7^th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Neuchâtel 2009

1. Water across (scientific) boundaries
2. Structural Geology, Tectonics and Geodynamics (open session)
3. Mineralogy-Petrology-Geochemistry (open session)
4. Open Cryosphere session (open session)
5. Meteorology and climatology (open session)
6. Darwin, Evolution and Palaeontology
7. Future horizons in marine and continental research drilling
8. Geoscience and Geoinformation – From data acquisition to modelling and visualisation
9. Water and land resources in developing countries: towards innovative management and governance
10. Processes and environments influenced by water – boundaries crossed and encountered in the Quaternary research
11. Decision oriented modelling of the geosphere
12. Biological, physical and chemical processes in soils
13. Bassin versant, sous l'angle de la géographie humaine

1. Water across (scientific) boundaries

Description:

This full day symposium aims at providing an opportunity to present research reports on the different aspects of the nature of water (groundwater, surface water, quantity, chemical and physical characteristics) as well as water as biotope and as resource. The focus will be on the transdisciplinarity among research fields on water. The symposium will be structured around four thematic focal points, without hard borders:

• Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions;
• Rock-Water Interaction;
• Interrelations with Biological and Ecological Aspects;
• Adapted Water Resources Management.

For each block one “solicitated” or “encouraged” speaker as well as three other speakers will be scheduled. Additionally, time for free topics and a poster session will be provided.

During lunch break it will be time for general assemblies of the societies.

2. Structural Geology, Tectonics and Geodynamics. (Open Session)

Description:

Presentations are invited considering structural geology, tectonics, and geodynamics, including field, experimental and model studies of structures at all scales. The session should also provide a forum for more interdisciplinary contributions studying the interplay between surface processes, topography and tectonics. Young researchers are particularly encouraged to participate and present their results.

3. Mineralogy-petrology-geochemistry. (Open Session)

Description:

This session aims to provide a platform for research reports in all fields related to mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry that are not covered by other sessions (e.g. experimental petrology, volcanology, analytical approaches etc.). Furthermore, it provides a platform to young scientists that want to report about the results of their PhD/master projects. It is planned to have an accompanying poster session.

4. Open Cryosphere session (Open Session)

Description:

This session addresses all topics, which are related to the Alpine and Polar Cryosphere. We expect contributions covering the whole range of Alpine and Polar snow, ice and permafrost research. We encourage theoretical, experimental as well as practical contributions, especially from young researchers. Presentations that address the aspects of dynamics and thermodynamics of snow, ice and permafrost and impacts related to natural hazards are particularly welcomed.

5. Meteorology and climatology (Open Session)

Description:

Presentations are invited covering the whole range of actual research in meteorology and climatology in the regional and global scale, including phenomenological and experimental aspects in different fields, surface and satellite measurements, remote sensing as well as model studies. Young researchers are particularly invited to present their research and results. Contributions are welcome in German, French or English.

6. Darwin, Evolution and Palaeontology

Description:

This symposium will present research works dealing with fundamental palaeontology. We expect the delegates to focus their communications on topics with implications in any aspect of evolution studies (phylogeny, palaeobiogeography, evo-devo, history of science, etc.). In addition, this symposium is an open session to all palaeontologists, but also to geochemists and other scientists who want to present their works on palaeobiosphere.

For the best paper and presentation in palaeontology, the Swiss Commission of Palaeontology (KSPA) proposes an award for young researchers.

Age limit: 35
Prize: 1000 CHF
Applicants have to send their abstracts to the President by e-mail (Christian.Meyer@bs.ch) no later than October 31st 2009

7. Future horizons in marine and continental research drilling

Description:

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is an multinational marine research project that explores Earth's history and structure recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks, and monitors subseafloor environments. IODP builds upon the earlier successes of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), which revolutionized our view of Earth history and global processes through ocean basin exploration. Researchers based in Swlss institutions have played a very important role in many of these projects. Since recently Swiss scientists are also actively participating in the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP). This COL-sponsored symposium aims to summarize the wide range of possibilities offered by these two programs for Swiss scholars from very diverse fields through the presentation of recent results and future research proposals.

This half day symposium will comprise an oral session with invited speakers (probably 6) and a poster session to highlight the most recent achievements of the Swiss participation in both programs.

8. Geoscience and Geoinformation – From data acquisition to modelling and visualisation

Description:

Digital data acquisition and 3D visualisation of geospatial objects and processes are gaining increasingly importance in geosciences. For instance geodetic data capture in combination with digital geological mapping constitutes an important basis for various tasks in engineering geology, hydrogeology and other geoscientific fields. Moreover, 3D modelling and visualisation of such data gives a better understanding of the respective problem setting.

