare a new generation of geoscientists, several sessions at the meeting will focus on Earth science education.
Other themed technical sessions will feature presentations ranging from polar climate change and glacial deposits, to paleontology and sedimentary event histories in North American Phanerozoic Basins. More than 300 presentations will be made by academic and industry scientists, undergraduates, and graduate students.
On Saturday, 4 April, geologic field trips will explore Chicago’s landscape, the lead-zinc mining district of the Upper Mississippi Valley, and Silurian rocks in Northeastern Illinois.
For more information, visit http://www.geosociety.org/sections/nc/09mtg/fieldTrips.htm.
To view the complete technical program, visit http://www.geosociety.org/sections/nc/09mtg/techprog.htm
MEETING INFORMATION
Complete meeting information is available at http://www.geosociety.org/sections/nc/09mtg/index.htm
Information on registration is available at http://www.geosociety.org/sections/nc/09mtg/registration.htm
MEDIA REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Journalists are invited to attend and cover the science at the meeting. Eligibility for media registration is as follows:
- Working press representing bona fide, recognized news media with a press card, letter, or business card from the publication.
- Freelance science writers, presenting a current membership card from NASW, ISWA, regional affiliates of NASW, ISWA, CSWA, ACS, ABSW, EUSJA, or evidence of work pertaining to science published in 2008 or 2009.
- PIOs of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Complimentary meeting registration covers attendance at all technical sessions and access to the exhibit hall. Journalists and PIOs must pay regular fees for paid luncheons and any short courses or field trips in which they participate. Representatives of the business side of news media, publishing houses, and for-profit corporations must register at the main registration desk and pay the appropriate fees.
For additional information and assistance with media registration, contact Christa Stratton, GSA Director of Communications, +1-303-357-1093, .
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 22,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 95 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.