The IUGG Electronic Journal Volume 13 No. 7 (1 July 2013)
The IUGG Electronic Journal
Volume 13 No. 7 (1 July 2013)
Contents
1. Opening of the IUGG Secretariat in Potsdam
2. Report on the joint IASPEI-ISC project “Networking of World Seismologists”
3. News from the International Council for Science (ICSU)
4. Report on the Sixty-fifth Session of the WMO Executive Council
5. Springer’s Encyclopedias
6. American Geophysical Union and Wiley Launch New Open Access Journal
7. Awards and Honors
8. IUGG-related meetings occurring during July – September
1. Opening of the IUGG Secretariat in Potsdam
On 7 June the IUGG Secretariat was officially inaugurated at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany.
More than 30 people attended the opening ceremony including Oliver Bens, GFZ Executive Board Member; Rainer Kind, Immediate Past President of the German National Committee for Geodesy and Geophysics (NKGG); Roland Oberhänsli, President of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS); and Magdalena ScheckWenderoth, Secretary General of the International Lithosphere Program (ILP). Harald Schuh, Director of the GFZ Department of Geodesy and Remote Sensing (the department hosting the IUGG Secretariat) and the IAG Vice President, gave an opening speech. Alik IsmailZadeh, IUGG Secretary General, thanked the GFZ representatives for hosting the Secretariat and gave a presentation about IUGG activities. Franz Kuglitsch, IUGG Executive Secretary, presented the tasks of the IUGG Secretariat. After the talks, the participantshad some time for discussion in a relaxed atmosphere with snacks and refreshments.
2. Report on the joint IASPEI-ISC project “Networking of World Seismologists”
The aim of the project “Improving Geophysical Science Link to Society during Natural Extreme Events, Especially in Developing Countries (Networking of World Seismologists)” was to develop, update and maintain the information on the network of scientific institutions and individual seismologists and geophysicists. Individuals of the network agreed to serve as scientific points of contact to seismologists and geophysicists of other countries, governments, charitable response/relief organizations, and the media. Particular care was devoted to establishing and maintaining contacts in developing countries. The registry is available at www.isc.ac.uk/projects/seismocontacts. The website includes an interactive map, a description, and a list of countries where the contactinformation is available. The project was conducted jointly by the International Seismological Center (ISC) and the International Association of Seismology andPhysics of the Earth Interior (IASPEI), and was funded by IUGG in the framework of the IUGG Grants Programme. In addition to the IUGG funding, the project was supported by the China Earthquake Administration.
3. News from the International Council for Science (ICSU)
Future Earth Science Committee announced
The International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC), on behalf of the Science and Technology Alliance for Global Sustainability, announced on 18 June 2013 the members of the first Science Committee for Future Earth, a new 10year research programme on global sustainability. Mark Stafford Smith (CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship in Canberra, Australia) will be the inaugural Chair. “Future Earth is going to change the way we do science globally. It represents a unique opportunity to provide the research needed to address the biggest challenges of our time on global sustainability, and to do so in partnership with decisionmakers. We’ve assembled an impressive and truly international team for this committee. We are all looking forward to continuing to develop the science agenda and global networks for this innovative programme,” said Stafford Smith.
The committee is comprised of 18 members and encompasses the diversity of disciplines and expertise needed to address global environmental change in all its dimensions, including natural and social sciences, humanities and engineering. The Science Committee is the first of the governance bodies to beappointed for Future Earth, which will be supported by an interim secretariat until a permanent secretariat is set up in 2014. The Committee will make
recommendations on new and existing projects, and emerging priorities for research. It will oversee the transition of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP) and Diversitas activities into Future Earth, secure strong partnership with theWorld Climate Research Programme (WCRP) community and provide guidance on new activities for Future Earth. The Chair and Vice Chairs will serve from June 2013-2016, the Science Committee members will serve from June 2013-2015, both terms being extendable. The full list of members is available from the Future Earth pages on the ICSU website: http://www.icsu.org/newscentre/future-earth/who/governance/future-earth-science-committee.