In this symposium papers related to the value adding chain from data acquisition, geo-processing, GIS handling to 3D modelling and visualisation will be presented. The focus will be on the following topics:

• Development and application of digital tools for geological, geodetic, and hydrographic data capture
• Transformation from field data to digital datasets and time series
• Digital geological mapping and geoscientific information systems
• 3D modelling, analysis of temporal variations and visualisation of geospatial objects and processes

Methodological papers as well as thematic case studies will be discussed. Since the topic of this year’s Swiss Geoscience Meeting is related to “water”, hydrogeologically oriented contributions (e.g. hydrography, bathymetry, groundwater modelling, deglaciation etc.) are especially welcome.

9. Water and land resources in developing countries: towards innovative management and governance

Description:

World-wide, ecological, social and economic changes have accelerated significantly in the last decades and pose a considerable challenge for technological, political and social adaptation and innovation towards sustainable development. Developing and transition countries have been particularly affected by these changes because they have markedly less options and resources to address these challenges. Changes relating to climate, land use, land cover, globalisation of trade, and human development affect people and the environment, with impacts that can be particularly dramatic in developing countries.

Research conducted within the NCCR North-South network and the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) has focused over many years on these challenges. With regard to natural resource use in transition and developing countries, issues have been taken up at three levels: first, at an integrated local level, by exploring the dynamics of natural resources – specifically soils, water and vegetation – in relation with livelihoods and coping strategies. Second, at a local to regional level by addressing environmental conflicts and social constructions of nature and their implications for governance of natural resources. Third, at the little explored meso-level, by addressing the development-environment nexus in trans-contextual settings (i.e. considering the interactions between the local to the global levels), and exploring the meso-level challenge of sustainable resource management capable of connecting global and local approaches.

In the proposed symposium, research results and innovative methodological approaches to assessing spatio-temporal degradation processes of water and land resources, and the effects of such processes on local production systems and livelihoods in transition and developing countries will be presented. In addition, appropriate technologies and approaches to combating soil and water degradation will be highlighted. Finally, research on environmental conflicts that takes up the ongoing debate on resources as a cause of conflicts and explores promising resource governance mechanisms will be discussed.

10. Processes and environments influenced by water – boundaries crossed and encountered in the Quaternary research

Description:

Water as an eroding and transporting medium is often an important issue when reconstructing Quaternary processes and environmental conditions. This is the case for glaciers with related processes and sediments, in alluvial environments and for lake level fluctuations in time. Understanding these settings often requires crossing the boundaries by interdisciplinary approaches involving specialists with backgrounds in, for example, geomorphology, sedimentology, soils sciences, biology, geochronology and, in the particular context of Quaternary research in Switzerland, archaeology.

We call for papers illustrating ongoing research in this field. Talks and posters presenting the potential of multidisciplinary approaches and new techniques as well as studies showing the investigation limitations that may show up are highly welcome.

11. Decision oriented modelling of the geosphere

Description:

Many present societal and political decisions are complex in nature and ask for integrative models of coupled natural, technical and/or socio-economic systems. Just to name few issues in this respect: climate impact and natural hazards in alpine regions; disposal of nuclear waste in deep geological strata; development of water power under changing climate conditions; etc. Such integrative models supporting decision makers bring about several challenges, which we would like to address in a 1/2 day workshop at the upcoming SGM conference.

First, such modelling efforts need to answer demands from two diverse and distinct perspectives: acceptance within the scientific community as well from decision makers. Whilst research scientists are primarily interested in highly specialised and detailed models producing cutting edge knowledge, the latter are more looking for easy to understand and robust models offering clear guidance for actual decisions. This tension and its potential consequences need to be critically reviewed and analysed.

Second, decision oriented models require of course the involvement of stakeholders, decision makers, and potential users. There are different understandings, how such involvement can be achieved: some argue, that it is primarily a communication problem, whereby existing results from models have to translated/adapted to be understood by decision makers; others plea for an encompassing involvement, discussing already from the outset goals and scope of the models with different stakeholders. That means, a couple of challenging questions need to be answered here: who, why, when, how can and should be involved in the modelling process?

We kindly invite experts to present conceptual approaches and concrete case studies in geosciences based computer modelling of policy relevant issues. Due to the policy relevance, inter- and transdisciplinary integrative models should be in focus. The workshop should address questions like e.g.: scaling, uncertainties, validation, presentation, visualisation and communication. We will reflect on potentials, limits and adequate strategies and conclude in working out helpful guidelines.

12. Biological, physical and chemical processes in soils

Description:

The soils are playing the role of interface between the atmosphere, the lithosphere and the hydrosphere in the continental ecosystems. Different interactions occur in this very heterogeneous system: liquid-solid phases, organic-mineral, living organisms - no-living compounds, biological and physico-chemical driven reactions... These interactions are involved in many modern challenges, like pollution, climate changes, soil fertility or ecosystems dynamics.

This session is open to all communications concerning soils and will focus particularly on the biological, physical and chemical processes that are occurring in soils:

• Interactions between biological, physical and chemical processes
• Significance of the biological, physical and chemical soil processes for ecosystems
• Interactions between organic and mineral phases
• Pollutants in soils.
• Water dynamics and characteristics in soils

13. Bassins versants, sous l'angle de la géographie humaine

Description:

?