Call for the IRDR Executive Director
ICSU announced the call for application for the position of the Executive Director of the Scientific Program “Integrated Research for Disaster Risk” (IRDR).The program is cosponsored by ICSU together with the International Social Sciences Council (ISSC) and the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The post of the IRDR Executive Director becomes vacant on 30 November 2013. IUGG contributed to thedevelopments of IRDR via its distinguished experts in natural hazards and disaster risk analysis, namely, Gordon McBean (climatic related risks), David Johnston (volcanic risks), Tom Beer (atmospheric risks), Harsh Gupta (seismic risks), and Kuni Takeuchi (flood risk). Please forward this announcement to potentially strong candidates who might be interesting in this important and challenging post. The deadline for applications is 19 July 2013. More information is available on the ICSU website: http://www.icsu.org/newscentre/jobs-at-icsu/jobs/vacancy-irdr-executive-director
ICSU consults membership on open access
Seeking to clarify its position on the related issues of open access publication of scientific literature and evaluation of research by metrics, ICSU has reached out to its membership organizations for their input. The results of this process may lead to corresponding resolutions being proposed to the General Assembly in September 2014.The issues surrounding open access to scientific literature and data have become impossible for scientists to ignore, as national and supra-national funding agencies increasingly push that the results of the research they fund are freely available to all. Some new publication models require authors to pay a fee for the publication of their work, while many existing subscription based journals and books have high subscription fees. A new emphasis on open access to data, increasingly important in this data rich science era, is raising further issues regarding security, ethics, intellectual property rights, formal publication of data, incentives to scientists to provide their data and more. With research funders, universities and governments increasingly relying on quantitative metrics, in particular based on citation statistics, to evaluate universities, departments and individuals, there is also pressure on researchers to adopt practices that maximize these metrics. ICSU has asked its members to comment in general on these interrelated issues, and specifically in relation to the following questions:
1.What requirements do funders of research in your country or subject area currently make, or plan to make, as regards open access publication, including open access to data? What advantages and disadvantages do you see in such open access requirements, whether in your country/subject area or else where?
2.To what extent are metrics being used to evaluate universities, departments and individuals in your country or subject area, what metrics are used, andhow are these influencing publication trends and incentives for researchers?
3.What useful role, if any, do you think ICSU can play in these matters?
4. Report on the Sixty-fifth Session of the WMO Executive Council
The Sixtyfifth Session of the Executive Council of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15 to 23 May 2013.The session ran smoothly and in good humor. WMO does not have the financial resources that it would wish but it is receiving an increasing flow of extrabudgetary funding for specific projects and most member states are paying their dues more promptly than in the past despite the financial difficulties that most countries face. The Organization has always had a reputation for being efficient and it is now making an effort to further enhance this reputation by cutting to the minimum the length of the sessions of its constituent bodies. For example, this meeting ran for only eight working days. A major effort wasmade at this session in this regard by identifying many documents as being “noncontroversial” and participants were then encouraged to adopt them without much or even any discussion. At least two substantial documents were presented and then adopted without a single comment from anyone.
IUGG was explicitly mentioned in the context of the WMO/IUGG Volcanic Ash Scientific Group. In a side event, the VicePresident of WMO’s Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology referred to this Group and stressed the importance of improved measurement ofash at its source. So, the next day, I intervened in Plenary to welcome the close cooperation between meteorologists and volcanologists in efforts to improve observation networks and instrumentation. A number of countriesmembers of the Arctic Council are proposing that WMO be given formal status as an observer. Renewed interest by Russia has given hope that Arctic HYCOS (Arctic Hydrological Cycle Observing System) will soon be launched. The news from the Global Climate Observing System is that the atmospheric system is going well, responsibility for the oceanic system has been transferred from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO in Paris, France, to WMO in Geneva, and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has stopped supporting the terrestrial system even though the elements within it are progressing well.
The Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) did not dominate the session as much as in recent sessions, but close attention was paid to the forthcoming first session of the Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services (IBCS) which will be held in Genevafrom 1 to 5 July 2013. Preparatory work on the GFCS has raised the problem of the international exchange of data because the past resolutions on this thorny issue refer to meteorological and hydrological data but not to climate data. There has been some discussion of revising these past resolutions to cover climate data but this is strongly resisted by the majority and so it is now more likely that a third resolution will be proposed to WMO Congress to cover climate data.
5. Springer’s Encyclopedias
Recently Springer published two encyclopedias in the Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series: The Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics and the Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards.
The Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics (2011) edited by H. Gupta provides a single unique reference of more than 1,600 pages in two volumes for the rapidly growing field of Solid Earth Geophysics. It offers a cross-disciplinary coverage, drawing from many disciplines of Solid Earth
physics and could become a comprehensive reference to a wide range of geoscientists. There is no other comparable publication available. A rigorous content structuring makes general as well as specialized topics accessible to readers.
The Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards (2013) edited by P. Bobrowsky provides in 1,135 pages a state-of-the art reference volume on natural hazards.
It was authored by a wide range of subdisciplinary specialists from around the globe and includes almost 500 illustrations and detailed syntheses. It integrates classic case study examples effectively and discusses a timely and socially relevant topic.
More information on these encyclopedias can be found at the Springer website:
http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences+and+geography/geophysics/book/978-90-481-8701-0
http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences+and+geography/natural+hazards/book/978-90-481-8699-0
6. American Geophysical Union and Wiley Launch New Open Access Journal
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) and John Wiley & Sons, Inc., announced their partnership to publish the new open access peer-reviewed journal, Earth’s Future. The journal will emphasize the Earth as an interactive, evolving system under the influence of the human enterprise and will reflect the risks and opportunities associated with environmental changes and challenges. It will feature primary research across disciplines and connect it to policy through the inclusion of editorials, essays, reviews, and other commentary pieces. Contributors will tackle solutions to such grand challengesas population increase, industrial and agricultural development, urbanization, climate change, energy, food and water resource sustainability and securityGuy Brasseur, Directorof Germany’s Climate Service Center, has been appointed to lead the launch of Earth’s Future as its inaugural Editor-in-Chief. “Earth’s Future represents an important and innovative contribution not only to transdiciplinary research, but also to the ability of the public and policy makers to navigate and connect with our science, and to successfully incorporate it into their decision making processes,” said AGU President Carol Finn.“AGU is pleased to be able to partner with a global leader like Wiley to provide this new platform for the exploration of global change and sustainability.Launching Earth’s Future represents a key achievement in our mission to promote discovery in the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity."
AGU is looking for a dynamic, well-organized scientist with high editorial standards and strong leadership skills to serve a four-year term as the editor-in-chief (EIC) for Earth’s Future. The EIC should be the principal architect of the scientific content of the journal and an active scientist, well known and well regarded in his/her discipline. The position includes the following roles and responsibilities: (i) act as an ambassador to the author/editor/reviewer/scientistcommunity; (ii) set the strategy for the journal; (iii) lead the selection of editors; (iv) assign and balance review workload; (v) lead ethical assessments anddecisions; (vi) review and contribute to periodic monitoring reports; and (vii) conduct and attend meetings. AGU will accept both applications (i.e., self-nominations) and nominations of qualified colleagues, which will be evaluated by a search committee. The deadline for applications and nominations is 15July 2013.
7. Awards and Honors
Uri Shamir,IUGG President (2003-2007), received a Life-long Achievement Award by the Israeli Water Association in the domain of water, “for scientific and engineering achievements, for professional leadership,for the ability to combine research and teaching to address urgent issues facing the water sector, for his contribution in educating generations of top ranking professionals of the Israeli water sector, for his contribution to the content and formulation of Israel’s water agreements with its neighbors, for distinguished representation of Israel in the international water community by consultation to international entities like the World Bank and UNESCO and by leadership of international scientific organizations, for involvement in and influence on management of the Israeli water sector, and for contributing to the WaterSector Master Plan and its approval”.
Yun-tai Chen , IUGG Bureau Member (2003-2011), was awarded the 2013 Axford Medal of the Asia and Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) for “his significant contributions to the study of seismicsource, both in theoretical and practical aspects in seismology, invaluable service in the international and Asian communities, and efforts to start up the AOGS activities”.
8. IUGG-related meetings occurring during July – September
A calendar of meetings of interest to IUGG disciplines (especially those organized by IUGG Associations) is posted on the IUGG website (http://www.IUGG.org/calendar). Specific information about these meetings can be found there. Individual Associations also list more meetings on their websites according to their disciplines.
July
- 1-3, IAHS, Wageningen, The Netherlands, IPC11 - 11th International Precipitation Conference.
Web: http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/show/11th-International-Precipitation-Conference.htm.
- 1-4, IAG, Shanghai, China, International Symposium on Planetary Sciences (IAPS2013).
Web: http://202.127.29.4/meetings/iaps2013/.
- 5-6, IAMAS, Zurich, Switzerland, Workshop on Measurement Problems in Ice Clouds.
Web: http://www.daca13.org/wsl/daca13/program/SympC2/ICCPWorkshopIceClouds.
- 8-12, IAMAS, IACS, Davos, Switzerland, DACA-13 (Davos Atmosphere and Cryosphere Assembly 2013).
Web: http://www.daca-13.org.
- 20-24, IAVCEI, Kagoshima, Japan, IAVCEI General Assembly - 2013: Forecasting Volcanic Activity: reading and translating the messages of nature for society.
Web: http://www.iavcei2013.com/.
- 22-26, IAHS, IAPSO, IASPEI, Gothenburg, Sweden, IAHS-IAPSO-IASPEI Joint Assembly: Knowledge for the Future.
Web: http://iahs-iapso-iaspei2013.com/.
August
- 29 July - August 1, IAMAS, Leeds, UK, 11th International workshop on Layered Phenomenon of the Mesopause Region (LPMR).
Web:http://www.lpmr.leeds.ac.uk.
- 29 July - August 2, IMU, IUGG, IUTAM, Guanajuato, Mexico, Workshop on Mathematics of climate change, related hazards and risks.
Web: http://www.mca2013.org/en/workshop-on-mathematics-of-climate-change.html.
- 12-14, IAHS, Lanzhou, China, International Conference on Water Sustainability in Arid Regions.
Web: http://210.26.50.154:8083.
- 20-21, IAHS, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, High-Level International Conference on Water Cooperation.
Web: http://www.unwater.org/events_dushanbe2013.html.
- 26-31, IAGA, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, 12th Scientific Assembly (IAGA 2013).
Web: http://www.geociencias.unam.mx/iaga2013/.
September
- 01-06, IAG, Potsdam, Germany, IAG Scientific Assembly.
Web: http://www.iag2013.org.
- 01-07, IASPEI, St. Petersburg, Russia, 8th International Symposium on Rockbursts and Seismicity in Mines.
Web: http://pts.mi-perm.ru/rasim/.
- 02-07, IACS, Zermatt, Switzerland, Summer School on Mass Balance Measurements and Analysis 2013.
Web: http://www.geo.uzh.ch/microsite/wgms/mb_summerschool.html.
- 09-11, IAG, Nottingham, UK, 2nd Joint International symposium on Deformation Monitoring (JISDM).
Web: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/engineering/conference/jisdm/index.aspx.
- 16-20, IAHS, Perth, Australia, IAH International 40th Congress – Solving the Groundwater Challenges of the 21st Century.
Web: http://iahcongress2013.org/.
- 17-20, IAG, St. Petersburg, Russia, Terrestrial Gravimetry: Static and Mobile Measurements (TGSMM-2013).
Web: http://www.elektropribor.spb.ru/tgsmm2013/eginf.
- 23-28, IACS, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, International Symposium “Physics, chemistry and mechanics of snow”.
Web: http://snowphysics.fegi.ru/en/main.html.
- 30 September -2 October, IAGA, IUGG, Kaluga, Russia, International Conference“Geophysical Observatories,
Multifunctional GIS and Data Mining”. Web: http://www.kaluga2013.gcras.ru/index_eng.html.
End of IUGG Electronic Journal Volume 13 Number 7 (1 July 2013)
Editor: Alik Ismail-Zadeh, Secretary General (Alik.Ismail-Zadeh@kit.edu)
Associate Editor: Franz Kuglitsch, Executive Secretary (fgkugl@gfz-potsdam.de)
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